Oil Leak Stop Additive

Roadandguitarman · #1 06-10-2006, 09:05 PM

Has anyone had very good luck with any Oil Leak Stop Additive, purchased from a regular local auto parts store, in stopping motor oil from leaking from a regular gasoline internal-combustion engine?

Bio}{azard · #2 06-10-2006, 09:14 PM

Magic pill?

curtis73 · #3 06-10-2006, 10:02 PM

At best, they slow down a leak, but I've not found any that make enough of a difference to use. I tried several and the best they did was reduce my leakage from 10 drops at night to 8 drops.

MagicRat · #4 06-11-2006, 08:24 AM

They (sometimes if you are lucky) work only on certain leaks, such as from worn neoprene or rope type seals. Blown, loose or torn gaskets, (or around here, rust holes in your oil pan) etc are not repaired by such additives

UncleBob · #5 06-11-2006, 01:57 PM

they work by thickening the oil, same with anti-smoke additives. Good way to ruin a motor.

Its much easier to just fix the oil leak than replace the motor.

curtis73 · #6 06-11-2006, 02:04 PM

Actually the additives he's talking about use glycerin-based additives that fill the leaks, then set when they encounter the air on the outside of the leak. Not just an oil thickener.

Roadandguitarman · #7 06-11-2006, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleBob

they work by thickening the oil, same with anti-smoke additives. Good way to ruin a motor.

Its much easier to just fix the oil leak than replace the motor.

Why do you say that it will ruin a motor?

Roadandguitarman · #8 06-11-2006, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtis73

Actually the additives he's talking about use glycerin-based additives that fill the leaks, then set when they encounter the air on the outside of the leak. Not just an oil thickener.

I agree with you on it being a conditioner and not a thickener.

There are 2 types of leaks: Seepage (no drops) and Leakage (with drops). So, the product probably does a better job with Seepage, and probably just only reduces the amount of Leakage, in most cases, I believe.

Has anyone had any other experiences?

Moppie · #9 06-11-2006, 03:45 PM

Iv used on an old engine that just need to last a few more hundred kms before it was rebuilt.
It slowed some leaks in old paper and cork gaskets.
But would have been a bitch clean up if the block and head wen't hot dipped.

I also know someone who put some in an old DOHC Turbo Mazda Familia (circa 1990) and it worked really well. For about a week, then the stuff set in one of the oil galleries in the block. You can guess what happened after that.

Roadandguitarman · #10 06-11-2006, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moppie

Iv used on an old engine that just need to last a few more hundred kms before it was rebuilt.
It slowed some leaks in old paper and cork gaskets.
But would have been a bitch clean up if the block and head wen't hot dipped.

I also know someone who put some in an old DOHC Turbo Mazda Familia (circa 1990) and it worked really well. For about a week, then the stuff set in one of the oil galleries in the block. You can guess what happened after that.

The label on the back of the bottle said to give it about 250 miles or 3 days to work. If that's all it takes to stop the leaking, then it sounds like after that (say a week) the oil should be changed.

Does anyone know or think that it needs to stay in the engine oil to keep working?

Also, does anyone know if 10W-40 oil leaks less than 10W-30?

TheSilentChamber · #11 06-11-2006, 07:38 PM

obviously a thicker oil will be harder to push past small holes... I'v seen people run gear oil (85w90) in motors to stop leaks before.... same type of people that put saw dust in rear ends to "stop" noise.

Moppie · #12 06-12-2006, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSilentChamber

same type of people that put saw dust in rear ends to "stop" noise.

Bannana skins work better

kcg795 · #13 06-12-2006, 04:40 AM

Just replace the leaky gaskets. Don't try to put a bandaid on the problem. Valve cover gaskets aren't that difficult. Oil pan gasket might be a little difficult. The rear main seal is another place where oil can leak from. Yeah, that can be a bitch, I hear. But leaks should be dealt with properly and not with some kind of additive. Ok, STP couldn't hurt, but find out where it's leaking from and fix it. A car that leaks oil can be deadly. It leaks all over the road and becomes a deadly mess after it rains for the first time in a week. The road can become slicker than snot. I followed an oil trail for about 5 miles and I'm sure it continued a lot farther if I didn't have to turn off. Luckily, I was careful and didn't lose traction. But I'm willing to bet at least one person on that road that day possibly went a little too fast around a corner and had to correct himself.

TheSilentChamber · #14 06-12-2006, 08:58 AM

Are you aware of how many gallons of oil you would have to pour on the road before it became a driving hazard? Most of the roads where I live are accually made out of oil and sand; its kinda like a half baked asphalt type stuff.

Roadandguitarman · #15 06-12-2006, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSilentChamber

Are you aware of how many gallons of oil you would have to pour on the road before it became a driving hazard? Most of the roads where I live are accually made out of oil and sand; its kinda like a half baked asphalt type stuff.

I was thinking that he was concerned about motorcycles, especially right after it starts to rain. Since the center of each traffic lane contains oil from thousands of vehicles over time, all motorcyclists should be aware of this and try to stay off of these areas, as much as possible.

I guess it's been enough said on this; we're getting off on a tangent.

The topic was about the effectiveness of Oil Leak Stop Additive.
Does anyone else have any experiences (not opinions) of any results of the use of this type of product?

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