Bar's Blog

I have a leaking head gasket on my 2000 subaru outback (225,000 miles) I am considering using a Bar's product to repair. The "Fix" product can be used without draining the coolant, the Bar's "Repair" requires a drain and flush. The question is, is there any difference in the efficacy or reliability of the repair in the two products? I don't want to have to drain the system if I don't have to, but I want the best chance of success.

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:11:26 -0500

There are pros and cons to both product versions.

The “Repair” product is less expensive and actually stronger on larger leaks. But the disadvantage is you remove all the product from the cooling system so that if a leak opens back up or starts in another area, there is no material in the system to seal it.

The benefit of the “Fix” is that it stays in the system and even though it won’t stop as large a leak as the “Repair” (we are talking close, 2 to 4% of vehicles fall into this category), it will stay in the system and be able to reseal existing leaks or other leaks within reason.

Our new Head Gasket & Cooling Sealant is the best of all of them with the strongest available formula and that it stays in the system. You might want to consider that one too.

Hope this helps!

ilovecharts: Driving in the snow is fine, as long as you’re...

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:45:05 -0500

ilovecharts:

Driving in the snow is fine, as long as you’re going over 60 and your high beams are off.

-isthisyournikki

In honor of Boston’s first real snow last night.

Ward's 10 Best Engines, 2010 Edition

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:00:14 -0500

WardsAuto.com has published their annual roundup of the best engines in the industry, and this year’s trend is clearly one of efficiency and power from smaller mills. In fact, only one V8 makes the grade this year.

VW and Audi, in particular, have a good showing here, claiming three of the 10 awards. The 2.0L TSFI engine is a dream — so good that Audi stakes its performance name on this mill across a lot of models. That’s saying something.

Also from the Teutons is BMW’s 3.0L turbocharged I-6 turbodiesel, which is a torque monster that returns very respectable MPGs. This is the engine that can turn clean diesel naysayers into fans in just shy of 6 seconds.

Ford’s EcoBoost also makes the list, as well it should: it’s the most exciting engine to come out of the Big 3 short of the ZR1’s mill.

And, naturally, Subaru’s utterly magical 2.5L turbocharged boxer (soul of the WRX and STI) makes its appearance.

So the list, in a nutshell, looks like this:

Audi: 2.0L TFSI Turbocharged DOHC I-4
Audi: 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6
BMW: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel
Ford: 2.5L DOHC I-4 Hybrid
Ford: 3.5L EcoBoost Turbocharged DOHC V-6
GM: 2.4L Ecotec DOHC I-4
Hyundai: 4.6L Tau DOHC V-8
Subaru: 2.5L Turbocharged DOHC H-4
Toyota: 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid
Volkswagen: 2.0L DOHC I-4 Turbodiesel

Check out the full Wards article to see the details of each selection and a video roundup. Given that their theme was efficiency this year, they did a great job picking the gems.

Kicking around the office network shares and look what I find:...

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:44:48 -0500

Kicking around the office network shares and look what I find: an illustrator’s rendition of our Bar’s Leaks Eliminator monster truck.

Follow Friday!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:30:40 -0500

dreamgarage:

Since there’s simply so many fantastic Automotive blogs out there, here’s a list of just a few you should be following if you aren’t already!

Loxlee Loves Engines

Automotive Heart

Hell For Motors

Motoriginal

Good Old Valves

Firepower

Autostream

Gearheads And Monkeywrenches

Carpr0n

Pacepirate

Photo Finish

Function&Form

Also, don’t forget to request what you want to see or submit your own!

AutoZone Authorizes Additional Stock Repurchase

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:39:01 -0500

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — AutoZone’s board of directors has authorized the repurchase of an additional $500 million of the company’s common stock in connection with its ongoing share repurchase program. Since the inception of the repurchase program in 1998, and including the above amount, AutoZone’s board has authorized $9.9 billion in stock repurchases.

“AutoZone’s continued strong financial performance allows us to repurchase our stock while maintaining our investment grade credit ratings,” said Bill Giles, executive vice president, CFO, Information Technology and Store Development. “We remain committed to utilizing share repurchases within the bounds of a disciplined capital structure to enhance stockholder returns while maintaining adequate liquidity to execute our plans.”

(via AMN)

Testimonial: Bar's Liquid Aluminum Stop Leak

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:18:58 -0500

Sam from Santa Barbara, CA writes:

Dear Bar’s,

I decided to write to commend you for an outstanding product. I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM, V6 and with about 100,000 miles. About 6 months ago I had the Pontiac dealer flush the cooling system. I later noticed my car was slowly loosing coolant fluid with no evidence of a leak. At about the same time, my car developed an engine problem where it would misfire, rough idle when cold, and the “Check Engine” light would come on if I drove away too soon after starting the car. Unaware these problems were related, I had the Pontiac dealer replace the spark plugs and clean the fuel injectors per his recommendation. The problems did not go away even though I paid hundreds of dollars. To take care of the slow coolant leak, I decided to try Bar’s Stop Leak Liquid Aluminum. To my surprise, the engine problem my car had went away the very next day, and my car is no longer loosing coolant fluid! I am totally amazed and thankful for your product! It’s been two months now with my car running perfectly.

We very much appreciate you taking the time to write us, Sam.

As with any cooling system there are many components that could fail (thermostat, hoses, water pump, to name a few), causing another failure. We have had customers call saying they had the head gasket replaced yet had another failure less than 6 months later. For these reasons we cannot put a definitive number of months, years or miles on your Grand Am lasting before seeing another cooling system issue. We can say that we have had customers like you who have given great feedback of their vehicle going years and 40K miles after using our products.

Here is more information (including a full MSDS) on Bar’s Leaks Liquid Aluminum Cooling System Stop Leak. As usual, if you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask.

"I feel safe when I’m on the racetrack, I really do. I know that I’m surrounded by the best drivers..."

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:12:48 -0500

“I feel safe when I’m on the racetrack, I really do. I know that I’m surrounded by the best drivers in the world. That’s something you can’t say when you’re driving down the interstate.”

- Sterling Marlin (via tractioninc)

In Which We Get an Email From a BMW Onwer About Our Bar's Leaks Head Gasket Fix

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:42:51 -0500

We received the following testimonial about our Bar’s Leaks Head Gasket Fix from Curtis Ding, who used it on his 2002 BMW 530i with 127K miles:

I would normally not contact a company to comment about a product, but much to my surprise, I am pleased to say that I have had a successful outcome after using the Bar’s Leaks Head Gasket Fix.

I have a 2002 BMW 530i with 127K miles, which I have just completed a head overhaul, and head gasket replacement after suffering a bad top end leak between the cooling system and combustion chambers. Despite performing a proper and complete repair, immediately after completing the repair, my car was still blowing steam, although not huge amounts, but my cooling system was also pressurizing to the point of multiple connection points developing small coolant leaks as well.

Despite all the time and money spent on the repair in the first place, it became apparent to me that perhaps I have a block or head crack that was not previously detected. Perhaps the machine shop never actually pressure tested the head, despite telling me they did. Regardless, I sill had a problem.

Despite being tremendously skeptical, I did some research and decided to try the Bar’s Leaks Head Gasket Fix, despite the steep price compared to other products. However, as this product contains sodium silicate, which is also known as “Liquid Glass”, I do know from a scientific standpoint that this is probably the only chemical that would have a chance of fixing a combustion leak, and as this product could be added to the antifreeze without the necessity to flush and run with only water, it was quite convenient and simple to use.

It has now been about 4 days, and about 250 miles or so. As of this morning, I have no steam that I can detect, even when cold. I do not have ANY coolant loss, and the cooling system over-pressurizing seems to be gone, although I have not yet performed an actual pressure test. I am absolutely astonished as this product has exceeded my expectations. I also still have FULL heat, so apparently my heater core is also working fine, and as I’ve been monitoring the car’s temperature with an external scanner for the past few days, the car’s temperature has also been functioning in the correct range as well. Bravo to Bar’s Leaks. This product saved me from having to replace my car.

Thanks Curtis!

More info about Bar’s Leaks Head Gasket Fix (part 1111).

"‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response...."

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:12:00 -0500

“‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.’”

- Victor Frankl

Are you hiring? I need a job. I've been unemployed for over a year...

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:50:25 -0500

We are always taking resumes from qualified people. Send your resume to automotiveaftermarket1@gmail.com and say you were referred by the Bar’s blog. Thanks!

Here is an audio clip from a recent episode of The Bobby Likis...

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:02:07 -0500

Here is an audio clip from a recent episode of The Bobby Likis Car Clinic show in which he talks to a caller named Bertie from New York. Bertie has a son in Pittsburgh with a 1999 Toyota Corolla with a leaking head gasket and asks Bobby what sort of aftermarket stop leak he’d recommend so the car can make a 5.5 hour drive back home without having to undergo an expensive repair in Pittsburgh.

(The other voice you’ll hear is Mark McFann, who was in the studio for the Royal Purple Co-Host.)

The Bar’s Leaks products Bobby mentions are these right here.

Bar's Products Adds $20,000 to URC Sprint Series Prize Pot, President Bob Mermuys Inducted Into URC Hall of Fame

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:06:00 -0500

This past weekend was a huge one for the URC Sprint Series and Bar’s Products.

URC, celebrating its 63rd anniversary, surprised our company President Bob Mermuys with an induction into the inaugural class of the URC Hall of Fame. After sponsoring URC for over 15 years, this was a tremendous honor.

After surprising Bob with the induction, Bob decided to add more money to the sponsorship pot on behalf of Bar’s Products.

Bob Mermuys of Bar’s Products stunned URC Managing Members and all present at the Banquet when he announced that he will add an additional $20,000 into the 2011 Rislone URC point find and bump the winners share of the Rislone Sprint Nationals to $5,000-to-win.

It was an all-around great night for a great organization who goes out of its way to help its drivers and crews chase their passion.

If you’ve never seen a URC Sprint Series race, you’re missing out. Check out their website for more information about them. (The 2011 schedule is coming soon.)

Thanks again to URC, and we look forward to many more years to come.

(Last thing: check out URC’s Facebook page for some photos of this past weekend’s banquet and awards event.)

Pep Boys Reports Strong Third Quarter Results

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:22:24 -0500

Pep Boys continues the strong 3Q earnings reports from big-box auto parts stores by announcing a more than doubling of net earnings year-over-year:

Sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 increased by $23.7 million, or 5 percent, to $496.4 million from $472.6 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2009. Comparable store sales increased 3.5 percent, consisting of a 1.9 percent comparable service revenue increase and a 3.9 percent comparable merchandise sales increase.

Net earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 more than doubled to $5.7 million (11 cents per share) from $2.1 million (4 cents per share) recorded in the same period last year.

Nice job to everyone over at Pep Boys.

AutoZone profit jumps 20%

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:32:33 -0500

Excellent results from AutoZone as it continues its outstanding quarterly run:

It was the 17th straight quarter of double-digit growth for the Memphis, Tenn., company, and the eighth-straight quarter of 20 percent growth in earnings per share, AutoZone said in a statement. The company has performed well in the economic downturn as consumers keep their cars longer and longer for fear of losing their jobs as the economy continues to sputter along.

The company made $172.1 million, or $3.77 per share, in the quarter ending Nov. 30, compared with $143.3 million, or $2.82 per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue was $1.79 billion, up 12.7 percent from the same quarter last year.

The earnings beat Wall Street estimates. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected $3.44 per share on revenue of $1.72 billion.

We have some new products going into AutoZone next year, and we couldn’t be more excited. Stay tuned for details.

Is energy quality one of the causes of the recession?

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 09:30:22 -0500

Smart and interesting analysis by Carey King at the University of Texas at Austin. King’s data shows that Energy Return on Investment (EROI) is a metric that illustrates energy as a limiting factor on economic growth:

In economic terms, the quality of the nation’s energy supply is referred to as Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROI). For example, if an oil company uses a 10th of a barrel of oil to drill, pump, transport and refine one barrel of oil, the EROI for the refined fuel is 10.

“Many economists don’t think of energy as being a limiting factor to economic growth,” says King, a research associate in the university’s Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy. “They think continual improvements in technology and efficiency have completely decoupled the two factors. My research is part of a growing body of evidence that says that’s just not true. Energy still plays a big role.”

The worst recessions of the last 65 years were preceded by declines in energy quality for oil, natural gas and coal.

Especially interesting is King’s use of the EIR (Energy Intensity Ratio) viewed in a historical perspective. In 1972, the EIR was 5.9 and more recently in 2008 it was 5.5. Compare those numbers to the 1990s, a period of economic growth, when the EIR was well over eight.

Worth your time to read the whole thing.

"I for one welcome our arsenic-based interplanetary overlords."

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:40:49 -0500

“I for one welcome our arsenic-based interplanetary overlords.”

- William Gibson (via emmanuelnegro)

(If you don’t know what this is all about, see here.)

The Ferrari FXX is Ferrari’s most powerful — and...

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:33:00 -0500

The Ferrari FXX is Ferrari’s most powerful — and mysterious — supercar. It’s based off the Ezno, but heavy modifications from there take it to another level altogether.

At approximately $2.5M US, it ain’t cheap. Powered by a 789HP V12, this car holds the course record on Top Gear of all the cars they’ve ever tested. (But the time didn’t stand: it was disqualified because the FXX is not street legal and was running slicks instead of road tires. Also of note: that’s not The Stig driving. That’s Michael Shumacher dressed as The Stig. More on that in a second.)

If you buy one, here’s the rub: you can’t drive it home. You can’t drive it anywhere, frankly. You plunk down your cash and Ferrari keeps the car, allowing you to drive it on only Ferrari-approved racetracks and events. They will trailer the car to the track with an entire support team, prep the car and give you a technical debriefing on how well you drove and the car’s performance. Then they throw the car back in the trailer and take it to their shop, where they wait for you to tell them what track to be at next.

The car in the video above is Michael Shumacher’s personal car. It’s the only FXX without a stripe.

Just listen to that thing.

Here’s a great commercial for Logitech Revue with Google...

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:04:40 -0500

Here’s a great commercial for Logitech Revue with Google TV about Kevin Bacon…and featuring Kevin Bacon as Kevin Bacon-obsessed fan. So well done.

How Germany got it right on the economy

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:30:00 -0500

Harold Meyerson, writing a terrific — and educational (at least for me) — op-ed piece about Germany’s economy in The Washington Post:

Germany’s economy is the strongest in the world. Its trade balance - the value of its exports over its imports - is second only to China’s, which is all the more remarkable since Germany is home to just 82 million people. Its 7.5 percent unemployment rate - two percentage points below ours - is lower than at any time since right after reunification. Growth is robust, and real wages are rising.

It’s quite a turnabout for an economy that American and British bankers and economists derided for years as the sick man of Europe. German banks, they insisted, were too cautious and locally focused, while the German economy needed to slim down its manufacturing sector and beef up finance.

Wisely, the Germans declined the advice. Manufacturing still accounts for nearly a quarter of the German economy; it is just 11 percent of the British and U.S. economies (one reason the United States and Britain are struggling to boost their exports).

(Via Daring Fireball)