Demonstration - 1974 Ford Thunderbird 460 Engine 130,000 Miles

Case study
1974 Ford Thunderbird 460 Engine at 130.000 miles

This T-Bird, used by the Bar's Leaks Sales Manager, saw extensive in-town use and long hard hours of open driving in the Southwest. Oil was changed at regular intervals, the oil filter was changed every fourth oil change. Bar's Leaks was added to the radiator every 5,000 miles. Coolant was FIRST changed at 99,000 miles when the timing chain required replacement. At this time the heater hoses and the radiator hoses were also replaced. At 128,000 miles the bottom hose clamp came loose - the hose, clamps and coolant were changed. Aside from tune-ups performed every 15,000 to 20,000 miles, the engine was not touched.

Before disassembly, a compression check was performed by Gopher Motor mechanics George Engstrom and Bob Kanduth. Results as recorded by Bob were: 130 p.s.i. on cylinder #1 and between 124-126 on the remaining cylinders 2-8. Bob and George are two of Gopher's most experienced and knowledgeable mechanics with heavy field support and trouble-shooting experience. George's comment: "It would be hard to find a better compression check on an engine with as many miles."

The engine is pulled and guided to the work stand for disassembly, observation and wear measurement testing. George and Bob will be drawing on their years of experience of tearing down and re-manufacturing well over an estimated 15,000 engines while at Gopher Motor Rebuilding. Gopher maintains an inventory of over 2,000 completed blocks and 5,000 crankshafts, drawing their business from the 11 state Great Northwest.

Located in Minneapolis, Gopher motor was founded in 1948 by John Smith. Fifty-five highly trained, motivated employees are kept busy tearing down and re-manufacturing: blown, burned-up and worn out engines. They know first hand the major reasons of engine failure: COOLING SYSTEM, AND OR, LUBRICATION NEGLECT!

Removal of spark plugs disclosed normal engine operation. Plugs had brown to grayish tan deposits and slight but normal electrode wear, an indication of the correct spark plug heat range during periods of both high and low speed driving. A poorly functioning cooling system will cause overheating, and adversely effect ignition; resulting in plug fouling, or pre-mature or un-even electrode wear.

With the radiator removed, a simple "finger test" was performed in the radiator hose outlet and inlet. Prior to radiator removal, the finger test inside of the filler neck revealed that the upper and side walls of the tank were clean and free from rust or sludge build-up. A simple, but effective test, all too often over looked by service station attendants. the engines cooling system has never been treated with a "cooling system cleaner." Bar's Leaks Complete Formulation circulates throughout the entire cooling system, buffing and scrubbing.

With the top tank removed an examination revealed whistle clean radiator coring - providing a maximum capacity of coolant-to metal-to air, heat transfer. The brown colored protective anti-corrosion film is Bar's Leaks. Easily removed with a rag this film remains in a constant condition of application and re-application of the inhibitor protective. This exclusive "buffing action" has kept the entire cooling system clean and free from sludge build-up for more than 130,000 miles.

The top and bottom tank covers of the heater core were unsoldered, revealing clean metal with no indication of sludge or gum build-up. Bar's Leaks takes advantage of the normal circulation, operation pressure and coolant temperatures to continuously move the Bar's Leaks particles throughout the entire cooling system chemically cleaning and physically "buffing" while simultaneously laying down and repeatedly lifting up thin emulsions of Bar's Leaks Inhibitor. It 's this same circulating action that moves the suspended Rhizex particles of sealant, searching out and forming a compression seal in leaks as well as troublesome small areas of seepage.

When shinning a high intensity photo lamp through the thin heater coreing the coolant passages look factory new. Unlike the radiators larger coreing, the heater cores are as small as 16/1000's of an inch, and are particularly sensitive to corrosion, plugging, and sludging - especially when many of the "emergency type" stop leaks are tried. It's important to realize that all of the photographs you see are un-altered, and the parts appear just as they were disassembled from the 130,000 mile vehicle.

With the crankcase cover removed, the oild screen is clean and the oil flows free. An oil screen is clean and the oil flows free. An oil sample is bottled for an independent oil analysis to determine the possibility of any oil contamination by ethylene glycol - the results: NEGATIVE. Bob Kanduth observes that: "at 130,000 miles the oil screen and oil pan commonly contains a sludge build-up." Oil starts to break down and sludge when contaminated by even the slightest amount of anti-freeze seepage.

"Freeze" plugs were removed with a punch (note punch mark) to reveal the coolant side of the plugs to be clean and fee of corrosion. The block showed no coolant stains around the plugs, which would be an indication of coolant seepage. Regular applications (every 5,000 to 7,000 miles) of Bar's Leaks will eliminate the possibility of leaks and seepage around freeze plugs and throughout the entire cooling system.

Close inspection of the thermostat and thermostat housing shows: ALL IS CLEAN. Bob observed that it's fairly common for coolant "sludge" to be present on the underside of the thermostat where it is seated within the housing." Only when the thermostat is clean will it respond accurately; often moving hundreds of times during the course of a normal drive! Although this engine and cooling system has been continuously protected with a minimum of twenty-six applications of Bar's Leaks, there is NO COOLANT SLUDGE.

Cylinder walls, after 130,000 miles, still show the manufactures cross hatch honed surface, indicating an even were of 1/1000th of and inch as confirmed by George Engstrom with an inside micrometer. This is an unusually low amount of wear and appears as a common denominator in each of the many engines Bar'sLeaks has had dis-assembled since 1947. The fact is: Bar's Leaks protects oil from ethlyene flycol contamination. This contamination often takes the form of sludging and can occur in:

all cast blocks and heads in the form of casting porosity - a microscopic seepage, or;
in the form of head gasket seepage.

Observe that the head gasket shows a continuous seal as indicated by the brighter metal around the gasket where it seats with the circumference of the cylinder. As gasket technology has improved, the problem of glycol-to-oil contamination has persisted. Repeated observation, over many years, has lead the Bar's Leaks people to believe that casting porosity is a strong contributing factor to premature oil failure. Bar's Leaks, with extra fine, patented, Rhizex seals against casting porosity!

Top and bottom rod bearing (right) showed no wear - neither the bottom or the top half. Hydraulic lifters were pulled out with a magnet with no varnish build-up and very little head panning - an indication of superior uncontaminated lubrication throughout more than 13,000 miles. Valves showed no abnormal were and no indication of overheating.

George Engstrom holds the 130,000 mile water pump - not a sign of wear! The metal is CLEAN with no sign of corrosion or impeller wear. The pump shaft is tight with absolutely no "slop", yet the shaft SPINS WITH EASE! Bar's Leaks patented RHIZEX particles hold many times their weight in water soluable lubricant oil. As the RHIZEX circulates between the pump shaft and seals, pre-measured amounts of lubricant are released onto these normally high wear pump components - extending the life of the pump. If not regularly protected with Bar's Leaks, water pumps often fail between 40,000 to 60,000 miles

* * * CONCLUSION * * *

Bar's Leaks mixes with all quality anti-freeze, is harmless to rubber, aluminum and all other metals.

Since its discovery in 1947, mechanics and car owners alike have found that Bar's Leaks, when used regularly; HELPS PREVENT TROUBLE, SAVES MONEY, AND HELPS ENGINES LAST LONGER.

Click here to return to previous page
_