Hydraulic stop leak

[Frankdozer]

Has anyone used any of the hydraulic stop leaks? Such as Lucas Hydraulic Oil Booster & Stop Leak or White Shepherd Hydraulic Stop Leak. I know there are others out there. I have a few leaky cylinders on my old 1963 Ford 4000 tractor with ford 720 loader and Ford 723 backhoe. Leaky enough to drive me crazy, but not enough to spend $150.00 to rebuild each, not counting the time to remove and install and maybe break a fitting or two. Frank

[texasjohn]

good question, am interested in responses.

[jinman]

I've always considered oil stop-leak to be a short-term/emergency issue. Most of these products work by softening and swelling seals. The seal will continue to wear and eventually become hard again or fail catastrophically. It not only effects the leaking seals, but all others as well. You may find that after its use, you have many more seals needing replacement and much higher repair bills. You certainly will have to change the oil once you make repairs whereas you could just leave the oil in place if you just did the seal replacement. Considering this, I can't recommend leak seal products for hydraulic systems. There are some good leak seal products for radiators and coolant systems, but I don't trust the oil seal leak stoppers because of what they do to both bad and good seals.

[texasjohn]

I have used radiator stop leak successfully but what you say about hydraulic seals makes sense to me.

[J_J]

It might also fill in those small orifices that bleed off pressure, etc.

I don't believe I have seen stop leak for hyd. Sometimes you have to have somethink akin to a leak, as in flow reducers, etc.

Like someone said, the seals might swell and prevent some loss, it would create more problems.

If you put enough stop leak in a radiator, the core tubes inside the fin's, will begin to plug/fill up.

[Soundguy]

last 2 cyls on a ford loader I rebuilt were less than 80$ parts and labor.. guess main is more spendy.

I tend to agree.. hyd stop leak simply won't help worn v pack.

might snug up a weepy pto seal.. but that's about it...

[Frankdozer]

Everything here in Maine is more expensive. Gas is always 10 to 15 cents more per gallon. In the local towns $10.00 is the standard upper hourly wage for a lead person. But small one and 2 man shops, where the owner works with the tools, the cost of repairs is exorbitant. They pay their workers at minimum wage and they pocket the difference. The cost to repair a cylinder is $150.00 and takes less than an hour. you tell me........The people here either accept the low wages or go on welfare. Also, most natives here drive 10 plus year old cars and don't bother with auto insurance. A ticket is cheaper that the cost of insurance, and with a police station that covers several towns, the chance of getting caught is slim to none. Most don't have home insurance, if their house burns down, which there's a house fire somewhere everyday.........then their SOL. I'll try to negotiate a price on 5 cylinder repairs around here, but lacking a reasonable figure, I'll bring them to Massachusetts on my next trip to Boston.

[RickB]

Everything here in Maine is more expensive. Gas is always 10 to 15 cents more per gallon. In the local towns $10.00 is the standard upper hourly wage for a lead person. But small one and 2 man shops, where the owner works with the tools, the cost of repairs is exorbitant. They pay their workers at minimum wage and they pocket the difference. The cost to repair a cylinder is $150.00 and takes less than an hour. you tell me........The people here either accept the low wages or go on welfare. Also, most natives here drive 10 plus year old cars and don't bother with auto insurance. A ticket is cheaper that the cost of insurance, and with a police station that covers several towns, the chance of getting caught is slim to none. Most don't have home insurance, if their house burns down, which there's a house fire somewhere everyday.........then their SOL. I'll try to negotiate a price on 5 cylinder repairs around here, but lacking a reasonable figure, I'll bring them to Massachusetts on my next trip to Boston.

Wife and I drive from here to Greenville, ME about every other year. Cheapest gas we find on the whole trip is Newport, ME every time.

[Frankdozer]

Wife and I drive from here to Greenville, ME about every other year. Cheapest gas we find on the whole trip is Newport, ME every time.

I drive from South of Boston, MA to Bridgton, ME every other week year round, a trip of 370 miles round trip and Bridgton is always 10 to 15 cents more per gallom...........................

[SDT]

I'm not a believer in any type of snake oil.

SDT