coolant
03-03-2011, 09:07 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
coolant
I am going to change my water pump and thinking of flushing out the dexcool and putting in regular coolant . Whats the verdict from other members Thanks
03-03-2011, 09:14 PM
#2
Tech Contributor
03-03-2011, 09:14 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
03-03-2011, 09:15 PM
#4
Team Owner
why? been running Dexcool in my C5 for 114K....no issues
03-03-2011, 09:21 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
03-04-2011, 11:59 AM
#7
Burning Brakes
You'd be hard pressed to find coolant with phosphates and silicates in it. Just use Prestone, or the like, from Wally-World.
Dex-cool is just a name, and color doesn't matter. Nothing you do will cause your engine to blow up or sludge to form in the coolant system.
But, for peace of mind, just use all the same type of coolant.
Dex-cool is just a name, and color doesn't matter. Nothing you do will cause your engine to blow up or sludge to form in the coolant system.
But, for peace of mind, just use all the same type of coolant.
03-04-2011, 01:26 PM
#8
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Dec 1999
Location: Anthony TX
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CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Your engine was designed to use the NON GREEN NO SILICATE based coolant. When the coolant system is properly maintained, the ORANGE "DEXCOOL" type coolant works fantastic. Why on earth would you want to use the Green high Silicate ethylene glycol stuff??
NOTE! NEVER use the orange coolant in a cooling system that has a not pressurized overflow tank!
From HOTROD Magazine:
Wintertime is probably the only time hot rodders think about antifreeze. Most look at it as something needed only if you live in cold-weather climates. But the reality, according to Texaco engineer Scott Lindholm, is that the anticorrosion protection offered by antifreeze—especially Texaco’s new Dex-Cool—is the reason you should use antifreeze/coolant year-round.
While it is true that straight water is the best heat-transfer liquid you can use in an automotive application, straight water, even deionized or distilled water, is still highly corrosive. And the addition of corrosion inhibitors doesn’t deliver a balanced anticorrosion package as does the new Dex-Cool.
But there’s much more to this story than just anticorrosion properties. Texaco’s Dex-Cool adds a brand-new blend of elements to the basic ethylene-glycol base. Existing antifreeze technology uses silicates and a series of additives to create the anticorrosion properties. These silicates form a chalky, white, anticorrosion barrier layer on aluminum components. Unfortunately, this coating also creates a mild thermal barrier that prevents coolant from pulling heat away from such critical areas as the combustion chamber. In addition, these silicates are highly abrasive, leading to the erosion of water pump seals.
Dex-Cool is a completely different formula of organic acid compounds that does not use silicates. This not only extends the life of water pump seals, but these additives also last much longer than previous ones. Moreover, because silicates are not used, thermal heat transfer is also improved. All of these benefits led GM to specify this coolant for all ’96-and-newer GM cars and offer a five-year, 100,000-mile service life compared to two or three-year, 36,000-mile service intervals for conventional coolants. According to Lindholm, Dex-Cool is specifically formulated to provide excellent corrosion protection for aluminum cooling system components.
For hot rodders, Dex-Cool offers a number of advantages. The best way to take maximum advantage of the new antifreeze is to completely flush your cooling system with fresh water and add a 50/50 mix of water and Dex-Cool. Doing so will create a negative 34-degree F freezing point and increase the boiling point of the coolant as compared with straight water.
When you consider that Dex-Cool is similarly priced to high-silicate antifreeze, it seems this coolant should be the way to go, even if your hot rod never sees the cold side of 50 degrees F.
NOTE! NEVER use the orange coolant in a cooling system that has a not pressurized overflow tank!
From HOTROD Magazine:
Wintertime is probably the only time hot rodders think about antifreeze. Most look at it as something needed only if you live in cold-weather climates. But the reality, according to Texaco engineer Scott Lindholm, is that the anticorrosion protection offered by antifreeze—especially Texaco’s new Dex-Cool—is the reason you should use antifreeze/coolant year-round.
While it is true that straight water is the best heat-transfer liquid you can use in an automotive application, straight water, even deionized or distilled water, is still highly corrosive. And the addition of corrosion inhibitors doesn’t deliver a balanced anticorrosion package as does the new Dex-Cool.
But there’s much more to this story than just anticorrosion properties. Texaco’s Dex-Cool adds a brand-new blend of elements to the basic ethylene-glycol base. Existing antifreeze technology uses silicates and a series of additives to create the anticorrosion properties. These silicates form a chalky, white, anticorrosion barrier layer on aluminum components. Unfortunately, this coating also creates a mild thermal barrier that prevents coolant from pulling heat away from such critical areas as the combustion chamber. In addition, these silicates are highly abrasive, leading to the erosion of water pump seals.
Dex-Cool is a completely different formula of organic acid compounds that does not use silicates. This not only extends the life of water pump seals, but these additives also last much longer than previous ones. Moreover, because silicates are not used, thermal heat transfer is also improved. All of these benefits led GM to specify this coolant for all ’96-and-newer GM cars and offer a five-year, 100,000-mile service life compared to two or three-year, 36,000-mile service intervals for conventional coolants. According to Lindholm, Dex-Cool is specifically formulated to provide excellent corrosion protection for aluminum cooling system components.
For hot rodders, Dex-Cool offers a number of advantages. The best way to take maximum advantage of the new antifreeze is to completely flush your cooling system with fresh water and add a 50/50 mix of water and Dex-Cool. Doing so will create a negative 34-degree F freezing point and increase the boiling point of the coolant as compared with straight water.
When you consider that Dex-Cool is similarly priced to high-silicate antifreeze, it seems this coolant should be the way to go, even if your hot rod never sees the cold side of 50 degrees F.
03-04-2011, 02:18 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
Not even the GM Gods get it right all the time.
I really can't imagine what people had in their cars before the wonderful Dex-Cool
Just because something has a made up name attached to it in bold colorful print doesn't mean squat.
People have had problems with their cars, and will continue to. Is it one items fault or anothers, or a combination of items, or perhaps user error...who knows...
It's odd how gel forms in one guys car, but not anothers. Something is not consistant here. Of course, this applies to all arguements regarding cars and their preferred parts. i.e. this plug is better than that; this intake system is better than that, etc etc.
Here is a bit indicating that Dex-Cool isn't perfect. I'm not saying Dex-Cool is bad stuff, but if I can buy yellow colored coolant that is phosphate and silicate free at a lower cost than "Dex-Cool", then I am going to. Just use a little not-so-common sense and take time to read and learn and you'll be okay in life.
"On October 23, 2008, the California Superior Court granted final approval to the class action settlement reached with General Motors in the GM/Dex-Cool class action lawsuit. This settlement affects people who purchased or leased a "covered vehicle" anywhere in the United States other than Missouri. A separate settlement has been reached for those who purchased or leased their vehicle in Missouri, which will offer the same benefits.
The lawsuits were filed on behalf of owners of General Motors vehicles, which were factory-filled with "Dex-Cool" coolant. In summary, the lawsuits alleged that Dex-Cool degraded certain vehicles’ intake manifold gaskets and other engine sealability components, and that in certain other vehicles, Dex-Cool formed a rusty sludge, clogging the vehicles’ cooling systems and causing vehicles to overheat.
The settlement, which covers dozens of GM vehicle platforms spanning ten model years, provides $50 to $800 in cash reimbursement for class members who paid for a covered repair by May 30, 2008, and submitted a claim form by October 27, 2008."
http://www.girardgibbs.com/dexcool.html
I really can't imagine what people had in their cars before the wonderful Dex-Cool
Just because something has a made up name attached to it in bold colorful print doesn't mean squat.
People have had problems with their cars, and will continue to. Is it one items fault or anothers, or a combination of items, or perhaps user error...who knows...
It's odd how gel forms in one guys car, but not anothers. Something is not consistant here. Of course, this applies to all arguements regarding cars and their preferred parts. i.e. this plug is better than that; this intake system is better than that, etc etc.
Here is a bit indicating that Dex-Cool isn't perfect. I'm not saying Dex-Cool is bad stuff, but if I can buy yellow colored coolant that is phosphate and silicate free at a lower cost than "Dex-Cool", then I am going to. Just use a little not-so-common sense and take time to read and learn and you'll be okay in life.
"On October 23, 2008, the California Superior Court granted final approval to the class action settlement reached with General Motors in the GM/Dex-Cool class action lawsuit. This settlement affects people who purchased or leased a "covered vehicle" anywhere in the United States other than Missouri. A separate settlement has been reached for those who purchased or leased their vehicle in Missouri, which will offer the same benefits.
The lawsuits were filed on behalf of owners of General Motors vehicles, which were factory-filled with "Dex-Cool" coolant. In summary, the lawsuits alleged that Dex-Cool degraded certain vehicles’ intake manifold gaskets and other engine sealability components, and that in certain other vehicles, Dex-Cool formed a rusty sludge, clogging the vehicles’ cooling systems and causing vehicles to overheat.
The settlement, which covers dozens of GM vehicle platforms spanning ten model years, provides $50 to $800 in cash reimbursement for class members who paid for a covered repair by May 30, 2008, and submitted a claim form by October 27, 2008."
http://www.girardgibbs.com/dexcool.html
03-04-2011, 02:42 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
7. Mixing a “green” coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch’s change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine. In order to change back to DEX-COOL however, the cooling system must first be thoroughly drained and flushed.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.php
(there are additional links that are interesting)
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.php
(there are additional links that are interesting)
03-04-2011, 02:54 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
stuff like this came up all the time when i raced bikes. it has to do with the aluminum in the engine and radiator reacting with the "normal" coolants as already mentioned silicon and phosphate. You do not have to use actual DEXCOOL though. Just the silicone and phosphate free stuff. In fact, if you google the Magneson-Moss Act, you will find that if a car company requires that you use a name brand product then they must provide it for free. That came up constantly on the Honda motorcycle boards with regards to oil, coolant etc.
03-04-2011, 03:01 PM
#13
Safety Car
Had the same prob. on a 96 Dodge truck flushed out Dexcool at around 120000 mi. added prestone green ant the truck overheated almost immediately! I had never heard of that. later a guy at Autozone told me NEVER use green coolant after Dexcool!! I learned the hard way. I ended trading the truck in & got a bit wiser! 
03-04-2011, 04:27 PM
#15
Safety Car
DEXCOOL was an issue in '80s and '90s cars, primarily in 3.8L motors, with poorly engineered gasket materials, oem coolant tablet supplements, and owners who failed to properly maintain their cooling systems.
A lot has changed since then, in better gasket technology and that no more tablet supplements are being used. (Does anybody know for what purpose those tablets were even intended?)
Some people still don't maintain their cooling systems and nothings ever going to change that. Some old horror stories never die, especially with the internet to keep them going ad infinitum.
If someone wants to add green coolant to their originally DEXCOOL equipped cars, let them. Some people just have to learn the hard way.
And people that suggest that no harm will come from it...well, remember their names.
A lot has changed since then, in better gasket technology and that no more tablet supplements are being used. (Does anybody know for what purpose those tablets were even intended?)
Some people still don't maintain their cooling systems and nothings ever going to change that. Some old horror stories never die, especially with the internet to keep them going ad infinitum.
If someone wants to add green coolant to their originally DEXCOOL equipped cars, let them. Some people just have to learn the hard way.
And people that suggest that no harm will come from it...well, remember their names.
03-05-2011, 12:28 AM
#16
Le Mans Master
Hi folks -
To the op - I don't know why you would want to switch from an OAT coolant back to a standard coolant, you gain nothing.
Mixing organic acid coolant (dex-cool) and older formulations will only negate the advantage of the OAT and nothing worse.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.php
I don't recommend using non OAT in cars for the same reason I don't recommend using non-synthetic oil in the crankcase; I like the advantage of the newer technology.
best regards -
mqqn
To the op - I don't know why you would want to switch from an OAT coolant back to a standard coolant, you gain nothing.
Mixing organic acid coolant (dex-cool) and older formulations will only negate the advantage of the OAT and nothing worse.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.php
I don't recommend using non OAT in cars for the same reason I don't recommend using non-synthetic oil in the crankcase; I like the advantage of the newer technology.
best regards -
mqqn
03-05-2011, 03:12 PM
#18
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jan 2004
Location: Currently living in and loving... Chico, CA
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Check the heat exchange values for 50/50 Dexcool with those of 50/50 green stuff. Dexcool is much better, and the cooling system is designed/sized for it. No wonder that Dodge mentioned above overheated...
On the other hand, putting Dexcool in a system sized for the green stuff (after a COMPLETE flush!) can yield some amazing cooling results. My '95 Caprice wagon ran cooler at 110 degrees than at 70 degrees...
On the other hand, putting Dexcool in a system sized for the green stuff (after a COMPLETE flush!) can yield some amazing cooling results. My '95 Caprice wagon ran cooler at 110 degrees than at 70 degrees...
03-05-2011, 03:22 PM
#19
Burning Brakes
Actually it's because it can all be mixed. Pros and cons aside, it will protect your cooling system for boil-over/freezing without issue.
Ya know, for those performing their cars maintenance at the maximum recommended intervals, you probably need to quite bitching about what does and doesn't work, or what's right and wrong, because you're just asking for trouble anyways.
Oil, spark plugs, anti-freeze, filters, etc, are all cheap items, just replace them once a year or so and your car will last a long time.