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swany211501

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Tuesday night I have to stay up late sort of conditioning myself for night shifts so what better way to kill 6-8 hours then working on my truck in a big warm shop with lots of parts and tools LOL. One of the things I was going to work on was a coolant flush. I'm fearing and assuming I have the 15 year old original dex-cool crap. I am going to switch to 50/50 premix, whatever the shop has basically. Works on the big 2200 hp frac pumpers, figure its good for me too. Anyways, I'm hoping someone has done their own coolant flush too. Any suggestions or tricks you found that would help me get all the garbage sludge dex-cool leaves behind? I bought 2 bottles of coolant system flush just incase. Bought a bi-metal hole saw for the drain on the rad and a whole whack of new band clamps for all the hoses as well as new heater core hoses and brass change-over fittings. Anything else?

Thanks guys!
 
I've switched all the GM's i've owned before from dex-cool to regular. Its just about service intervals as far as I know. At the end of the day it's still antifreeze. Dex-cool just sludges like a bastard. Check out that resto thread that Diesel Slug did, that heater element that looked like a turd on the end of the block insert. Case in point.
 
Wow, I thought for all the bad I read on the internet, I bet someone has something good to say. Yeah, so its just like saying Ford is better then Chevy. Found just as many threads and sites saying bad as good so I'll have to think about it. I still want to know about good system flushing techniques. I want to make sure all the crap is out. Anyone have some good tips?
 
I had bad experience switching to regular green from dex cool on my 96 pontiac 3.1 v6. It promptly sucked in the intake gasket not more then 500 miles later. It very well could have been a coincidence, as them 3.1 motors were prone to do that.

But after something like that happens to you, ya get a little gun shy, know what I mean?

Good luck with your flush & fill.
 
I thought about that too. It's concentrated citric acid. My biggest worry is what it would eat away at if it wasn't neutralized. Figured sticking with normal rad flush would be a safe bet.
 
Funny you mention that Crankme, that was the engine most prone to failure with "deathcool" There is website upon website about the death of 3.1 v6's before during and after switching coolant. I'm also gun shy of it, but after seeing that turd that Dslug took out of his block makes you wonder if it is really worth running. Not to mention everyone has 50/50 but not everyone has dexcool. Mixing the 2 is supposed to be very bad.
 
I would be sure you do your very best to flush the cooling system best you can. Maybe purchase one off those T's that you install into the heater hose & hookup a garden hose to? Then pull the overflow hose off the bottle & route it to the ground & allow it to flush until it runs clear & then let it free drain before adding the new 50/50.

Might also consider a bottle of water wetter to add when all done...
 
Lots of stuff here to comment on...

1] Dexcool isn't bad stuff, but you need to do a few things special with it...

a) flush and change at no more than 24 month intervals - change thermostats at the same time, block heaters every 4 yrs max. You live in Alberta, and they're cheap to do when the coolant is out.
b) use either dexcool premix or use deionized or distilled water when mixing (a good idea with ANY antifreeze!)
c) be sure to get it all out; dexcool will suspend silicates, and they collect in the strangest places, promioting all kinds of cavitation.

2] To flush and clean -

a) use water. LOTS of water. Make a BIG mess... You want all the old stuff out.
b) Use the hole saw to make rad draincock access easy, use a hose on there to collect the old dexcool.
c) dry tstat housing completely, use RTV on the housings to make sure you get a good seal.
d) Inspect your push-pull coolant fitting... change if you have ANY doubts. Personally, I'd change it anyway, using the one with the flow restrictor.

3] If you choose to use 50/50 premix, that will work fine...

a) make sure the system is well flushed (did I say that already?) as it will react with dexcool to form putty...
b) toss in 2 bottles of Redline Water-wetter
c) keep changing and flushing every 24 months.
d) stuff gets all clogged up with either kind when you let it sit in there too long... antifreeze is cheap, and preventative maintenance is messy. But if you save a few bucks and a little mess, you're in for some bad times.

4] Last but not least - CLR is a mix of gluconic and lactic acid... in my opinion, there is a fairly good chance it will react badly with the sealants in your system before it eats up the corrosion... I wouldn't do it. You have access to profoam, right? Once you have the antifreeze out, run some in, let it sit for a while, take it for a drive, and then flush the heck out of it. It will suspend and carry out the particles of stuff that are hanging around in the nooks and crannies. When you flush out no more bubbles, then put in new antifreeze.

PS - I usually do cooling system work in the spring... it's a good habit to get into.

My opinions, worth what you paid for them.
 
For the same grins,my wife has 390 thou on hers with the dexcool.
Personally i don't like the stuff,it turns into powder when it dries and takes out brgs faster than any other coolant if it gets in the oil.
 
IIRC, MissyGoodWrench wrote a good article on coolant flush.

It is probably in the Technical Library.

I am not sure about this but I read somewhere that a little dishwasher powder can be used to flush. I am not sure how much and how to get it out of there.
 
JMJNet said:
I am not sure about this but I read somewhere that a little dishwasher powder can be used to flush. I am not sure how much and how to get it out of there.
Click to expand...

Good point - I forgot all about that...

I used to use Cascade Auto-Dishwasher Powder in my old gassers - it's a bit abrasive, and it's a surfactant. Problem is as you say - making sure you get it out. I switched to ProFoam because it's non-abrasive, and it foams up like you wouldn't believe in even small quantities (half a cup is more than enough!)... once you quit getting bubbles out, you know it's clean.

I really think the trick to cleaning your system is to never let it get that bad in the first place...

PS - TIP #1: when flushing? Drain the coolant, remove the thermostats, put it back together, then start flushing... when things are all spanky-clean, THEN put in new thermostats, block heaters, etc.

PSS - TIP #2: you already mentioned this, swany, but never re-use GM hose clamps... replace them with band clamps if you have to remove hoses.
 
I'm not sold on the idea of changing out the dexcool personally. I have 280+Km on it and I've got no issues so why mess with it? Mind you I did flush the system out a few years back when I installed a new block heater. Guess it's good to go till the next time I change one out lol.
 
I think you guys have sold me on dexcool. Makes sense, sludging from 50/50 scares me. 240k kms for me too, no serious problems with cooling. Stays at a solid 85C all the time. Lots of heat when it was -50C with the wind chill no winter front.

Tstats - I hear use only this and that. This being AC Delco, that being if I searched again its usually the same answer. IIRC Crankme has mentioned it lately. WHAT is the big deal? Is it the frame it self? The springs? Diaphragms? I just want to know because since I wasn't really thinking straight, getting a new one from GM is going to be a PITA. Probably from my cousin again who has sold me so much stuff already at sweet prices. 20 bucks a hose for the cooler lines, 15 for the F100 starter solenoid. $2 a foot for the 2 gauge copper wire. All this stuff is BMD? They have a official suppler of Nascar on it fwiw. Reminds me of Tommy Boy, Chris Farley and taking a shit in the box quote lol.

What did you use to cut a hole in the frame support? I bought a 1.5 inch hole saw but I didn't roll under there to have a look yet to see if that is deep enough or wide enough to hit pay dirt. I think I should be taking tons of pictures for research purposes lol

Thanks you guys btw, I know I've only been here for a few short months. I ask lots of questions because I have a thirst to learn and I'm not scared to do it. All of you have been in my shoes too. I just don't take the creeper approach that well. Head first into the shallow pool is more my style lol. So for what its worth, thanks again. This thread is a great example of brain storming at its best to help a member get some well needed info.
 
If you have 240k on your dexcool, then it's well past time to change it out. Check your owners manual for the change interval, and you'll see what I mean.

Changing coolant is one of those jobs that nobody does - until it's a problem, and by then, it's usually too late for your cooling system. Spend a little more time, a little bit more money, change everything at once, every 2 years. Your engine will thank you.

You have a 1996 - so you have the dual thermostat system. You can use RobertShaw, ACDelco, or Sterling thermostats - personally, I still maintain that fewer people have had issues with the rubber sleeve slipping off on the ACDelcos, but any of those will work.

If you have a 1994-95 single T-stat system, then it's pretty much ACDelco only. I know some guys who have used Sterling with no issues, but almost anything else is a problem.

One of the things that people in Canada often do is put Stant (NAPA) or Motomaster (Canadian Tire) thermostats in ... DON'T DO THIS. They have a spring-controlled plate bypass, and it is of different spec in other thermostats.

Some of them are so bad you can set them side-by-side and SEE the differences in how they're built.
 
Not the single ones... but I'll defer on the doubles, as I'm just not that sure. I have seen a bunch of the cheapies (non-ACDelco) with the rubber gasket sucked through the hole...
 
So which way do you flush.....I've asked several times and have never got a straight answer......I need color coded baby instructions, direction of flow, where to insert hose and what hoses come off, etc.

Can anyone help me out?
 
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