antifreeze questions
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antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 12:06:02 PM
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nslide10
Posts: 52
Joined: 10/20/2005
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when i replaced the motor on my 96 s-10 4wd 4.3 v6 "w" type motor i put in 50/50 green prestone antifreeze and when it was all done my bro who gave me the truck said i shouldnt have done that cuz the sticker on the front cover panel said to use the pink crap for the engine to run right but then i told him bout the problems with the pink crap and the class action suit against them. and he claimed to never know of any probs w the pink crap and i think he might have it in his brand new avalanche. hes juust a stupid electrician he went to school for it and thats kinda all he knows i on the other hand went to school for machine trades but never finished and in all that time i tried to learn many other things and still continue to do so i know a lil more bout everything than he does but he cant live w that cuz hes 5yrs older than me and i was always gifted and smarter than any1 in our family ill even say smarter than 95% of the nation i got the scores to prove it but anyway i know the pink stuff gets gummy and clogs and eats seals and destroys coolant systems so i did do the right thing by changin over to green even tho the truck came w pink and said to keep usin it right?? i did flush the rest of the system too radiator and core and intake when i switched engines
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 12:30:16 PM
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swartlkk
Posts: 14308
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From: Waterloo, NY
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Well, I was able to read through your entire post and understand it all. Punctuation and capitalization would be a big help though...
Anyway, so long as you got all of the pink stuff out, the green is just as good, but not as long-life as the pink.
There are 2 big problems with the pink that cause it to eat things and/or gel up. Problem #1 is allowing the coolant level to get below the recommended hot/cold lines in the res. Problem #2 is mixing pink with green. Much of the bad press about the pink stuff has been uninformed people mixing the two. They ARE NOT compatible in any way, shape, or form!
Another issue is going over the recommended service intervals. The extended life antifreeze (aka Dexcool) is rated for 5yrs/100,000miles, which ever comes first. The service interval for Dexcool is much closer to the actual service life of the coolant whereas the normal antifreeze has a higher safety factor. Normal antifreeze should be drained and refilled atleast every 2-3 years, but can go 4-5 without problems so long as the system is kept in tip top shape. Dexcool can go longer than 5years, but not much longer. Once you hit either of the service limits, GET IT CHANGED!!! You are asking for problems if you don't.
To reiterate, if you want to switch, it is an option, but any switch MUST be accompanied by a COMPLETE system flush with clean water. The block, heater core, radiator and all lines must be drained, flushed with water, and refilled making dead sure that you get all of the air out of the system. This would also be a good time to replace the stat as well when you have the system opened up.
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Kyle-
2004 Rainier
1970 Chevelle - Resto
1974 K5 Blazer - Resto
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 12:43:42 PM
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drkmelvin
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I love Swartlkk...He's so smart 
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 3:16:36 PM
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swartlkk
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I really need to get a fan club organized... LOL
That or I really need to do work during the day instead of bouncing around the boards all day...
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Kyle-
2004 Rainier
1970 Chevelle - Resto
1974 K5 Blazer - Resto
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 3:36:36 PM
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ivannj
Posts: 321
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Swart you crack me up. Basically what he said is the same thing a bottle of antifreeze says lol but swart puts it in his own words. Nslide I agree with swart but next antifreeze change just add the right one. You might want two change it half way to its doom day 2yrs or 50,000. There are some new coolant that work with any color coolant too.
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 4:47:35 PM
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swartlkk
Posts: 14308
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From: Waterloo, NY
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Wow, way to turn a positive agreement into a stab at my knowledge.
Anyway... Bottles of antifreeze have only recently started saying this (last 2-3 years). I have known this since about '97, acouple years after GM introduced Dexcool and held the exclusive right to the aftermarket supply of it until around '00 (can't remember exactly).
Even though the owners manual (yeah, that little book in the glove box) also stated to only use Dexcool, owners still ignored it. Many of the problems with Dexcool today is simple misinformation in the early stages of use.
Many of the customer complaints that I have read over the years clearly state that the vehicle was getting close on the 5 year implied warranty. None, not a single one, of them stated whether or not the system had ever had to be topped off in that span of time. Many people during those years where Dexcool could only be purchased at a dealership, many owners simply decided they didn't want to pay the 3-4x price of the Dexcool over the standard antifreeze and further decided that GM was just trying to line their pockets with the additional revenue... Nevermind that the Dexcool is much more environmentally friendly and won't kill your pets (still might make them sick, but...)...
Also, I think I said this before, but traditional antifreeze can stand a lower level in the res. Dexcool can not. Bad things can happen when the level gets too low.
< Message edited by swartlkk -- 11/29/2005 4:49:39 PM >
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Kyle-
2004 Rainier
1970 Chevelle - Resto
1974 K5 Blazer - Resto
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 5:16:48 PM
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Hanr3
Wheels & Tire Moderator
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Mostly what he said ^^^^^^^
Another major contributor to the sludge problem in the "pink" stuff is air. Yep AIR. Air causes it to gel up. Fualty radiator caps in the earlier models were allowing air into the system and causing the bad rep it has today. Notice how many of the newer vehicles actually have radiator caps. Most need to add anti-freeze to the over flow container. It is EXTREMELY important to keep the overflow containter within the hot and cold lines. Failure to do so WILL allow air into the system. Yep, you guessed it, sludge and then comes the DAMN this Dex-Cool crap. Its not the Dex-Cool crap, its operator error. As usual people look to blame others first.
IMHO Dex-Cool is a far better product then the old green stuff. It doesn't eat internal gaskets, and parts like the green stuff. In some cases the green stuff might not be compatable with your newer engine. GM is designing gaskets and seals to be compatable with Dex-Cool, not the old green stuff. Dex-Cool also has addatives to provide better lubricating properties then the green stuff. Makes things like water pumps live twice as long.
"Pink" stuff isn't really pink, it could be any number of colors, and the color could change based on the water you add or batch number of anti-freeze. Another harmfull thing to your cooling system is untreated tap water. All of the heavy metals and chemicals in tap water doesn't always play nice nice with the cooling system. It wasn't much of a problem with the green stuff becuase you flushed the system every other year. I highly recommned using distilled water, or at least filtered water when you do add new fluid.
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"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
The Marines don't have that problem."
-President Ronald Reagan
'87 S10-Blazer - SOLD
'93 S10-Blazer 4x4x4 - Sons DD, engine swap is done.
'00 S10-Blazer 4x4x4 - My
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/29/2005 7:28:07 PM
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Paddle_grl
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am your biggest fan!!!!! and all for things that don't make my kitties die....I don't even know what's in my truck.....maybe I will go check..it's too cold though...
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 6:23:19 AM
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drkmelvin
Posts: 463
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My blazer is spoiled...I give her Poland Springs water...
I wonder if that could be considered a performance mod
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 6:25:25 AM
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swartlkk
Posts: 14308
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From: Waterloo, NY
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Hey, anything can be considered a performance mod these days. Heck, my pinstriping must add atleast 5hp! And my rear window deflector has got to add downforce!
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Kyle-
2004 Rainier
1970 Chevelle - Resto
1974 K5 Blazer - Resto
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 6:53:37 AM
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drkmelvin
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Well, the downforce only counts if you have front wheel drive...otherwise, it's just there for looks.
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Bottles are for babies...I'd rather be BLOWN !!!
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 3:13:00 PM
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Hanr3
Wheels & Tire Moderator
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Does the downforce help if your in 4wdr, or do I need to get hood scopes for that?
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"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
The Marines don't have that problem."
-President Ronald Reagan
'87 S10-Blazer - SOLD
'93 S10-Blazer 4x4x4 - Sons DD, engine swap is done.
'00 S10-Blazer 4x4x4 - My
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 8:23:29 PM
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Canadian88
Posts: 489
Joined: 11/23/2005
From: Detroit
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According to a reliable source, hoodscoops, (including those that don't lead anywhere), add about 5 to 12.5 hp per scoop. Other factors involved in increasing horsepower are as follows: chrome, armor all on tires (and other plastic parts, roof rails, bumpers, etc), tinted windows, and of course, a loud radio.
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2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter
Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners
Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area
Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface)
Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 8:28:53 PM
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swartlkk
Posts: 14308
Joined: 5/1/2005
From: Waterloo, NY
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*Popeye voice* Hood scopes are me spinach!!! Ugugugugug! */Popeye voice*
LOL
Everyone knows that a couple hundred pounds of 'bump in the trunk' subracts like 2 seconds from your 1/4 mile time!
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Kyle-
2004 Rainier
1970 Chevelle - Resto
1974 K5 Blazer - Resto
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RE: antifreeze questions - 11/30/2005 9:20:45 PM
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Canadian88
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Joined: 11/23/2005
From: Detroit
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At the very least. And i understand that the more weight you add with extra subs, the faster your car will go.
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2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter
Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners
Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area
Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface)
Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com
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