Was Cooling system weirdness: NOW DEXCOOL SUCKS!

[gatesj at mailblocks.com (John Gates)]

My opinion on that stuff is that even if it's not actual Dexcool, it's 
just as bad.  But I seem to remember that GM had the contract with 
Havoline to make the actual Dexcool for the factory fill.  Don't use 
ANY of that orange stuff.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Ruffi <sciroccos@earthlink.net>
To: Ron Bunch <scirocco@bunch.org>; Scirocco-L <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 08:42:18 -0400
Subject: RE: Was Cooling system weirdness: NOW DEXCOOL SUCKS!

Wow!  Sorry to hear about your experience.  Scary.
This stuff is "Dexcool compatible" Texaco Havoline Extended Life.
Does that mean this is the same as Dexcool?

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ron Bunch [mailto:pwl@mindspring.com]
>Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 11:45 PM
>To: Jim Ruffi; Scirocco-L
>Subject: Was Cooling system weirdness: NOW DEXCOOL SUCKS!
>
>
>In August 1999, I bought a new 99 GMC Suburban to haul my tpys,
>junk, dogs, grandkids and other extended family. Gave it to my
>wife as a DD so she could battle Atlanta T-boners and other
>traffic as safely as possible.
>
>Two years later, it developed a slight coolant leak, blowing steam
>after she shut it down in the driveway. So, I would top it off
>when cool in the morning then check it to find the source when my
>wife returned home.
>
>Finally found the leak. It was blowing a little steam where the
>heater hose entered the block.
>Aha! I found the leak.
>I'll show her.
>So, I brought my wife outside and pointed to the fitting.
>She asks, "Where?"
>So I touched it. JUST touched it.
>Whereupon the metal fitting TOTALLY failed, still under pressure,
>and launched about a half gallon of boiling coolant from the block
>toward where I stood by the right front wheel, facing rearward. I
>had no time to move, only to raise my right elbow and shield my face.
>The ca. 200degree coolant hit my right side, right face , and
>upper right arm. (I was only wearing a white T shirt.)
>Pain was right up there with a trip flare burn I had in another
>hot place a long time ago.
>Anybody wants to see the 3rd degree burn photos, I'll send them off 
list.
>
>Dexcool had corroded the fitting.
>I later found that GM had known about this for years and not done
>a recall. There have since been several lawsuits and TV exposes.
>Dexcool has been eating all sorts of GM components for years,
>including heater boxes, coolers, radiators and even trannys.
>Dexcool also corrodes the GM intake manifold seals, but that's
>nothing an old guy can't fix with Barstop/Barsleaks. (I hate
>pouring that crap in a good engine's cooling system, but it works.)
>
>I wouldn't put Dexcool in anything else I own. Certainly not my 86
>8v I special ordered in Sep 85.
>VW DID NOT TEST THOSE METALS FOR DEXCOOL.
>
>I only keep Dexcool in my GMC 350 because I don't want to
>compromise my case in a vehicle that has otherwise been
>fantastically reliable.
>
>Any questions?
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Ruffi <sciroccos@earthlink.net>
>Sent: Jun 6, 2005 10:19 PM
>To: Scirocco-L <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
>Subject: Cooling system weirdness
>
>Hi.
>The trip home was a definate test of a lot of my car's parts.  Luckily,
>nothing broke.  I had replaced some hoses, the metal coolant pipe,
>added the
>missing "bypass" hose and filled the system with red dexcool-compatible
>long-life coolant.  When I originally finished the changover, the
>water pump
>impeller-to-housing gasket leaked a little.  I was able to snug it a 
little
>and the dripping stopped, but it bugged me.
>
>David U. told me he had heard of a couple of other people who 
converted to
>that type of coolant and had leaks...
>
>About 2 hours after my return from Cincy, I went to move the car
>and found a
>tiny puddle below the car.  I checked the car and found a very tiny 
amount
>accumulated where the lower hose-to-waterpump connection and much more
>coolant leaking out of the seam of the expansion tank.  The PO had 
changed
>this tank at some point and it looked to be in otherwise good shape.
>
>I had the system filled to the "high" mark when it was cold and it
>was a bit
>above the mark when hot.  The car ran nice and cool in the 90 degree 
heat,
>with the gauge in the lower end all the way home.
>
>Maybe I overfilled the radiator?  Maybe the red coolant somehow 
creates a
>higher system pressure?  Maybe a defective cap, combined with too much
>coolant cause the tank fracture?  Maybe the red stuff is too "leaky" 
for my
>old car?  good thing I made it home ok.
>
>Any advice would be much appreciated.
>
>Jim
>
>
>
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>



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