Whatever!!!!!!!!! Gearhead-EFI Edition

**gregs78cam** · 02-05-2012

yea the orange stuff.

**1project2many** · 02-05-2012

Dex-Cool was an orange colored coolant invented by Texaco with GM and introduced into GM vehicles around 94 or 95. It was promoted as a long life, silicate free antifreeze which wouldn't require replacement for up to 100,000 miles. Unfortunately real world results showed that Dex-Cool tended to form sludge if air were allowed to enter the cooling system, and that it would attack the rubber inserts in the gaskets GM was using.

The main reason Dex-Cool exists is because Texaco and GM decided they didn't want to pay Prestone's licensing fees to use traditional coolant. Prestone held the patent on the additive package and in order to avoid patent infringement Dex-Cool used Organic Acid Technology. It seems to have worked best in vehicles designed to use Dex-Cool but OEM retrofitted vehicles had a bunch of problems. Heater cores and radiators got plugged, coolant reservoirs developed a dirty scum which fooled owners into thinking the reservoir was full, and radiator caps and filler necks got plugged so they couldn't relieve pressure or wouldn't draw antifreeze from the overflow. The most common problem today is that intake manifold gaskets split and leak. If you're lucky they leak outside the engine but we've lost several that had been slowly leaking into the crankcase. The engine I just fixed had been leaking externally for a while but had just started to leak into the crankcase.

Dex-Cool today is supposed to be reformulated. It's a different color, has a different smell, and does seem to stay cleaner. But I'm more than happy to stay with traditional coolant. I use virgin coolant and mix it with distilled water which ensures there are no extra minerals and the PH is right where it needs to be. I can test with "coolant test strips" and do every couple of years but in direct contrast to GM's marketing, the antifreeze seems to last more that 3 years or 30,000 miles. If I do see that the additive package is being depleted I'll buy a can of coolant additive that's used in the heavy truck industry and add enough to my coolant to restore the protection levels.

Do some searches about OAT and Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada heater cores with DEX Cool. Lotsa bad stories. GM had multiple bulletins all implying the customer was at fault before they bit the bullet and introduced a six hour check and flush designed to clean the core (IMO it was about 30% effective). The splitting intake gasket is a huge PITA for the V660 community. In fact, there's a class action settlement over Dex-Cool, sludge, and six cylinder engines. Dex Cool? It's been Death Cool to me since 98!

**EagleMark** · 02-06-2012

That probably explains why 1994-95-96-97 LT1 engines are always loaded with crap in cooling system? Have to remove knock sensors to flush bottom of block of the crud. Did mine and couldn't beleive the crap that came out of heater core, then I had heat for a week, then it all settled in there again, flushed the heater core and went 2 weeks, flushed more crud out, lasted about a month, pulled knock sensoors and flushed entire system agin, had to use a wire to open holes of crud where knocks went, loads of flushing. Finally have heat all winter now. But I do have that sludge stain in overflow coolant tank.

**Six_Shooter** · 02-08-2012

New tools. I love 'em. :D

(not the trailer)

Should make working on the cars a little easier. :D

**1project2many** · 02-08-2012

Nice!

I made up some plans to build one once using 1 ton truck rear hubs and spindles but I never got any further than that. Someday...

**JeepsAndGuns** · 02-09-2012

Ok, I'm stumpped. What is it?

It looks kinda like a stand a shop I used to work for had. Was used to bolt a bare car body to it without a frame or anything else. We used it when we (well I) would sandblast them, it could flip the body up on its side so you could blast the underside.

**Six_Shooter** · 02-09-2012

That's exactly what it is, a rotisserie. This one is currently set up for a '67 (or so) Ford Galaxy, but will be changed for a '65 Mustang and a '73 Datsun 240Z. :)

**Six_Shooter** · 02-18-2012

So I ordered one of these these last night: http://www.hpiracing.com/kitinfo/100594/

Model number 100594. :D

**EagleMark** · 02-18-2012

Sweet!

lineup.jpg

My son and I did RC rock crawlers before they came in kits by building frames and useing other RC Parts.

**EagleMark** · 02-18-2012

And the real one I copied to RC...

**gregs78cam** · 02-18-2012

It seems that hotrodding and RC really do go together. I have a Revo, T-Maxx, BladeCX2, and various fixed wing aircraft. Wish I had more time to enjoy that hobby too.

**EagleMark** · 02-18-2012

A long time ago I did RC aircraft, three times, three crashes and three repairs before the guy at hobby shop told me about the duel controller with a teacher! It over rides your controller (master and slave) for take off landing or anything until you get the hang of it... I went back to cars...