dexcool alternative

[built]

Do the prestone all makes coolant have the exact same amounts of 2-EHA inhibitor and would be the same issues as dexcool except at a lower price?

Is there a coolant with lower amounts that would a little safer, or is that kinda like just being kinda infected with a disease.

 

[mechanicx]

Did you see my thread about Saturn and Prestone all makes/all models a similar question came up? My thinking is Prestone am/am is has the same or less 2-EHA (I'm betting less if anything) as Dexcool for the inhibitor additive, so it couldn't potentially cause more gumming than Dexcool. Another poster said am/am caused gumming in an engine that Dexcool didn't

.

My view is if am/am is a dex-clone, and I think it is, then might as well go with Dexcool and get the full amount of inhibitor and there'd be no question of whether it was truely Dexcool used if a problem should arise. And if I didn't trust Dexcool for an application, I would avoid using Dexcool and it's clones.

 

[bigmike]

I finally got 4 gallons of Peak Global Lifetime. I plan to do a flush in my Silverado soon. I still think this is the best alternative to Dexcool.

 

[ls1mike]

Why would you change it on an LSX motor and run the risk of combining the two and guming it up?
Everyone here is like "Oh no Dex Cool the sky is falling"
If you own a 3.1, 3.4, 4.3 or 3800. I might be a bit concerned as it has caused problems in those engines.
But an LSX motor which is a 4.8 Dex cool has not caused any problems.
Check out LS1tech.com, LSXnation.net, or fullsizechevy.com. That it is where all the Dex cool experience is in regards to the 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 5.7, 6.2.(Corvette, Camaro, Firbird, Silverado, Sierra, Grand Prix GXP etc etc)
You have no fluid in your intake and everything but your block is Aluminum.
Your truck your money, but Dexcool is all I have run in my LSX based motors and is what most folks run in theirs. My 04 5.3 went 120,000 miles on the original Dex cool before I changed it out looked as good as new.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Why would you change it on an LSX motor and run the risk of combining the two and guming it up?
Everyone here is like "Oh no Dex Cool the sky is falling"
If you own a 3.1, 3.4, 4.3 or 3800. I might be a bit concerned as it has caused problems in those engines.
But an LSX motor which is a 4.8 Dex cool has not caused any problems.
Check out LS1tech.com, LSXnation.net, or fullsizechevy.com. That it is where all the Dex cool experience is in regards to the 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 5.7, 6.2.(Corvette, Camaro, Firbird, Silverado, Sierra, Grand Prix GXP etc etc)
You have no fluid in your intake and everything but your block is Aluminum.
Your truck your money, but Dexcool is all I have run in my LSX based motors and is what most folks run in theirs. My 04 5.3 went 120,000 miles on the original Dex cool before I changed it out looked as good as new.


I'm not sure why it would gum things up. Even without a flush, I wouldn't expect it to gum up - but I'm doing one anyway with distilled water.

My parents have a van with Dexcool that has 100k on it and Dexcool looks great! Then they had to replace their water pump and intake gaskets for $1200. I'm too thrilled about the stuff, personally.

 

[AzFireGuy79]

100k for a water pump is decent for a GM from what I have seen. I don't think you can ever come close to proving or even suggesting DEXCOOL had anything to do with either failure. If GM engineers would have improved the intake gasket design from the get go, it would have never been an issue in the first place. A simple change in gasket material would have solved this "issue".

I own a few GM's and do alot of work on the LSX platform as well as the LTX. I have NEVER seen an issue that was linked to DEXCOOL. Leaking radiator caps, yes but that's a maintenance item IMO. Change it at proper intervals and life is good.

 

[bigmike]

I'd agree with the water pump. Not the $1200 intake repair, however. Unfortunately, they were outside the window of the class action lawsuit and had to pay all out of pocket.

As for the LSx motors, I haven't researched the topic in depth enough to comment. I fail to see why this matters? I lean towards using a product that doesn't have a varied history.

 

[AzFireGuy79]

Use whatever you like. My point is that Dexcool is a perfectly good coolant in systems that do not have a [censored] design for a gasket and lackluster radiator/surge tank caps. Take the LSX and LTX for example, neither really ever had any coolant related issues. Meaning the cars that did(smaller V-6's and such that passed coolant through the manifold) suffered from a design flaw (gasket material).

Again, use whatever you have faith in. Wow, $1,200 for an intake repair!!!! Man thank god I do all of my own work. I have lost touch with todays labor rates for sure!