Go Back to Dex-Cool?

[dlundblad]

The cooling system on the Blazer is in sad shape. One of the PO's switched to conventional green, but there's some crud in the reservoir so who knows if it was done right (ie completely flushed prior to filling with traditional green). The lower intake manifold gaskets need done very soon so I'll be flushing the cooling system out then as well.

Is it worth going back to Dex-Cool or should I stick with traditional green? Quiet honestly, I am not aware of their differences.

 

[Trav]

If it were mine I would put JD Cool-Guard II in it once flushed and clean, you get a long life coolant that protects probably better than anything on the market and is harmless to gaskets and seals.
I have put it in everything from a 60 yr Buick to late model gas and diesels with plastic radiator tanks and aluminum cores without any trouble, 5 yrs on it still test good with the JD test strips. The inside of the radiator still looks new after 9 yrs now.

Edit: Thread on JD.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1696012

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Quiet honestly, I am not aware of their differences.


Traditional green (IAT) uses inorganic adds like phosphates and silicates to quickly coat and protect the metal parts, but only lasts about 2 years.

DexCool (OAT) uses carbon based organic adds. They are slower to protect the metal but last longer, about 5 years. OAT coolants need a sealed system with no air. With a good radiator and cooling system design DexCool protects well and last long. With a bad design, you are better with IAT and changing more frequently.

The middle ground is taken by HOAT hybrid coolants that contain both organic and inorganic adds. A good example is Zerex G-05.

Most cars can run almost any coolant, but I always do a complete flush with demineralized water to make sure there is only one coolant type in the system.

 

[sprite1741]

Use universal. I switched my Dodge to universal when it first came out and still have the original 300k water pump. I lost the original radiator on green, that's when I started using the all makes stuff. I still have that radiator which has never seen green after 20 years or so. No coolant issues here.

 

[edwardh1]

gm should be ashamed of the dex cool upper lower take manifolds mess- did they test it at all? what was wrong with what they used "before"

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: edwardh1
gm should be ashamed of the dex cool upper lower take manifolds mess- did they test it at all? what was wrong with what they used "before"
they can sell more cars if they destroy the older ones.

 

[edwardh1]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
gm should be ashamed of the dex cool upper lower take manifolds mess- did they test it at all? what was wrong with what they used "before"
they can sell more cars if they destroy the older ones.


maybe thats how Toyota has enough CASH to buy GM , but their prez (years back) said why would we want to do that?

 

[Merkava_4]

I stay with Dex-Cool because I like its color. Dex-Cool has a bad rap for the wrong reason. It's not Dex-Cool that destroys plastic intake gaskets. The plastic intake gaskets fall apart on their own. The new steel gaskets solve that problem.

 

[Donald]

DexCool is fine if your vehicle came with it from factory.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: SR5
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Quiet honestly, I am not aware of their differences.


Traditional green (IAT) uses inorganic adds like phosphates and silicates to quickly coat and protect the metal parts, but only lasts about 2 years.

DexCool (OAT) uses carbon based organic adds. They are slower to protect the metal but last longer, about 5 years. OAT coolants need a sealed system with no air. With a good radiator and cooling system design DexCool protects well and last long. With a bad design, you are better with IAT and changing more frequently.

The middle ground is taken by HOAT hybrid coolants that contain both organic and inorganic adds. A good example is Zerex G-05.

Most cars can run almost any coolant, but I always do a complete flush with demineralized water to make sure there is only one coolant type in the system.


Is there any plus to running one over the other?

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Trav
If it were mine I would put JD Cool-Guard II in it once flushed and clean, you get a long life coolant that protects probably better than anything on the market and is harmless to gaskets and seals.
I have put it in everything from a 60 yr Buick to late model gas and diesels with plastic radiator tanks and aluminum cores without any trouble, 5 yrs on it still test good with the JD test strips. The inside of the radiator still looks new after 9 yrs now.

Edit: Thread on JD.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1696012


Is there a different between JD Cool Guard and Zerex G05?

I already run G05 in the Jeep.

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: Trav


Edit: Thread on JD.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1696012


Thanks for the link, it was a good read.

OP, it looks to me that both John Deere Cool-Guard and Zerex G-05 are HOAT coolants, but with a different formulation. It looks like the G-05 is more PCMO & Light Duty Diesel, while the John Deere Cool-Gard II is more Heavy Duty Diesel.

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Is there any plus to running one over the other?

That is the million dollar question, and the lame duck answer is it depends on application. There is no one magic formula, otherwise everybody would be using it. And wouldn't that make life easy.

Right now in my GM Opel I'm running DexCool (OAT) because that was the FF. When I converted some older IAT engines to modern long-life coolant, I gave them a good flush with demineralized water and went to G-05 (HOAT) and ten years later they were gleaming fresh inside the Al radiator and I had no problems at all.

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I already run G05 in the Jeep.


According to my Glysantin table, G-05 is the correct stuff to give to a Jeep.

You could give your other car a good flush and run it on G-05 too, that way you will only have to stock one coolant at home. Which does make life easier. I think G-05 is a good all round coolant, it is what I use when I don't know what to use.

 

[barkingspider]

After changing the IM gasket on my old 02 S10 truck, I went back w supertech all makes (Dex clone). It ran just fine and the plastic over flow tank stayed clean.

 

[ArcticMan]

Originally Posted By: edwardh1
gm should be ashamed of the dex cool upper lower take manifolds mess- did they test it at all? what was wrong with what they used "before"


The issue with the gaskets dates back to the late 90s and early 00s and has been resolved for a long time. The issue was related to the type of material they used in relation to the new DexCool line of coolant. The issue has been fixed for a long time, and people don't want to admit that gaskets wear out. DexCool is preferred because of its longer life span as opposed to 2 or 3 year coolants.

Ford had the gas tank issues
GM had the dexcool issues
Toyota had its rust issues
Honda had its soy based wires, oil burning issues

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: ArcticMan
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
gm should be ashamed of the dex cool upper lower take manifolds mess- did they test it at all? what was wrong with what they used "before"


The issue with the gaskets dates back to the late 90s and early 00s and has been resolved for a long time. The issue was related to the type of material they used in relation to the new DexCool line of coolant. The issue has been fixed for a long time, and people don't want to admit that gaskets wear out. DexCool is preferred because of its longer life span as opposed to 2 or 3 year coolants.

Ford had the gas tank issues
GM had the dexcool issues
Toyota had its rust issues
Honda had its soy based wires, oil burning issues



It's really amazing how long a life some of these "mistakes" have on the Internet. You still hear about the "issues" with the Orange Fram Filters and Bosch plugs-all based on what's floating around (for several years) in cyber space.

 

[Cressida]

Originally Posted By: SR5
When I converted some older IAT engines to modern long-life coolant, I gave them a good flush with demineralized water and went to G-05 (HOAT) and ten years later they were gleaming fresh inside the Al radiator and I had no problems at all.

Was the ten years on your original fill of the G-05 or did you drain and refill once or twice during those ten years?

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: Cressida
Originally Posted By: SR5
When I converted some older IAT engines to modern long-life coolant, I gave them a good flush with demineralized water and went to G-05 (HOAT) and ten years later they were gleaming fresh inside the Al radiator and I had no problems at all.

Was the ten years on your original fill of the G-05 or did you drain and refill once or twice during those ten years?

Sorry for the confusion, I changed it about every 4 years.

 

[KB3MMX]

OAC has about 15% better thermal transmissivity than the older green IACs.

This is a big reason they changed the coolant in almost every manufacturer years ago as emission systems started putting increased loads on the cooling systems.

Using green IACs results in less cooling performance.

 

[edhackett]

Originally Posted By: KB3MMX
OAC has about 15% better thermal transmissivity than the older green IACs.

This is a big reason they changed the coolant in almost every manufacturer years ago as emission systems started putting increased loads on the cooling systems.

Using green IACs results in less cooling performance.


Source? Show me the numbers.

Ed