Is it my heater core?

[MadOgre]

I have run Dexcool for a good 7 years now. I finally drained and refilled it this fall. I have no crud and no issues. It seemed like I had some kind of issue nearly every winter with the Green.

BTW the red dexcool is for aluminum rads and blocks so if you are running an aluminum intake the Red Dexcoll is what you should be running

 

[89Suburban]

I just ran do Home Depot to get some plexiglass and a pack of stick on clear round bumpers and made a grille cover to help her keep warmer and warm up faster. It is 30" wide x 12 1/4" high which leaves one row of open grille vents on each side. Used the rubber bumpers to protect the Chevy badge and chrome on the grill. Used self tappers to screwing to the black part of the grille. Cost about 18 bucks and an hour of labor. Well see what a difference it makes. In the last I would just bungee cord a piece of cardboard or sheet metal to the grille.

 

[Dadof2]

New heater core is in. Haynes manual was written by someone who never took the heater out of a 91 suburban.

Old HC was about 5lbs heavier than the new one. Lots of mud dumping out of it.

But now I am back to no power to fan....ARRGGGHHHH!

Fuses are all good, checked connections and didn't find anything obvious that was loose. Checked grounds to best of my knowledge / ability.

Drinking beer and calling it a night.

 

[kleedus]

I would not use dex cool on anything I even swapped my 07 over to the green stuff

I bought a truck with a 454 in it that the previous owner ran dex cool in it

the motor leaked coolant at every gasket that the dex cool touched thermostat housing intake and head gaskets. they were all felpro gaskets not cheapos

I pulled it out threw all new felpro gaskets in it and normal green antifreeze it has not leaked a drop in 5 years.

 

[MadOgre]

Weird I swear by the red stuff. 7 years problem free and no sign of trouble yet. Its also the longest I have had a water pump last for me too. But that could just be luck of the draw! The green stuff will corrode aluminum that's why they switched to the red for aluminum engines and rads. That's why you can add red to green but not green to red although there is that multipurpose stuff which is like a clear green.

 

[MadOgre]

I only ever add de ionized water though. No tap **** water

 

[MadOgre]

Actually come to think of it. Its probably the fact that since I switched to the red I only use de ionized water. That tap water is awful for corrosion in the cooling system.

I think its like $1.99 for 4 litres of the stuff

 

[kleedus]

antifreeze actually causes electrolysis that eats away at aluminum parts

as it get older it becomes acidic and you can test it with a multimeter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKryQVfnDHI

that's why you should change it every few years even if it looks good

 

[MadOgre]

Interesting I found this vid a couple clicks later lol

Its a Prestone info on all the different types of coolant and what the difference is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffpe8aVvb2c

I guess I was kinda right but not really lol so the green stuffs corrosion inhibitors don't last very long compared to the newer blends so the vehicle manufacturers dont use it any more

Now I got to check and see what blend that Dexcool is.

 

[MadOgre]

I think the electrolosis is where that de ionized water vs tap water comes into play.