Damm Head gasket........................................

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Yeah I'll keep a eye on it, I plan on flushing the coolant system and I also run 70% distilled water and 30% coolant.

[WarShrike]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Good going on the distilled water.

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Good going on the distilled water.

LOL, yeah in my city the water sucks big time, can't even drink it, it tastes so bad also leaves crap all over rims and paint if the sprinklers hit the vehicle. Its the hardest water I've ever seen, I had a water softer at my other house and the water was fine but no water softer on this house.

[Hib Halverson]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Yeah I'll keep a eye on it, I plan on flushing the coolant system and I also run 70% distilled water and 30% coolant.

With 30% antifreeze, unless your going to change it annually, I'd also use a bottle of Red Line's Water Wetter which contains an anticorrosive package similar to Dexcool along with water pump lubricants and antifoaming additives.

The reason I suggest that is the anticorrosives in antifreeze are gradually depleted over time. If you start with only 30%, antifreeze, in order to have good cooling system durability, you need some additional anticorrosive.

I run 100% distilled water and 1.5 bottles of Red Line Water Wetter in my '01 and have been doing that since it was new. I change the coolant every 36 months.

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

I have been running 70-30 for about 10-12 years without any problems, so ill do the same since I haven't had any problems. I haven't used Dexacool since about 1999 when my warranty was up, it was flushed and converted to regular green coolant.

[enzia35]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

That's probably why my radiator rusted up so quick...I run just distilled water.

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

That's probably why my radiator rusted up so quick...I run just distilled water.

That would do it.

[FirebirdGT]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Coolant - my pet peeve

There is nothing wrong with Dexcool - IF you understand it as a high performance heat transfer medium.

DO NOT add water to it - use ONLY the 50/50 premix - and only a brand - Prestone or better yet Havoline.

Red Line Water Wetter - OK.

.

[enzia35]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

I'm using water as there's a leak where I have to refill the radiator every couple weeks. Coolant would be expensive, until I can fix the leak, where ever it is.

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Yeah I can see why you use water, I still run Dexcool in my 08' Silverado without any problems. My back is so messed up I only have gotten the header bolts off the drivers side. After I get the valve cover off, I'm draining the coolant and I'll reseal the ARP studs with thread sealant and torque the head down again. I don't think I torque it down properly the first time about 2 years ago. I can't remember. If this doesn't work I'm going to give it to my mechanic to do the head gaskets again since I'm not physically able to.

[Hib Halverson]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

There seems to be some misunderstanding about coolants.

You can, indeed run a 70/30 water/antifreeze mix but, if you do, you must increase the frequency of coolant changes or you must add additional anticorrosive. The reason for this is the anticorrosives in antifreeze have a finite life and that life is based much more on time than it is on mileage.

Because you've reduced the amount of anticorrosive chemicals by almost half when you go to a 70/30 mix, you either need to add more anticorrosive or change it sooner.

As for straight water for coolant. As long as the car is never parked overnight or stored in freezing temperatures, that works quite well as water is a better coolant than a 50/50 or even a 70/30 mix but, and this is a huge BUT...along with the water, you MUST use a coolant additive which has anticorrosive chemistry along with antifoaming agents and a water pump seal lubricant. If you don't, you'll not only rust your entire cooling system, but you greatly decrease water pump life and cause rapid corrosion of aluminum parts exposed to coolant.

I run straight distilled water in my 2001 Camaro, BUT I fortify it with 1.5 bottles of Red Line Water Wetter which contains an anticorrosive chemical package similar to that in DexCool as well as having a water pump seal lubricant and antifoaming additives.

I change my straight water coolant every 24-36 months.

[FirebirdGT]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

By an automotive engineer:

http://www.jag-lovers.org/lumps/faqs/coolant.htm

.

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Well found my problem, heads weren't torque right and the Arp studs didn't have thread sealant on them. I guess thats what I get for trying to do the head gaskets while taking Oxycotin. LOL So I'm just about to finish up the drivers side then I'm going to do the passenger side to while I'm at it, I know if I didn't do the drivers side the passenger side should be the same. I'm hoping since the MLS gaskets are metal that they should reseal when Tq down right, if not I'll have to take it to my mechanic since it would be too much for my back to redo everything. Lesson learned, do it right the first time and don't take pain killers when working on cars.

[WarShrike]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

WE CAN'T TORQUE HERE! IT'S BAT COUNTRY!



Glad you got it nailed down!

[ssms5411]

Re: Damm Head gasket........................................

Thanks only a couple of years later to find the problem. Passenger side is a bit harder to do, less room than the drivers side so its taking more time.