[V8] Who's had a bad had gasket?

[Tony and Lillie]

And I'll second that. Having worked in several shops, I can say I've never seen evidence that any type of coolant except Dexcool will cause corrosion. I've torn down VW/Audi engines with over 300K and no signs of problems. I've also done plenty of "wasserboxer" head gaskets, and whether they run the specified blue phosphate coolant or not would certainly appear to make no difference at all. Milage, etc seems to all be about the same. As does the pitting on the heads. 

I'm not saying it's a bad idea to run the more expensive stuff, but I'm with Others when saying run what you want (except Dexcool, I"ve seen too much evidence against it). I don't run anything expensive in mine, and have only twice had a headgasket go bad. Once, hole in the lower hose, run with no coolant till she stopped (I was 17 years old, no temp guage). And once, it was already going, and a hole in the small recirc coolant line on an old VW diesel finished it off. 

Anyhow, just thought I'd add that.

Oh, and as stated it's an alluminum block with 17% silicon content, and alluminum heads.

The problem with alluminum heads and iron blocks is the differential in expansion due to the different heat absorption characteristics of the metals. However, I also have a car here, I'm the third owner, so I know the history. The head has never been off, and it's over 20 years and 200,000 miles old. However, it's also never been overheated. Oh, and blue coolant ever since the first flush (50K).

Tony
 

>If there was corrosion, you can't dismiss other causes.  Coolant may have
>been diluted too much, or it's anticorrosion properties (additives) were
>spent with age/use or ??.  It it's safe for aluminum, it's safe for
>aluminum.  One anecdotal story is just that.  
>I don't bend over and pay for OEM Pento$in hydraulic fluid either, that
>was quite the chicken little scenario at the time on the main list.  I
>suspect DTE et. al outsells Pento$in liquid gold among type 44 listers
>now.
>
>This came up on a motorcycle board too, dire warnings from the
>manufacturer were proved to be nothing but a scare tactic to get owners
>to pony up $15 a quart for a different coloring agent.
>
>But, it's your money, if you want to buy purdy pink things with it.....
>;-)  
>
>Lately I've been using a universal (colorless) coolant, which is
>supposedly compatible with everything (except Dexcool.)  So far so good
>with this stuff, a friend gets it in bulk and won't charge me when I use
>it, can't beat that at twice the price.
>
>Based on observations and personal experiences with German iron I stand
>by what I said, and really haven't seen anything to change my
>conclusions.  I can't see spending that kind of money for OEM repackaged
>fluids.  If I owned one of those $114 a quart for transmission fluid
>Nissans posted last week, you can bet I would have figured out a
>substitute by now, too!
>
>I may retire V8Q #2 (too many cars), if I do, as an academic exercise,
>I'll pull the head.  Curious to see what nothing but "evil green" for
>about 15years and 180K miles may have done, if anything.   
>
>BCNU,
>http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
>"God's a kid with an ant farm. He's not planning anything."
>