[V8] Coolant type?

[cobram at juno.com]

This has been rehashed 100 times on the list, just check the archives,
there's even honest to goodness non-anecdotal facts and figures from a
gen-u-ine chemist (not an English pharmacist) who uses the "evil green"
in all his vehicles.

The Toyotas had a recall for head gaskets or some such, that may have
more to do with it's problems.  

Been running nothing but Prestone (or whatever's on sale) green in the
200TQA for 15+ years now, same in the V8Q's X 2, and ran it for 20 years
in the 5KS.  Never a problem.  Been using it in my moto-cycle too, even
though there were dire warnings from the Honda dealer about how really
bad things were going to happen, especially to the mechanical seal and
cast impeller.....that was 32 years ago, was in the this summer and the
impeller looks like new, and I replaced the original WP seal because the
oil seal was leaking behind it.  

As for the cooling system electrolysis, this happens with ALL types of
coolant, and more so with the "lifetime" coolants.  After coolant is
spent, even the liquid gold Toyota Red and Audi Blue,  either from
mileage or time, it turns from alkaline to acidic, that's what eats away
at the metal in the system.  The additives in the coolant wear out. 
"Lifetime" coolant is taken to mean "lifetime" by most people (I wonder
why), so these misguided souls don't change the coolant until they have a
failure in the system which changes it for them.  "Lifetime" means a MAX
of 5 years between changes, Evil Green, 3-4 years, MAX, but guess which
kind usually NEVER gets changed and causes the most problems?

Whatever you use, THE most important thing you can do is change it at the
recommended intervals or earlier.  

On the GM front, they've paid off on lawsuits over Dex-cool, and there's
a mountain of evidence about how craptastic it is, I don't think they'll
give you a hard time over changing it out for something better.  I
replaced the Dex-Cool in my mothers GM when it was less than 6 months
old, she's taken in for warranty service at least 10 times since (love
that GM quality), and the dealer never said a thing.

BCNU
 
<toml99 at todomundo.com> writes:

> My 04 Duramax still has about a year on the powertrain warranty, so I 
> was forced to refill with the Dex-Cool recently.  When that's up, I  

> lot of bad press about the Dex-cool.  Since I've always used the 
> Audi/ Vw  Blue in the Audi's, I may consider it, but it holds gallons,
so  
> may go with something else, but it definatly, won't be green.  Most  
> of the problems associated with the green are from steel blocks with 
> aluminum heads, and that set's up an electrolytic reaction that will 
> pick away at the aluminum.  I just did the head gasket + in the  
> girlfriend's 91 Toyota truck, and the head gasket(aluminum) was 
> swiss  
> cheese around the coolant ports), as the Toyota Red was replaced by  
> the green at some point, years ago(steel block/aluminum head)and the 
> Toyota mechanic say's he see's it all the time.  If I'm not 
> mistaken,  the Febi waterpump for our cars, used a steel
impeller....Will that  
> create a charge in the coolant? Not sure.  Years ago, a mechanic  
> friend showed me an aluminum head off something he was working on,  
> and the head and gasket was swiss cheese also.....he put a voltmeter 
> in the radiator, and it registered 1.2V with the battery  
> disconnected....The coolant system/engine had become a battery, 
> which  electrolytically removed the aluminum.  Not the case with the
Audi  
> blue/MB or Toyota red......That's my $.02....Sincerely, Tom