GM Dexcool Settlement

[Don Whitmore]

SSDiv6...do you know the improvements the Delphi and Dorman manifolds have?

I've got a friend with a 3400 and this exact problem, Dexcool in the oil pan...helped him pull the engine last night. He doesn't know there are better parts out there...

[Jamie Greening]

I do about 4 to 6 a month at our shop. The main problem is not the Dex-Cool in most cars. The problem is a combo of the intake gasket design (plastic gaskets) and the low torque the intakes torque at. Fel-pro and GM both have a revised intake gaskets for the 3.1, 3.4, 4.3, and 5.7 engines. They are a metal design gasket with bonded rubber around the water outlets and ports. We have had excellent luck with these gaskets because they hold the torque setting so much better. We have one set on our 4.3 stocker that have been reused 4 times. The Dorman intake for the 3.8 is a great intake for replacement.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Don Whitmore

SSDiv6...do you know the improvements the Delphi and Dorman manifolds have?

I've got a friend with a 3400 and this exact problem, Dexcool in the oil pan...helped him pull the engine last night. He doesn't know there are better parts out there...

The Dorman intake is made of better material and also they reinforced the weak areas.

Dorman has an intake kits and reseal kits for GM and Ford products:

https://www.dormanproducts.com/docum...dSellSheet.pdf

[Dave Cook]

I've done plenty of the leaking intake gaskets, just never blamed it on the Dex-Cool, I blame it on the poor gaskets and some of the poorly designed and plastic intakes.
It isn't the coolant.
I put Dex-Cool in everything I own when I do the flush and fill, because my stuff sits a lot.
It's hard to drive 9 vehicles every day.

[Tommy Gaynor]

This is what I was told at a training put on by Texaco the manufacture of Dex cool. "The reason Dex cool is a better product is a double edged sword. The way it is better is the Dex cool puts a "coating" on all of the "surfaces" it comes in contact with. This is how it does do a better job cooling. The problem arises when the coolant level gets low and this coating is exposed to atmosphere, the coating then turns corrosive and this is what attacks the gaskets, seals, heater hose quick dis connects and manifolds." If you remove a radiator cap and find the tell tell brown/rust colored sludge on the underside of the cap go ahead and check the PH it will be less then 6 and the problem has already started. Dex cool is a better product if the level never gets low. But if you are 75% of the people you don't look at your coolant level until the "Coolant Low" light is on this is what happens. All I'm saying is if you flush the system and install ethylene glycol or "Green anti freeze" it can get low and you will not have the same problem.

[Dave Cook]

Exactly, the problem is caused by consumer negligence, not the products.