DEXCOOL & T-stat noises-ANYONE???

[monte87]

Greetings guys-

HAs anyone ever encountered noises coming from there T-Stat housing when using DEXCOOL? i have this TINK-TINK, metallic noise that gets loud as crap when it reaches 180 degrees, about the same time the T-stat opens, coincidence huh? I chnaged out the thermostat 2X already using Mr. gasket 180 stats and still this damn noise-coming straight from the housing itself. It doesnt happen all the time though, but it happens and then goes away after shut down-weird. im basically lost here, never had this problem before in my life. Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Please help-Anthony

 

[monte87]

Guys-Anybody???????????

i researched the archives found nothing-Can someone shed some light on this maybe? Please.

 

[PonyBoy90]

Dexcool, that's the orange GM stuff right?

If so, you're NOT supposed to use this product on Fords! Especially in foxbody models.

My suggestion is to flush this crap out, and refill on the Prestone green-stuff 50/50 mix.

 

[monte87]

Dexcool, that's the orange GM stuff right?

If so, you're NOT supposed to use this product on Fords! Especially in foxbody models.

My suggestion is to flush this crap out, and refill on the Prestone green-stuff 50/50 mix.

Im curious dude-Why not on fords? or foxbodies? i know besides the fact sludge and all-But for what other reason?

Hit me back-Bro, Ant

 

[PonyBoy90]

Did you do a search on just "Dexcool" in these forums?????

I remember reading a whole bunch of long threads about how this stuff is totally uncompatible with Ford products.

In fact, if you look at the big label on a jug of Dexcool, it will state it's for GM products only!

Never, never, never put this stuff into a foxbody. I don't think you should even put this stuff in if you've installed an aftermarket aluminum rad.

In some of the threads I've read, I remember reading about one guy who brought his car (foxbody 5.0) in for a coolant flush to one of these Midas auto places. They flushed and filled him on dexcool and he wasn't more than a block away from the shop when his temps went up ski high!!!!! Ended up having to drive back, flush again, and refill on the green stuff. Then everything was fine.

The Dexcool stuff is better than the green-stuff in that it holds it's cooling properties and doesn't breakdown as fast as the green stuff. Unforntunately, for reasons I can't remember, this stuff can't be used in Fords. At least not the old Fords. I'm note sure about the newer models.

Give it time, and I'm sure someone will chime in here with the exact reasons why this stuff is bad for Ford's.

 

[monte87]

Hey poyboy-

Thnaks for your input, Imhaving that crap flushed out this saturday, because seriously-ever since i put it in after the heads/cam install-i have been having noises out the ying-yang. and its not the motor, rockers or nothing else-We -adjusted everything and it was quiet, i drained the raidiator,and added more dexcool-and the fugger noise came back, right near the T-stat housing.
It was like WTF??????????????????????????????????

 

[PonyBoy90]

Monty87

No problem.

Listen, I did a search on the 5.0 Tech forum using the keyword "Dexcool" and found a whole bunch of threads about this stuff.

It's really bad! In fact, GM customers are suing GM due to the damage that this stuff did to their GM cars!

In Fords it's known to gum up the engine and cooling system and some guys were complaining that it was ruining their water-pumps and various gaskets.

You'll have to do a very very thorough flush as apparently, if some left over residue of this stuff mixes in with the new Prestone green stuff, you'll have even bigger problems.

The difference I found between the Dexcool and the Prestone Green is that the Dexcool has replaced the ethyleneglycol component in the green mix with some other chemical. This other chemical is what helps the Dexcool last longer and not breakdown as fast as the Green stuff. Unfortunately, it seems to be f-ing everything else up in the process of keeping it's cooling properties.

Get rid of the stuff and flush thoroughly.

 

[Modular2v]

Dex cool is bad stuff....gm was in a lawsuite a couple of years ago over that stuff. Get it flushed out and put REGULAR coolant in it

 

[Roland69]

dex cool is for aluminum blocks isn't it.

 

[monte87]

Im hoping its the dexcool. Because my nerves are really worn out, thinking about this or driving with the noises and thinking im gonna blow somehting up, ya know. thats the worst part.
maybe its the Dexcool screwing the T-stat up, because the noise is coming directly from the therm housing. i put a stehtoscope on it-and its loud and banging, "Tink-Tink" type noise-very metallic in sound. I swapped out 2 therms alreay and it comes and gioes-and still alwasy comes from the housing itself. So maybe the Dexcool is causing some type of problem with it-i have nio idea.........
Could it be the Thermal switch senor for the fan making contact with the lower manifold itself being its a bit larger than a regualr sender???

 

[Roland69]

Your T-stat should make a bit of noise cause it pop's open and closed at certin temps.

 

[monte87]

Your T-stat should make a bit of noise cause it pop's open and closed at certin temps.

yeah-i know. but thsis noise is more than that..... Its like taking 2 spoons and clinking them together, you can hear it over the exhaust dude. when we placed the stethoscope all over the place-it all leads back to the T-stat and housing. it sounds like valve tap on the housing-get it!

 

[monte87]

But its not constant, sometimes it does it, sometimes it doesnt. i disconnected the elctric fan and made the car run hot a bit-it immediately made thie noise-so that leads me to belive that its the T-stat or the Thermal switch. when it cooled off and came down past 180-GONE. **** the car off-let it cool off, its gone. Drive around, beat on it a bit-back again. Dude-Its ****ing possessed.

 

[vristang]

Could the noise be coming from the jiggle ball?

 

[PonyBoy90]

Have you considered getting rid of the Mister Gasket stat and just going with a plain old Motorcraft 180 stat????????????

I just had my 195 stocker replaced also a couple weeks back and flushed my system clean and refilled. When I had that 195 degree in my car, my operating temp was 209 degrees and I could feel my power being robbed due to the heat. Now I have a stock 180 Motorcraft stat, Prestone green coolant and my temps don't climb over 185!!!!!!!!!!! This is of course on a completely stock cooling system. I have a Ford rad, stock fan, stock hoses, a 180 stat, no pulleys, and a brand new rad-cap etc etc and I'm running clean.

Along with the noise, are you running hot????????? With a 180 stat, I'd say you shouldn't be over 195 degrees. Are you? How's the pressure in your system???????

I've seen the Mr. Gasket stats. The opennings for coolant flow are quite a lot bigger than those on the Ford stats. I'm wondering if in some cases there's a compatibility issue with some of these cars. You know, some guys have no problems, and some do.

Try going back to stock along with the coolant flush.

As for Dexcool being for Aluminium engines, I'm not sure about that. My buddy has a Grand Prix GTP 2000 and as far as I know, that block is still cast-iron.

 

[monte87]

i HAVE REPLACED 2 mR. GASKET 180 t-STAT'S, 1 stant 180 and still have the noise. I have an Eddy W/P and a Fluidyne rad with a MkVII fan. The bitch stays 180 all day long.... just makes noise like a summa bitch. it cant be every Thermostat...

 

[monte87]

naghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-before i swapped in the AFR's and custom cam and filler her up w/dex-****-i started having noises. i have alwasy had mr. gasket 180's in the car for 3 years, and never had any noises w/green anti freeze.

 

[vristang]

naghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-before i swapped in the AFR's and custom cam and filler her up w/dex-****-i started having noises. i have alwasy had mr. gasket 180's in the car for 3 years, and never had any noises w/green anti freeze.

I can't imagine how the wrong coolant would cause such a noise, but stranger things have probably happened.

I've got no other ideas.

If you find out what it was, please report back.

jason

 

[Roland69]

maby the fan hitting the shroud

 

[1quik69]

dex-cool

I just went out and looked at a jug of the Prestone Dex-cool. It says it is approved for all gm vehicles that need dex cool. It is approved for all light duty trucks and cars that have "aluminum" radiatiors. It is compatible with certain Ford antifreezes and Daimler Chrysler also, but these are probably very late model cars. Just drain it out, do a thorough flush and put the good old green stuff back in. Gm had a problem when they first came out with Dex-cool with it ruining water pumps and eating out the freeze plugs in the blocks after only a few thousand miles. Just stick with the old traditional green and yellow stuff and you should be ok.