orange anti-freeze

[jw505]

I have a 1996 caprice with a 5.7 350 LT 1 motor. Can I change the anti-freeze to the green without any problem with the sensors, or thermostat.

[oldblu65]

I say that as long as all the original antifreeze is flushed out of the system , you'd be fine . Just don't mix them .

['97ventureowner]

What is the reason(s) you want to change from one coolant to the other?

[jw505]

This car only has 33,000 miles and the original water pump was leaking at the weep hole. It was 11yrs old before it got its first flush, so i thought i would do that and put a new pump on it. The new pump leaked, so i changed it and the second one leaked too. I got them 2 pumps from auto-zone. Then i was told i needed to put them seal tablets from the chevrolet house in the system, got them and a new pump from NAPA, changed it all and it still leaks. Not as much as it did BUT it still leaks. I know that when it leaks at the weep hole is not good. It only leaks a little drip when the car has been turned off and their is pressure on the system. Just thought maybe if i changed the pump again i would put the green anti-freeze in it.

[curtis73]

Im' with you, jw... I have a 96 Impala SS with the same issues. That orange coolant is straight from satan himself. I went through 4 waterpumps, three clogged heater cores, and one soaked optispark from that crap, none of which GM covered under warranty. Get rid of it, it turns into sandy jello.

Green and orange are not compatible, so make sure you flush well. Drain the orange (including the two block drains near the pan rail) flush it with water, and even run it for a while with just water to make sure it gets all the orange, then drain and refill with 50/50 green. Its cheaper and better.

All of my problems occured in the first 44,000 miles, then I switched to green and have had absolutely no problems since. I'm at 127k now.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by jw505

Then i was told i needed to put them seal tablets from the chevrolet house in the system, got them and a new pump from NAPA, changed it all and it still leaks.

Don't use the clay tablets. They have a long history of known problems with Dexcool. The silicate structure in Dexcool is very unstable and causes problems, especially when exposed to air. Many LT1 owners didn't have a single problem until they opened the cap on the surge tank and then the issues start. GM puts the clay tablets in from the factory which is what causes most of the problems to start with.

Many have flushed and filled with new Dexcool and left out the clay tablets with no issues, but in my mind, there is no way to flush out all of the factory clay tablets so it will continue to be a problem.

GM puts those tablets in because they cost 2 cents. Their reasoning is that if a certain number of cars would develop a coolant leak at 35,000 miles, the clay tablets might plug the leak for long enough to make it happen at 36,000 miles when its out of warranty.

There are multiple (huge) lawsuits going on right now between GM and Dexcool. Its not pretty.

[jw505]

Thinks for the info. How hard is it to change the heater core. On the pump i put a T fitting with a vaccum hose in the weep hole and run it past the opti-spark. It sure has saved the anti-freeze from getting all over the belts and off the opti-spark [dist]. Did not want to have to buy one of them. Is it a good ideal to just get a new pump from someone like Jegs. Is it the anti-freeze are the seal in the pump that is bad, combinition of both? Should i make NAPA eat this pump and give me another one -- it has a life time warranty. Cost was 159. Jegs is 169 not counting shipping. thinks again

[curtis73]

Honestly, the best pumps seem to be GM new ones. Reman LT1 pumps don't seem to hold up as well. Do a search in your area for wholesale auto parts or something called "undercar." Every town has one, they're just the wholesale distributor. Instead of paying $160 at NAPA, buy them where NAPA buys them for $85.

Good move on re-routing the weep hole.

The sandy goo in the dexcool eats away at the packing around the waterpump bearing. You can put up with it for a long time before the bearings start making noise, but they certainly shouldn't weep from new, even with Dexcool. Make NAPA buy you another one. If they'll let you, try to pay the difference to get a new one, not reman.