What Antifreeze???
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
What Antifreeze???
I had a very bad experience with the GM red antifreeze. It all caked up at the rad cap and thermostat 
so I went out and bought a case of the green stuff. Now years later I'm out of green antifreeze and I only see the orange stuff for sale 
So what are you guys using??? I'm starting a heater core adventure on my 82 Crossfire, so while I'm there I plan on replacing heater hose, thermostat, water pump and maybe the metal heater lines that run along side the block if I can get them
Thanks
so I went out and bought a case of the green stuff. Now years later I'm out of green antifreeze and I only see the orange stuff for sale So what are you guys using??? I'm starting a heater core adventure on my 82 Crossfire, so while I'm there I plan on replacing heater hose, thermostat, water pump and maybe the metal heater lines that run along side the block if I can get them
Thanks
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19,371
Likes: 5,251
From: Cape Cod, Mass.
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
I'm still using the green stuff in my old Vettes. 50/50 mixture with distilled water. It's still available at Car Quest in my area. The Dex-Cool can't be mixed with it as it turns to a gel.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
Pretty hard to go by color these days, they have every color under the rainbow.
Not much demand for the old stuff anymore with most consumers so most places don't carry the it any longer, but if having difficulty finding it, try a truck supplier.
I stopped jumping thru hoops finding it and have changed to the Zerox hybrid or the Prestone all makes, just not Dexcool.
I change it every year, so there is no worry about the SCA's.
BTW, the premixed 50/50 uses deinonized water, a little more pure than distilled.
Not much demand for the old stuff anymore with most consumers so most places don't carry the it any longer, but if having difficulty finding it, try a truck supplier.
I stopped jumping thru hoops finding it and have changed to the Zerox hybrid or the Prestone all makes, just not Dexcool.
I change it every year, so there is no worry about the SCA's.
BTW, the premixed 50/50 uses deinonized water, a little more pure than distilled.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,541
Likes: 0
From: Chicago
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Ethelyn Glycol here, 100% mix, not 50-50, I can add it as I like then...and don't pay for water....which I have never paid the slightest attention to....well water, city water, any kind....just dump with EGly and call it a day....been that way for some 50 years now...never a issue...brass, aluminum, iron no matter....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,000
Likes: 1
From: Minneapolis, Mn USA
Prestone Extended Life Green stuff. Buy it at Walmart.
Wont coagulate with any residual Dex-Cool.
Ive dont several previously Dex-cool'd cars with this with great success. Lots of distilled water flushing and mix the Prestone with distilled water for 50/50 mix once finished.
B.
Wont coagulate with any residual Dex-Cool.
Ive dont several previously Dex-cool'd cars with this with great success. Lots of distilled water flushing and mix the Prestone with distilled water for 50/50 mix once finished.
B.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,132
Likes: 14
From: A town SC
Ethelyn Glycol here, 100% mix, not 50-50, I can add it as I like then...and don't pay for water....which I have never paid the slightest attention to....well water, city water, any kind....just dump with EGly and call it a day....been that way for some 50 years now...never a issue...brass, aluminum, iron no matter....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,541
Likes: 0
From: Chicago
Any water cooled engine needs a 50/50 mix of coolant and water. Many dont know this but water cools better than coolant... Therefore the best for street is 50/50, "race", water with some sort of anti corrosive. This among other cooling info allowed me to run a almost 700 HP smallblock on a v6 radiator
Straight water is the best if you're in a climate that allows it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
I thank Dexcool for bringing many many dollars into my shops from cooling system repairs over the years. It was allmost as good as neon did for me with thier head gaskets. I saw what dexcool was all about and I still left that crap in my new 99 S-10 thinking I would flush it every 30,000 instead of the 100,000 GM #.. So after flushing the system with a good machine at 30, 60, 90k.. I now at 115k on the truck have a leaking heater core, a leaking intake gasket and res tank that looks like mud in it.. I guess with cars evolving its allways gonna be something.. oh I forgot astro van idler arms..
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,132
Likes: 14
From: A town SC
I thank Dexcool for bringing many many dollars into my shops from cooling system repairs over the years. It was allmost as good as neon did for me with thier head gaskets. I saw what dexcool was all about and I still left that crap in my new 99 S-10 thinking I would flush it every 30,000 instead of the 100,000 GM #.. So after flushing the system with a good machine at 30, 60, 90k.. I now at 115k on the truck have a leaking heater core, a leaking intake gasket and res tank that looks like mud in it.. I guess with cars evolving its allways gonna be something.. oh I forgot astro van idler arms..
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
"Race" cars run plain water because they aren't allowed to run anti-freeze. The race tracks don't want to have slick-a@@ stuff all over the track after a wreck. The 50/50 mix is only because that is the optimum mix for the lowest freezing temp for a water/antifreeze mixture. Any other percentage mix will work, but the freezing temperature of the mix and the heat transfer properties will be somewhat different.
The 50/50 mix is only because that is the optimum mix for the lowest freezing temp for a water/antifreeze mixture. Any other percentage mix will work, but the freezing temperature of the mix and the heat transfer properties will be somewhat different.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,993
Likes: 1,136
From: League City Tx
I recently had a weird experience with coolant. I just installed my freshly built 496", freshly cleaned/rodded oem radiator and used Peak brand pre-mixed 50/50 coolant. I put in the 6-7 gals it takes to fill the system and drive it about 100 miles within a couple weekends. Then I had to drain the coolant out to repair a radiator leak that I inflicted with the shroud installation. Upon draining the coolant, it was all brown and chitty looking...I pulled the drain plugs out of the block out of curiousity and on one side the water wouldn't even drain out until I ran a screwdriver into the hole to break up the blockage..
I don't know what the hell happend but this motor was completely clean inside as was the radiator at the time of the coolant install. The pump/hoses/heater core etc was all brand new. I drained it all out and switched to Prestone pre-mixed 50/50 and it seems like it is staying clean. Only have about 50 miles on it though. I have no idea what happened but needless to say I won't be using Peak antifreeze or pre mix ever again.
I don't know what the hell happend but this motor was completely clean inside as was the radiator at the time of the coolant install. The pump/hoses/heater core etc was all brand new. I drained it all out and switched to Prestone pre-mixed 50/50 and it seems like it is staying clean. Only have about 50 miles on it though. I have no idea what happened but needless to say I won't be using Peak antifreeze or pre mix ever again.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay Fl
Last edited by Droptop-Rob; Dec 16, 2009 at 10:03 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 3
From: belle plaine ks
don't leave florida with your car
Ethelyn Glycol here, 100% mix, not 50-50, I can add it as I like then...and don't pay for water....which I have never paid the slightest attention to....well water, city water, any kind....just dump with EGly and call it a day....been that way for some 50 years now...never a issue...brass, aluminum, iron no matter....
It freezes 8 degrees above zero.