| [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #234910] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 08:15  |
Frederick Gordon
Messages: 1
Registered: January 2014
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It's getting quite cold even in Georgia and while I'm fairly certain my antifreeze is fine I'm in the mood to change it out on a warmer day. My GMC has a standard cooling system. I have several questions:
Can you offer any recommendations on antifreeze brands/types?
How much fluid should the system require
Got tips on procedure?
Radiator cores are about 10 yrs old. Should system be flushed?
New to this list, thanks for keeping it running.
1974 Sequoia
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| Re: [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #234938 is a reply to message #234910] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 12:32  |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
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| Frederick Gordon wrote on Fri, 03 January 2014 07:15 |
It's getting quite cold even in Georgia and while I'm fairly certain my antifreeze is fine I'm in the mood to change it out on a warmer day. My GMC has a standard cooling system. I have several questions:
Can you offer any recommendations on antifreeze brands/types?
How much fluid should the system require
Got tips on procedure?
Radiator cores are about 10 yrs old. Should system be flushed?
New to this list, thanks for keeping it running.
1974 Sequoia
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You have probably heard some bad news about long life fluids such as Dexcool--and they are true. Most of those problems have been solved but there's no compelling reason to use that on our coaches. I would buy a full strength antifreeze such as Peak at Walmart and dilute it to a 50% water mix yourself since that is still less expensive than prediluted stuff. If you mix it before putting it in the GMC you don't need to worry about putting in too much or too little solution. At a minimum, I would run a few fills of water through it and depending on how badly it is corroded, a flush may help. The downside is that older radiators sometimes start leaking after good flush. Also, make sure the heater is turned on and any shut-off valves are open. I also siphon out the crap in the oveflow bottle. After refilling, you will want to recheck the overflow bottle 4 or 5 times to make sure the air is out of the system.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #234953 is a reply to message #234938] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 16:30 |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Bob,
GeneD specifies to mix the anti-freeze with distilled water after installing an aluminum radiator. Do you think that's a good idea
for the OEM radiator as well?
Regards,
Rob M.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob de Kruyff
You have probably heard some bad news about long life fluids such as Dexcool--and they are true. Most of those problems have been
solved but there's no compelling reason to use that on our coaches. I would buy a full strength antifreeze such as Peak at Walmart
and dilute it to a 50% water mix yourself since that is still less expensive than prediluted stuff. If you mix it before putting it
in the GMC you don't need to worry about putting in too much or too little solution. At a minimum, I would run a few fills of water
through it and depending on how badly it is corroded, a flush may help. The downside is that older radiators sometimes start leaking
after good flush. Also, make sure the heater is turned on and any shut-off valves are open. I also siphon out the crap in the
oveflow bottle. After refilling, you will want to recheck the overflow bottle 4 or 5 times to make sure the air is out of the
system.
--
Bob
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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| Re: [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #234957 is a reply to message #234953] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 17:26 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
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Always best to use distilled water in the cooling system; reduces likelihood of corrosion in the system because distilled water is pretty much inert and a non-conductor without various stray minerals/salts!
Mac in OKC
Money Pit
'76 ex-P.B.
Sent from my iPad
> On Jan 3, 2014, at 16:25, "Robert Mueller" <robmueller@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>
> Bob,
>
> GeneD specifies to mix the anti-freeze with distilled water after installing an aluminum radiator. Do you think that's a good idea
> for the OEM radiator as well?
>
> Regards,
> Rob M.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob de Kruyff
>
> You have probably heard some bad news about long life fluids such as Dexcool--and they are true. Most of those problems have been
> solved but there's no compelling reason to use that on our coaches. I would buy a full strength antifreeze such as Peak at Walmart
> and dilute it to a 50% water mix yourself since that is still less expensive than prediluted stuff. If you mix it before putting it
> in the GMC you don't need to worry about putting in too much or too little solution. At a minimum, I would run a few fills of water
> through it and depending on how badly it is corroded, a flush may help. The downside is that older radiators sometimes start leaking
> after good flush. Also, make sure the heater is turned on and any shut-off valves are open. I also siphon out the crap in the
> oveflow bottle. After refilling, you will want to recheck the overflow bottle 4 or 5 times to make sure the air is out of the
> system.
> --
> Bob
>
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> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #234995 is a reply to message #234910] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 21:29 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Read the jug. Must be ethylene glycol. Good old fashioned OEM stuff. Freeze protection on old antifreeze is usually ok, but it should be changed every 2 years totally independent of mileage. Sitting may be worse case scenario as a GMC often does. ph buffers and anticorision properties become exhausted and you want new in there before that critical breakdown point. As a reminder, this is a good time to do same with DOT 3 in the brake master. I don't like chemical flush as you don't get it all out. If system is dirty just increase how often you change the fluids.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: [GMCnet] antifreeze & system flush [message #235004 is a reply to message #234953] |
Fri, 03 January 2014 22:35 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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""Bob,
GeneD specifies to mix the anti-freeze with distilled water after installing an aluminum radiator. Do you think that's a good idea
for the OEM radiator as well?
Regards,
Rob M.""
Well it sure won't hurt. Some of us have horrible water available and if we know that i think it's a great idea.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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