07 Apr 12 09:04, Mark Hofmann wrote to Roy Witt:



 RW>> I don't think it was the Dexcool...I had that in my Z28 (alum block
 RW>> & heads) for the first 5 years I've owned it and it was a three
 RW>> years old when I bought it. That's 8 years on Dexcool without any
 RW>> problems. Of course, I never put any water in it when it needed
 RW>> topping off, I used more Dexcool. I flushed the entire system a few
 RW>> years ago with a power flusher and put in some 'pink' coolant that
 RW>> Harry recommended...

 MH> I have never seen a 'pink' coolant.  There was almost a hint of pink
 MH> in the Durango after the radiator failure.  :)  Mixing yellow
 MH> antifreeze and reddish transmission fluid together makes for a nasty
 MH> looking mixture.

Pink is a South Texas special. Because of the very high temps around here,
all summer long, it supposedly cools better than orange or green.

AFAIK, Yellow is a Ford factory antifreeze...

 RW>> Harry didn't think much of it either and he's a GM ASE trained
 RW>> technician.

 MH> I have yet to find a mechanic that has had anything good to say about
 MH> dexcool. The mechanic that did my engine swap used to work in a GM
 MH> dealership.  He drives a 2001 Trans AM - and dumped the dexcool and
 MH> put the yellow stuff in.

Tell him I have a factory sealed gallon of Dexcool I'll sell him, cheap.

 RW>> Considering how well pan gaskets seal the crankcase these days, it
 RW>> had to be something major.

 MH> Oil leaks around the pan typically look worse than they really are.
 MH> A slow leak can cover the entire pan and make it all realy messy
 MH> looking.  That is what happened with my old engine.

Crankcases are pressurized with compressed air/fuel mixture blowing by
worn or sloppy piston rings. This is inevitable in internal combustion
engines. This is why a PCV 'positive crankcase (vent) valve' was invented.
Before PCV came into vogue, there was the 'road draft tube' venting blowby
and oil to the underside of you car, the road and atmosphere. Ford's
flathead V8s and Y-block V8s were famous - For Oiling Road Dirt - in the
day of road draft tubes. All other cars did this too, but none of them
lended a name to it better than FORD.

 MH> It might leave a drop or two on the ground, but not much.  The pan
 MH> was a mess, though.

I'll bet.

 MH> I have also seen them leak in the rear seal area.  Gaskets don't cost
 MH> much, but replacing them is almost always a major job.

Again, a blowby problem will force oil out of the rear seal.

                R\%/itt


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