'03 Malibu - blown gasket due to dexcool

[Fuel]

A friend emailed me this earlier
today. It's an '03 Malibu

"ive found so many complaints of this happening 2others with same kind of car. Apparently the kind of coolant it uses dexcool causes seals of head gaskets 2 deteriorate quickly causin them 2leak and thn my car overheated n head gaskets blew."

I know the intake gasket
was a problem until '02
and was improved but
what's the deal here???

[sprucegagt]

The deal is your friend has heard a lie. Dexcool does not destroy gaskets. Instead 3100 and 3400 engines do have a problem with head gaskets. It's not common but it does happen.

[IsaacHayes]

I've seen only problems with head gaskets after overheating. Intake gaskets however... they are usually the cause of the over heating or bottom end going out.

[Fuel]

^ that's what I thought too

[RedogOnyx]

I've heard of the LIMG going a lot but not the head gasket

[White93z34]

so many people love to blame dexcool for all of lifes problems, i personally blame GMs bonus move intake gaskets myself.

then you have the argument that it eats plastic gaskets, and turns acidic.... well uncared for green coolant can do the same thing to metal, but what do i know.

[IsaacHayes]

Only thing I hate about dexcool is it turns to rock hard sludge. 2 of my friends car's cooling systems were clogged to hell from it. No heat and over heating cars. At least with the green stuff if you let it go too long all you have is corrosion and not epoxy through the whole system. hehe

[19Cutlass94]

All the LIM gaskets Ive seen that fail.. all fail around that dumby port for the coolant.... Why didnt GM just make that an actual port?

[IsaacHayes]

Mine has failed twice around both ports.... And the original gasket the actual intake ports were failed too causing a vacuum leak/rough idle.

[PCGUY112887]

I think the whole dexcool thing is over rated. Dex cool is in MILLIONS of cars, has been for a long time (over 10 years). If dex cool was the root of all evil and it ate gaskets, then every GM engine would have gasket issues that used dex cool.

Just because GM did indeed have intake gasket issues on the 3x00 engines, does not mean dexcool was the cause. I think it is automatically assumed dexcool is the problem because dex ends up in the oil and it's very nasty, so people assume the dex ate through the intake gasket and got into the oil.

[85_Olds_Ciera]

what's the deal here???

The following is a link to a GM service bulletin that all but admits to the inadequacies of the design.

http://www.autosafety.org/uploads/SB-10001282-8175.pdf

[85_Olds_Ciera]

Mine has failed twice around both ports

If you don't torque in the right sequence....guess what?

http://www.autosafety.org/uploads/SB-10001282-8175.pdf

[85_Olds_Ciera]

Mine has failed twice around both ports...

Tip:

If you are doing a head gasket replacement, do consider these items below...this is used, with a thin coat around water outlets and oil channels, on a cleaned block/head surface:

Hylomar Racing Formula

or

Hondabond HT

*High-temperature silicone liquid gasket.
*Unique formula is non-acidic and won't corrode aluminium like other silicone gasket products will.
*For use in areas not requiring solid gaskets.

[IsaacHayes]

I torqued them proper with a good torque wrench and in the proper order as per GM. I've never had them crack from improper installation, it was warping was the major problem on mine. The plastic gets hot and all wavy looking and boom no longer holds the rubber in the right spot. The first gasket was so dried out and brittle it was like ashes in my fingers if you pressed hard on it.

[talon2swords]

The following is a link to a GM service bulletin that all but admits to the inadequacies of the design.

http://www.autosafety.org/uploads/SB-10001282-8175.pdf

Oh great, I didn't use threadlocker when I installed new fel-pros on my cars. Oh well, I never know which type of "gooh" I should use on what.