Flushing/Degunking a cooling system.

[audioatg 10+ year member]

I do know this (exhaust side). We pressure tested it, the only point we got it to leak was @ 18psi and it was only a slight leak around the water pump mounting. Once I get this all cleared out I will be taking it off, cleaning and resealing it.


Did the '95's come with Dex Cool?

Year 95 might not have come with dex cool. I could look it up tomorrow at work. Is it a 4 or 6 cylinder.

Regardless, Do what I said to flush the stuff out. It works and needs to be done.

What you have is some one mixed different coolants. And now that mixture is eating away at your internals. Soon it will eat away at everything.

So get offline and get out there, and start working.

 

[CougarGuy 10+ year member]

Alot've people have the common misconception of Dex-Cool gunking up, but its GMs fault for putting Sealant Tabs in the vehicles from the factory...Dex-Cool itself isn't a bad fluid! its GMs idea for solving all coolant related leaks from the factory...nontheless, id do numerous drain and fills, probably run it with some baking soda and cook clean, go to the dealer and grab a bottle of BG Cooling System cleaning or check out BGProd.com

Your headgasket is more than likely fine, i wouldnt even be worried about it. it may take numerous drain and fills to fix this, but it can be fixed without replacing all hoses and stuff. when you flush the system and remove all remnants of the sealant tabs, you very well may find the water pump leak get worse, and you may find your Lower Intake gasket go from seeping to leaking quicker than expected...you can always go to the Dealer and get Sealant Pellets, throw 4-6 in, it will last another 16 years!

Steve-O

3 year Gm Bumper-to-Bumper tech

current Independant shop Bumper-to-Bumper Tech

While you may not agree with me, my plan WILL work, and cost the least! obviously resealing everything using care and the proper methods to fix factory BS and cheaper Gaskets and seals is the preferred way!

 

[pr-festiva 10+ year member]

the radiator in the festiva had what looked like brown water and globs of paste in it,, turns out the mechanic had put stop leak in it when all i asked him to do was look for a leak. killed the radiator and heater core and i had to take the whole cooling system apart and clean it.works good now but the heater core is still shot

 

[Tragic00 10+ year member]

Year 95 might not have come with dex cool. I could look it up tomorrow at work. Is it a 4 or 6 cylinder.
Regardless, Do what I said to flush the stuff out. It works and needs to be done.

What you have is some one mixed different coolants. And now that mixture is eating away at your internals. Soon it will eat away at everything.

So get offline and get out there, and start working.

It's a 4.3L V6 (Vortex). I will be flushing it out once I can get some temperatures above freezing, which is looking to be Wednesday or Thursday. I have assumed it was a mixture of different coolants. I stopped by AutoZone and picked up some flush solutions, new thermostat.

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

Alot've people have the common misconception of Dex-Cool gunking up, but its GMs fault for putting Sealant Tabs in the vehicles from the factory...Dex-Cool itself isn't a bad fluid! its GMs idea for solving all coolant related leaks from the factory...nontheless, id do numerous drain and fills, probably run it with some baking soda and cook clean, go to the dealer and grab a bottle of BG Cooling System cleaning or check out BGProd.com
Your headgasket is more than likely fine, i wouldnt even be worried about it. it may take numerous drain and fills to fix this, but it can be fixed without replacing all hoses and stuff. when you flush the system and remove all remnants of the sealant tabs, you very well may find the water pump leak get worse, and you may find your Lower Intake gasket go from seeping to leaking quicker than expected...you can always go to the Dealer and get Sealant Pellets, throw 4-6 in, it will last another 16 years!

Steve-O

3 year Gm Bumper-to-Bumper tech

current Independant shop Bumper-to-Bumper Tech

While you may not agree with me, my plan WILL work, and cost the least! obviously resealing everything using care and the proper methods to fix factory BS and cheaper Gaskets and seals is the preferred way!

I never heard of GM doing this. Do you have any write up saying they did. FROM GM too not from an out side source. I see that you a GM tech for only three years. You might have not been around for the K motor upper intake recall things. When they first wanted us to install the crushed up tablets of coolant sealer for the uper intake leak at the throttle body area. Then they changed it to replacing the three bolts at the throttle body. And thank you for saying the same thing I said to do. lol. That was funny.

Blah blah blah tech for this many years

Blah blah tech for this many years.