cooloing system
#1
03-05-2007, 09:00 PM
cooloing system
In case you're not aware, the following is a partial quote from a former member of another board.
[hr]
There continues to be some confusion about the GM coolant supplement and what it is in the system for. It is purely a sealer. It protects against leaks. That is all. The GM Coolant supplement is ground up ginger root, the same stuff as the BarsLeaks "golden seal" powder. BarsLeaks is made by the same supplier as the GM coolant supplement pellets.
The sealer is mandatory for the 4.1/4.5/4.9 family of engines. There is no acceptable substitute. Either the GM Supplement pellets or the BarsLeaks "golden seal". The use of the sealer in the Northstar is desireable to prevent nuisance leaks but it is not necessarily mandatory. Reason being is that the 4.1/4.5/4/9 engine family can possibly leak coolant internally into the oil and you may not recognize it until too late. The engine design allows coolant to contaminate the engine oil in the event of an internal leak. The Northstar engine is designed such that it is virtually impossible to leak coolant internally into the oil. There are no real interconnecting passages. The usage of the sealer in the 4.1/4.5/4.9 is mandatory to protect the engine against damage. The usage in the Northstar is desireable to prevent nuisance leaks.
If you use other stuff or allow it to be used in your system you are doing the validation testing. Let us know how it works out. GM has validated the GM Coolant Supplement pellets (and the BarsLeaks "golden seal" by default since it is the same material) but who knows who tested or validated the BG products or anyother.
The GM coolant supplement or BarsLeaks 'golden seal" must be installed in the radiator of the 4.1/4.5/4.9 at the pressure cap port. The pellets may need to be crushed for them to fit into the radiator due to space limitations in the end tank. Putting the supplement into the coolant recovery bottle is useless.
The Supplement must be installed in one of the radiator hoses of the Northstar. It should never be installed in the pressurized surge tank even though the pressure cap is on the surge tank on a Northstar. The supplement will not plug the radiator if installed incorrectly but it will possibly plug up the hose from the pressurized surge tank if it is installled into the pressurized surge tank. At the very best, the supplement will just stay in the surge tank and will not be distributed thru the system if it is installed there. There is very little actual flow thru the surge tank on a Northstar by design so putting the supplement in the surge tank is useless and possibly damaging.
The ginger root fibers that make up the sealer never dissolve in the coolant.....the fibers are just held in suspension in the coolant and dispersed thru the system. Ginger root fibers are unique in that they shrink when wetted and expand when dry...so the wetted fibers shrink and move thru the system and will not clog raidators or heater cores if installed properly. The fibers collect in a leak and tend to mat together to stem the flow thru a leak. In addition, the air on the "outside" of the leak starts to dry the fibers in the void and they expand and plug the leak source. Since there is no air on the backside of an orfice in the cooling system the fibers will not tend to clog internal passages since they don't dry and expand.
You have to really beware of dealer service policies. Their practices reflect the dealer's preferences...or what they get the most commission on. They are all independent businesses not controlled by GM. GM does not recommend a regiment of BG Products in the cooling system nor Slick 50 nor any of the other high profit snake oils peddled by many of the dealers. Ask first what the service will be and avoid aftermarket products unless you have personal experience with them.
[hr]
There continues to be some confusion about the GM coolant supplement and what it is in the system for. It is purely a sealer. It protects against leaks. That is all. The GM Coolant supplement is ground up ginger root, the same stuff as the BarsLeaks "golden seal" powder. BarsLeaks is made by the same supplier as the GM coolant supplement pellets.
The sealer is mandatory for the 4.1/4.5/4.9 family of engines. There is no acceptable substitute. Either the GM Supplement pellets or the BarsLeaks "golden seal". The use of the sealer in the Northstar is desireable to prevent nuisance leaks but it is not necessarily mandatory. Reason being is that the 4.1/4.5/4/9 engine family can possibly leak coolant internally into the oil and you may not recognize it until too late. The engine design allows coolant to contaminate the engine oil in the event of an internal leak. The Northstar engine is designed such that it is virtually impossible to leak coolant internally into the oil. There are no real interconnecting passages. The usage of the sealer in the 4.1/4.5/4.9 is mandatory to protect the engine against damage. The usage in the Northstar is desireable to prevent nuisance leaks.
If you use other stuff or allow it to be used in your system you are doing the validation testing. Let us know how it works out. GM has validated the GM Coolant Supplement pellets (and the BarsLeaks "golden seal" by default since it is the same material) but who knows who tested or validated the BG products or anyother.
The GM coolant supplement or BarsLeaks 'golden seal" must be installed in the radiator of the 4.1/4.5/4.9 at the pressure cap port. The pellets may need to be crushed for them to fit into the radiator due to space limitations in the end tank. Putting the supplement into the coolant recovery bottle is useless.
The Supplement must be installed in one of the radiator hoses of the Northstar. It should never be installed in the pressurized surge tank even though the pressure cap is on the surge tank on a Northstar. The supplement will not plug the radiator if installed incorrectly but it will possibly plug up the hose from the pressurized surge tank if it is installled into the pressurized surge tank. At the very best, the supplement will just stay in the surge tank and will not be distributed thru the system if it is installed there. There is very little actual flow thru the surge tank on a Northstar by design so putting the supplement in the surge tank is useless and possibly damaging.
The ginger root fibers that make up the sealer never dissolve in the coolant.....the fibers are just held in suspension in the coolant and dispersed thru the system. Ginger root fibers are unique in that they shrink when wetted and expand when dry...so the wetted fibers shrink and move thru the system and will not clog raidators or heater cores if installed properly. The fibers collect in a leak and tend to mat together to stem the flow thru a leak. In addition, the air on the "outside" of the leak starts to dry the fibers in the void and they expand and plug the leak source. Since there is no air on the backside of an orfice in the cooling system the fibers will not tend to clog internal passages since they don't dry and expand.
You have to really beware of dealer service policies. Their practices reflect the dealer's preferences...or what they get the most commission on. They are all independent businesses not controlled by GM. GM does not recommend a regiment of BG Products in the cooling system nor Slick 50 nor any of the other high profit snake oils peddled by many of the dealers. Ask first what the service will be and avoid aftermarket products unless you have personal experience with them.
