Okay go my 87 GT is ready for its first new core in 15 years, since it was my fathers before I bought it i assume it was a dealership piece and is copper. I would like to use the same material, since its worked this long. Any recommendations on brands or places I should buy one from? I want it to last a while, and yes i flush once a year, fill with 50/50 Dexcool.

-Thanks

Stay away from Spectre, and for God's sake, get rid of that Dexcool.

Triple what he said about Dexacool. Flush and flush and flush the system with water to get all the Dexacool out of the system. Then drain it and refill with a Glycol based antifreeze, like Prestone LongLife. It's cheaper to buy the pure antifreeze and mix it. It will yield 2 gallons for about $15 while the premix 50/50 costs almost as much per gallon and you'll need to buy twice as much.

Check with your local radiator repair shop for the heater core. They usually have very good quality replacements. Often they're American made, too.

I would say look for a heater core that is made of copper rather than aluminum. Don't know which brands stil ue copper. I am also not a Dexcool fan. The stuff works but I believe that etylene glycol based antifreeze/coolant gives the cooling system more corrosion protection.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

+1 to never using dexcool. Tell all your friends too. Never use that crap in anything you care about.

i found that chyrslers coolant works awesome and has some of the same stuff as dexcool........dexcool = sluge

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BLUE BY YOU!
NYFOC

Just replaced mine with a unit I ordered from Autozone, didn't know it was aluminum until after I paid for it and by then the need had become an emergency. The core is an inch thinner than the brass unit which I preferred. The AZ rep said a brass unit would have cost about double the price of the aluminum unit. It's working fine so far and unless there is a dependability problem I'm not aware of I see no need to bother it with an OE type.

quote Originally posted by lordbg0205: and yes i flush once a year, fill with 50/50 Dexcool.

That make no sense.... Dexcool is made to run longer, much longer, than 1 year. Even basic coolant is rated for 3 years. Prestone Extended Life Coolant is rated 5 years 150,000 miles.

But you use 50/50 mix? After a Flush? Is the worse thing you can do, especially w/ Dexcool is in it. Why? because the system has water trap in. 50/50 mix + trapped water = weak coolant. Weak coolant will eat your system.

see my see, coolant fill in coolant section

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