VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Which Coolant ??

With so many story's floating around about different coolants, orange virus green and so on. What are some of the members thoughts on this and why they use what they use ?
I've used both with no ill effects. Would like to hear what other members use and why......

Regular green antifreeze for the '47, '76, and whatever else we run. Our newer Jeep runs the green stuff too. I keep it checked before winter and mix it 50/50 with distilled water and life is good. I think a lot of manufacturers still run on the glycol antifreeze. I wouldn't use anything else in the old cars just out of precaution. Most likely wouldn't hurt too much but I think sticking with what they came with would be smart.

FWIW- DexCool (GM's orange stuff) got a bad rap, but my wife's former car (2001 Cavalier) ran it for 157,000 miles with no problems and no leaks. I think its all in the maintenance. A long-life coolant is great for a daily driver, but just like the 100,000 mile plugs...you should change them sooner. A lot of people ran that for 100K plus and never flushed or changed it, then wondered why there were problems.

Also "pre-diluted" antifreeze is good in a pinch or to have as a 'spare' in the trunk... but you're really just paying the same amount of $ for regular antifreeze and getting 50% water.

Some folks run Evans or other waterless coolants but they're expensive.

I have been told not to mix the glycol type coolants with other types as they form a jelly in the system that is very difficult to remove.
Tony

Hi Tony,

I tend to agree with you ,not to mix different types. Too many issues can arise.

Cheers

Ray

I don't use any coolant, they are corrosive and should only be used in a sealed system.
I use a rust inhibitor only and a good mate uses eucalytus oil
Chris

I've been using Caterpillar long life coolant for 12 years with no problems. Most important when adding antifreeze is not to mix different colors. I think almost any modern antifreeze will perform well if used properly. It's interesting to note the different colors available which mean they are formulated differently. Green-Red-Orange-Purple-Yellow-Blue-Pink-and probably a few others.

I use modern coolant in my 28, and run a low pressure sealed system with an overflow tank, have done so since the 80's. No problems, no corrosion, no rust, near enough no water useage.

Dare to try something different, you may just find it works for you.

Cheers

Ray

DexCool (red) should not be used in older engines.
I use a 50/50 mixture of green in all my cars and change it every few years.

I agree Chev Nut,

Green for me, since the 80's,and I change it about every 12 months.



Cheers

Ray

Amongst my travels within the trade I have been told the Ethylene Glycol is actually rust colored but has the "green" coloring added to help identification.
If changing types of coolant it is advisable to flush the system several times between coolants.
Tony

Actually ethylene glycol is colorless or clear like water. The color is added for identification purposes. Years ago there were several colors used depending on who manufactured the antifreeze and what formulation was used. As an example GM specified a color for their factory fill. Prestone was yellow, another brand orange and third blue. Now there are two basic colors red and green. Use green.

Gene, I'm curious why dexcool(red) should not be used in older engines.

so it is best to use the "GREEN" antifreeze and at a 50/50 ratio. No problems or concerns ?? Will be using this in my 1930 6cyl when i get to this point, figure learn now, and KNOW what to use and WHY :)

Dexcool is designed to be used with aluminum radiators. The inhibitor package can be very corrosive to copper and brass.

So even if your modern Chevrolet (Post1995) still has Dexcool, is it a simple drain and flush to change over to the green Prestone?
....Or should one continue to drain the Dexcool every two or three years and continue to replace the Dexcool with new dexcool?

Chipper,In your opinion as a chemist and a Chevrolet owner

Lacking the knowledge of the red antifreeze inhibitor package I did some research. I could not find any documentation of red antifreeze being harmful to copper or brass. I did find that both red and green met the specifications set by GM and others.
If it meets the specs I would think it would not be harmful.

Perhaps it would be helpful to know the correct color of Dexcool as its referenced as both orange and red in this thread. Also becuse of the color difference there is probably a composition difference so it would be good not to mix the apples and oranges. Dex-cool is ORANGE and thus not the same as the RED antifreeze. In the case of antifreeze color is important.

Dexcool contained inhibitor packages based on organic acid salts. My understanding from friends in the coolants business is that at least some early formulations were not completely compatible with brass and copper. It may have been when Dexcool was mixed with coolant with phosphate/molybdate inhibitor packages. I have not checked with them recently but understand that the inhibitor packages in the green antifreeze are now compatible and copper brass problems have been solved.

Coolants in OZ have Anti Freeze capabilities, but they are rarely required. Our main needs are anti corrosive and in some areas lowering the boiling point.

Most of our moderns run either the red or orange, and the older cars the green. In the case of the Red Chev, the Nulon long life green coolant I use keeps a nice low sheen on the brass impellor on my water pump, and a gun metal bluey grey on the inside of the engine block.

I did try water soluable oil back in the late 70's, worked fine except it softened the radiator hoses and I had to replace them every 12 months.

The modern green coolant does not cause any dramas with rubber..

After experimenting with the standard mixtures, which range from 30/70 to 50/50 for severe applications such as trucks etc, I settled on 70% coolant/30% water, which works very well in the chev 4 engine.

This is the coolant I have been using for many years.

http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Cooling_Systems/Long_Life_Concentrated_Coolant/

This coolant should not be used on a standard (open) Chev 4 cooling system. I run a low pressure cooling system, with an overflow tank.

Cheers

Ray

Perhaps the best advice I could give on antifreeze would be to read the label on the product. I think most OEM's have a specification that they have decided is best for their product and the label on the antifreeze container will tell which OEM spec's their product meets. I have found that the internet is a great source for product information as much can be learned direct from the antifreeze producer. I like the "red" antifreeze because it will last six years rather than the two for green. We all change our oil on a regular basis, but I am not sure we do the same for antifreeze.

Chemical Formulations, Reactions, oh the joy...

Wondering does anyone use Evans Waterless Coolant ?? Saw a few articles about this and seems there are people that use this in their antiques. Also several Formulations Available. Granted jay Leno says he has been using it for years. just wondering if any Normal person has been using it. One thing they talk about is non reactive with the metals.

I wouldn't use Evans on a bet. From what I have been able to determine it is basically just propylene glycol. The heat transfer rate compared with water or water/glycol antifreeze is miniscule. That results in higher internal metal temperatures which thins out the oil on the cylinder surface among other negative effects. Most people gauge the coolant temperature as an indication of how well the coolant is removing heat from the engine. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Actually I think that since the EPA becan to regulate what comes out of the vehicle's tailpipe rather than what comes out of the driveshaft the engine internal temps have been raised to a point that will cause the harmful emmissions to be burned in the engine before they get past the catalytic convertor and into the exhaust stream.

Understood... what is the normal operating temperature for the 1929-1931 era 194 CID Engine ?? with and with out the thermostat installed ??

Without a thermostat 120 to 180 deg F depending on weather and driving conditions. With thermostat about the same except the lower temperature will be whatever thermostat rating is used. That range requires a cooling system in proper working order.