Mechanics advice.

[lorenzo]

I keep hearing about the importance of changing the antifreeze in modern ( aluminum ) engines these days due to the fact that the anti corrosion properties in the mix weaken over time and become basically non existent.

Ok i can see that i guess, so at what intervals do you think it should be preformed. 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles?   Or is it not that big of a deal?

 

[sandhiller]

22 minutes ago, lorenzo said:

I keep hearing about the importance of changing the antifreeze in modern ( aluminum ) engines these days due to the fact that the anti corrosion properties in the mix weaken over time and become basically non existent.

Ok i can see that i guess, so at what intervals do you think it should be preformed. 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles?   Or is it not that big of a deal?

 

I think it depends on the antifreeze used. 

Just got the Pete back out of the shop and mechanic told me if we would run the extended range (pink, I think) we could go 3-500,000 miles between changes. 

[Gearclash]

I would guess calendar time is a factor as well as hours or miles of use.  The chemistry between coolant and engine components is going on 24/7.  Looking in the water jacket of a “modern” engine that used better coolants and hasn’t had the decades of neglect vs the horrors one will find in say a letter series Farmall will make a person a quick believer in using a quality coolant and also in occasional coolant changes.

[dale560]

2 hours ago, lorenzo said:

I keep hearing about the importance of changing the antifreeze in modern ( aluminum ) engines these days due to the fact that the anti corrosion properties in the mix weaken over time and become basically non existent.

Ok i can see that i guess, so at what intervals do you think it should be preformed. 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles?   Or is it not that big of a deal?

 

Some are 50,000 or less some mfg are 100,000 or a bit more.  I would change it before a 100,000 just because modern engines makeup of parts can be corroded or eroded from different chemistry.

[nomorejohndeere]

depends on how much it costs to replace what is damaged by not changing it out.

additives are available to renew 

I dunno, maybe more often as the engine gets older and has more crud deposits etc.

I'd be more concerned about how long it was in there vs. how many miles..........

What does your owners manual suggest?

 

[885]

8 hours ago, lorenzo said:

I keep hearing about the importance of changing the antifreeze in modern ( aluminum ) engines these days due to the fact that the anti corrosion properties in the mix weaken over time and become basically non existent.

Ok i can see that i guess, so at what intervals do you think it should be preformed. 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles?   Or is it not that big of a deal?

 

I know several manufacturers recommend replacing coolant at 100k. Part of the replacement has to do with the coolant additive package breaking down over time and the coolant becoming acidic. Which can react with the aluminum and induce voltage, I've heard up to around .5 volts, which in turn can cause problems with anything grounded to the engine block. Essentially it makes the car act like it has a bad ground 

[England806]

I used to use the old ethylene glycol based stuff. Changed about every three years then switched to the premixed extended life coolant. So far the old Landrover engine at 480000 miles is corrosion free. Seems to work pretty good. 

[jeeper61]

If you are using the concentrate mix with distilled water most of the corrosion issues start with well water  

[Ihfan4life]

26 minutes ago, jeeper61 said:

If you are using the concentrate mix with distilled water most of the corrosion issues start with well water  

For the savings, buy the premixed… it’s not much more when all is said and done

[jass1660]

Shouldn’t use distilled water. 
https://rislone.com/blog/cooling/why-you-should-never-use-distilled-water-in-your-cooling-system/

[Diesel Doctor]

Antifreeze is one area where I am dumber than a post.

What is the best way to test antifreeze, not for how cold it will withstand, but for the additives still in it?

I use the orange GM stuff in my Silverado and am in the process of changing a heater core.

What ways are there to test antifreeze?

I have some test strips but they will not work with the orange stuff.

Other than replacing, is there additives one can add to it to bring it back to where the additives should be?

I used Royal Purple, Purple Ice in my 350 Chevy after an overhaul and new green antifreeze.

Is this any good.

Hope this is not starting an oil thread?

[New Englander]

2 hours ago, Diesel Doctor said:

Antifreeze is one area where I am dumber than a post.

What is the best way to test antifreeze, not for how cold it will withstand, but for the additives still in it?

I use the orange GM stuff in my Silverado and am in the process of changing a heater core.

What ways are there to test antifreeze?

I have some test strips but they will not work with the orange stuff.

Other than replacing, is there additives one can add to it to bring it back to where the additives should be?

I used Royal Purple, Purple Ice in my 350 Chevy after an overhaul and new green antifreeze.

Is this any good.

Hope this is not starting an oil thread?

What I've done is just replace what I lost when replacing water pumps in the GM engines with the orange GM stuff and carry on. We had one Suburban that needed a pump around 100K and again about a 100 later and what I could see looked like brand new inside.

Did the core go bad from the outside - standing water, or from inside?

[jeeper61]

4 hours ago, jass1660 said:

Shouldn’t use distilled water. 
https://rislone.com/blog/cooling/why-you-should-never-use-distilled-water-in-your-cooling-system/

 

That is good to know

The most important part is 

However, if you use Hy-per Lube Super Coolant, you don’t need to use softened water.

 

[dale560]

They tell us at training water is one of the best natural solvents there is.  Meaning it will dissolve and carry most natural minerals if given enough time. So yes hard water will let stuff deposit out and distilled water will absorb minerals or metals seeking its equilibrium.

[hardtail]

I've always heard about this hungry water and I guess ionically it makes some sense, I have been involved in a lot of water purification but am no means an expert. Many different methods distillation, reverse osmosis, softeners, dealkalizers, deionizers etc.

We have used them all in water treatment in power plants, I will say the best example is one facility that has used RO for feed water but not since day 1, waterside inspection still shows blue steel like the day it was assembled 30 years later, that plant has always exceeded their sodium sulfite range and I attribute that more than the water...

I would say in gas engines the dissimilar metals contribute more than any other factor...if water that had fairly good parameters and additives from day one was used, we had a guy from the plant that would add a little moly to his truck every couple years, he had good results but other guys that didn't had the same 🤷‍♂️

[Rawleigh99]

I am using Cat EC-1 rated extended life coolant in everything right now. Right or wrong.  500,000 mile interval and then you can just add their conditioner for another 500K.

You do need to thoroughly flush the system before you change it.

[ihrondiesel]

16 minutes ago, Rawleigh99 said:

I am using Cat EC-1 rated extended life coolant in everything right now. Right or wrong.  500,000 mile interval and then you can just add their conditioner for another 500K.

You do need to thoroughly flush the system before you change it.

That brings up another point—thoroughly flushing the system.  More than just filling and emptying a couple times. 

[Rawleigh99]

Yep, Cummins makes a good flush.  When I changed I ran the garden hose in the radiator hose with the engine running for about 30 minutes, ran the flush and then ran it on clean distilled water for 2 more flushes until it ran clear when I sampled the overflow.  Then added the concentrate antifreeze followed by topping it up with RO water from a friend's car wash.

That was a little overkill since it had that crappy Ford Gold coolant that turns to snot and plugs the EGR cooler.  I also run a coolant filter on it too.

[Diesel Doctor]

I used to use about an 1/8 cup of Sioux Valve Grinding Oil concentrate in a cooling system.

It was dark like oil, turned the water milky and was a water soluble oil.

It would remove, in about 30 days, all the white deposits on the tubes in the radiator.

After that same period, the brass inside the radiator was a shiny as a new penny.

And it lubed the water pump.

It was great stuff but I cannot find it anymore.

[New Englander]

1 hour ago, Diesel Doctor said:

I used to use about an 1/8 cup of Sioux Valve Grinding Oil concentrate in a cooling system.

It was dark like oil, turned the water milky and was a water soluble oil.

It would remove, in about 30 days, all the white deposits on the tubes in the radiator.

After that same period, the brass inside the radiator was a shiny as a new penny.

And it lubed the water pump.

It was great stuff but I cannot find it anymore.

You're showing your age. Brass radiators? 😁

[Matt Kirsch]

On 11/16/2022 at 7:35 AM, jass1660 said:

Shouldn’t use distilled water. 
https://rislone.com/blog/cooling/why-you-should-never-use-distilled-water-in-your-cooling-system/

So where do you get "softened water?" I've gone to many different stores and you can get distilled water, purified water, or spring water. Purified and spring water are both filtered by reverse osmosis.

I just use 50/50 premix. Most of the cost of a gallon of antifreeze is packaging, shipping, and marketing, so this whole claim of being "cheated" is false. Plus I don't have to find another jug to mix in, and there's no question of using the "wrong water."

Oh and by the way, I think the coolant should be changed per the interval stated in the owner's manual.

[oleman]

This is another oil thread. I use premixed Walmart coolant in my equipment, says on the label it blends with all other coolants. I have an all aluminum Honda water cooled generator that I used Walmart in, no issues observed.  I changed the evaporator on our 93 K2500 Suburban, so difficult to get at the evaporator I changed the heater core too.  It was actually leaking enough to wet the core seam BUT after 29 years of multiple Coolant mixes I still use Walmart. The evaporator was also leaking BUT can't blame that on the coolant mix. Once many years ago, we used ditch run off water in an old Ford when it over heated, figured that it was better to use muddy water than walk.

On a steam powered ship the boiler water was double distilled and then mixed with the proper chemicals to meet the correct chemistry.  We used the same water without any chemicals in the cooling systems we used on the radars and other equipment.  Our drinking waster was single distilled but BROMIDE added to reduce bacterial  formation. COFFEE was better without the bromide, so we would use the drinking water - bromide, occasionally for coffee. 

FOR you medical types. The evaporators used on a ship operate at a vacuum and temperatures too low to sterilize the water so sterilization chemicals are used for (potable) drinking water.

 

 

 .

[MinnesotaFarmall]

On 11/15/2022 at 3:13 PM, lorenzo said:

I keep hearing about the importance of changing the antifreeze in modern ( aluminum ) engines these days due to the fact that the anti corrosion properties in the mix weaken over time and become basically non existent.

Ok i can see that i guess, so at what intervals do you think it should be preformed. 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles?   Or is it not that big of a deal?

 

How much does it leak? Like a good ole small block Ford, if it leaks or burns it, it will always have fresh oil in it 🤣🤣

[lorenzo]

13 hours ago, MinnesotaFarmall said:

How much does it leak? Like a good ole small block Ford, if it leaks or burns it, it will always have fresh oil in it 🤣🤣

Oil leak????

Hey man its a Ford

[vtfireman85]

21 hours ago, Matt Kirsch said:

just use 50/50 premix. Most of the cost of a gallon of antifreeze is packaging, shipping, and marketing, so this whole claim of being "cheated" is false. Plus I don't have to find another jug to mix in, and there's no question of using the "wrong water."

I too have started doing this, I figured whatever war is supposed to be in there is already there so I don’t have to worry about it, and i also don’t have to worry about my mix ratio getting off