Anti-freeze or What in a aluminum radiator

[Andy Anderson]

Hi, I am getting ready to start my 1960 after a 2 year body off restoration.

I will be filling my $1,000.00 aluminum radiator for the first time. Is there anything that will help keep it in good condition? Better than 50/50 anti-freeze and water. Has anybody tried distilled water? Thanks for any help.

[Joe Fisher]

Re: Anti-freeze or What in a aluminum radiator

Why not use the new Dexcool? It is suppposed to last 100,000 miles. Most new cars use it today, and they use alot of aluminum radiators and heads. It is orange in color and cannot be mixed with regular antifreeze. Most auto stores should stock it. Joe

[Chuck S.]

Re: Anti-freeze or What in a aluminum radiator

Andy,

Others here may have more experience with aluminum radiators, but if it were me, I would definitely use distilled or de-ionized water with a top brand of anti-freeze in order to have the corrosion inhibitors.

Chuck Sangerhausen

[Duke W.]

DEXCOOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Distilled water will absolutely EAT THE RADIATOR ALIVE. Distilled or (even worse) de-ionized water is "hungry" to dissolve everything it touches until and equilibirum concentration of ions is established, and then you have a conductive electrolyte, which will accelerate corrosion.

Follow Joe's advise. Use Dexcool, which is available at K-Mart, Walmart, and autoparts stores under the Havolone Extended Life brand ("Dexool" printed on the label, black jug with an ORANGE cap). Dexcool contains the latest and best in corrosion protection technology and, on new GM cars, the recommended change interval is 150K miles or five years, including the aluminum engined C5. I would recommend you change it every two to three years, regardless of mileage, and maintain a 50 to 60 percent concentration.

Duke

[Joe L.]

Re: Anti-freeze or What in a aluminum radiator

Andy-----

As Joe Fisher suggests, Dex-Cool might be a good product to use, but neither myself nor anyone else can speak from long experience with it since it's a relatively new product.

I can tell you this, though: in my original owner 1969 Corvette with aluminum radiator, I have been exclusively using a 60/40 mixture of Prestone to water since the very first coolant change and continuing to the present. As far as I can tell, the radiator is still perfect after nearly 31 years.

[Roger Coen 30751]

Re: DEXCOOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I switch to it? Should I? How?

Roger

[Duke W.]

Clarification

It wasn't clear from you post if you meant straight distilled water or to use distilled water with the anti-freeze. Straight distilled water is death, but I'd suggest using distilled water with the Dexcool. Clean drinking water is usually okay, but chlorine can attack aluminum in cooling systems. At a buck or less a gallon I use distilled water to mix with the Dexcool.

Duke

[Duke W.]

Switching to Dexcool

Nothwithstanding what Joe said the original radiator is long gone on my SWC and the heavy dose of silicates clogged up the brass radiator in my Cosworth Vega, but I was able to save it with a rod out. There is some incompatibility between the inorganic salt inhibitor package of conventional antifreeze and the organic package in Dexcool. It's important to thoroughly flush the system, but there is no need to use commercial "cleaners" if the system is otherwise in good condition. What I recommend is to completely drain the system cold (radiator drain cock and both block plugs), then disconnect the heater core return hose and reverse flush the system with a garden hose until the drain water is colorless and tasteless. Then fill the system with tap water and run the engine to operating temperature plus about ten to fifteen minutes, then drain. If it is not cololess and tasteless, hot flush it again, and until the drain water is colorless and tasteless. Then fill system with a sufficienct quantity of Dexcool and distilled water to make a mixture with 50 to 70 percent Dexcool. A greater percentage of Dexcool will probably improve corrosion protection, but it will reduce cooling efficiency a bit because ethylene glycol has less heat capacity than water. I usually shoot for about a 55 to 60 percent antifreeze concentration.

Duke

[Andy Anderson]

Re:Duke you got my attention:

Duke, I don't know if you know what your are talking about, but you sure scared the hell out of me with "IT WILL EAT THE RADIATOR ALIVE". I am glad you posted the Clarification. I did catch that you said distilled in your answer to Roger. I did mean anti-freeze and distilled water. I beleve Ill take you suggestion and get some dexcool and we are on a deep water well. with about 10ppm Hardness . no chlorine. Thanks for everbody's Help.

[Doug Flaten]

Re: I second the clarification

Definitely use distilled or deionized water to mix with the antifreeze. Distilled or deionized water will minimize the scale deposits which lead to under-deposit corrosion. Most scales from water are going to be oxides, carbonate and sulfate scales, many of which have less solubility with increasing temperatue. Distilled water is not corrosive or "hungry". The solubility of aluminum in water is very minute. However, in an automobile which does not have a perfect seal, oxygen is introduced, which accelerates the corrosion. Oxygen consumes the inhibitors very quickly and an oxygen leak will rapidly render the corrosion protection useless.

[Doug Flaten]

Re:Duke you got my attention:

The distilled water is cheap insurance. No more than 2 gallons and less than $1.25.

[Chuck S.]

Re:Duke you got my attention:

Andy,

He scared hell out of me too; I thought I had just told you how to get your brand new radiator devoured!

But Duke is right; As I recall, STRAIGHT, pure de-ionized water will eat stainless steel pipe. In olefins plants using pure de-ionized water, the water treatment facilities have to be constructed out of plastic and lined pipe. Once you add anti-freeze, that problem goes away. I ran it in my C4, and never had a single radiator consumed.

Chuck Sangerhausen

[Jerry Clark]

Tastin the Freeze

Duke:

I'm takin your advice, I am draining my BB cooling system, I am on glass 103 and it STILL tastes like anti freeze. I will continue to drink this stuff at your suggestion as I know you are never wrong. I am a bit concerned about the toilet bowl, it is turning green form all of this "processed" anti freeze not to mention its effect on my septic system.

If , after 50 or so more glasses, it still tastes sweet I'm gonna write back for follow up advice.

jer

P. S. Will this harm my kidney transplant ?

[Bill D.]

Re: Switching to Dexcool

As Duke pointed out--

"A greater percentage of Dexcool will probably improve corrosion protection, but it will reduce cooling efficiency a bit because ethylene glycol has less heat capacity than water. I usually shoot for about a 55 to 60 percent antifreeze concentration."

To improve cooling efficiency and corrosion inhibition, try adding Redline WaterWetter to a 50/50 mixture of Dexcool and water. WaterWetter reduces surface tension to release air from the system. Greater surface contact increases the ability to transfer HEAT ! Less air reduces oxygen content to reduce CORROSION . WaterWetter also has corrosion inhibitors to replenish or increase the ability of the system. Yes it is SAFE for aluminum systems, it is designed for them !

I have experienced as much as a 30 degree reduction in operating temperature with WaterWetter. Hope this helps

Wild Bill

http://www.redline.com

[Bill D.]

Above post on COOLING EFFECT..ntx