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Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#1
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Michael Sullivan
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1947 Custom Super Clipper, preparing to flush radiator and replace fluid. Would appreciate simple advise on what fluid to use- water (distilled, non-distilled . . .), waterless, no-roison, evans heavy duty, etc. Thanks very much, Mike in Baltimore.

Posted on: 2015/11/12 7:16
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#2
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Owen_Dyneto
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Well, I see you live where freezing temperatures are encountered so the first question is whether the car will be out of service in cold weather and kept in heated storage when not in use. If not, you will have to use anti-freeze and the older type (not the long-life type) antifreeze is most strongly recommended. Get the "green" or traditional stuff with the inorganic additive package.

Major brands are sold both in concentrate and pre-diluted to 50/50; if you buy the 50/50 the labels I've read (Peak) say the water component is deionized water, so just use as is. If you buy the concentrate and add your own water, tap water is OK as long as you don't live in an area with exceptionally hard water. If that's not the case, deionized (or softened) water is preferable to tap water. Whether there really is any harm in using distilled water hasn't really been proven to my satisfaction one way or the other though there are those who say it can "leach" metals from the block.

I've never seen the reason to use anything other than 50/50 antifreeze year-round though I'm sure there are those that say they have benefited from the claimed advantages of water weters, "no-rosion", and the like. Permanent antifreeze will never loose its freeze protection properties but the corrosion inhibitors have a finite life so I change every 2-3 years. This has been adequate for me, both my cars still have the original radiators, they have never been removed for service and both cars run cool even in hot days in stressful situations.

Posted on: 2015/11/12 10:29
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#3
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Rscott77x
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Frequent changes are the key to saving those radiators. My 1981 Mercedes was my daily driver for many years. I replaced the coolant annually. It still has the original radiator! Now that it has moved to my tiny "collection", I do not change it as often as it does not get driven that often. So, for a collector car, 2-3 years seems reasonable.

Posted on: 2015/11/13 16:20
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#4
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Mr.Pushbutton
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I am in complete agreement with Owen Dyneto (which should come as no surprise to anyone)as to 50/50 coolant/water. A good friend of ours, David Dolby was the head cooling system engineer for Chevrolet. This is also his opinion. GM, with their vast technical resources, billion dollar labs and expansive staffs of degreed engineers have not found anything better. Water-wetters and all that other stuff is, well............questionable. If your car won't cool using 50/50 coolant/water you have bigger fish to fry, and no miracle-in-a-can is going to save you from doing the hard work.

Posted on: 2015/11/13 17:06
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#5
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Tim Cole
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Jay Leno likes that waterless stuff and I'm willing to try it in my modern car.

In those Packards use standard green. I've had problems with extended life seeping out of old porous joints because it doesn't evaporate at all.

As far as how long to leave it in there, I knew a real cheapskate who ran the same anti-freeze in his 32 for 15 years.

Posted on: 2015/11/13 17:52
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#6
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Hans Ahlness
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Green stuff is cheaper too, another plus. I like to buy the full strength stuff if you can find it, because why pay them for water for crying out loud.

The green stuff is what I drained out of the Ghost, it had been in there at least 40 years and the block didn't freeze, the radiator was fine with no leaks. Up here in the north country we choose the mix not for corrosion but for the lowest freeze point.

Posted on: 2015/11/13 22:21
1952 Model 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan
HA's 52 Grey Ghost

"The problem with quotes on the internet is you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln
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Re: Correct Radiator Coolant- HELP
#7
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Peter Packard
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Hi all,
I have been into Green Glycol coolants for the past 40 years, primarilary for the anti-corrosion properties. For some vehicles I have instead used a soluble oil lathe type additive. However, over the past few years I have had radiator core leaking problems with vehicles using the Glycol types of anti-freeze, anti-corrosion products. These are classed as IAT and OAT products. My affected Packards have mainly been my 35 1205 Super ( alloy head) and my 27 533 ( copper/soldered radiator)which I wasn't too worried about. But when I acquired a 1934 P11 Roller with a crossflow alloy head and lots of head corrosion that I really started to look into the issue. Essentially all of the modern Glycol anti corrosion/antifreeze coolants are designed for aluminium radiators with no solder or copper or brass. They eat solder/brass and copper away at varying rates. There are a number of websites giving details of the issue which you should look at. If you have a new radiator or a cast iron head and block then you should just use the Green Coolant/anti-corroson Glycol as you will have 25 years of bliss. I have converted ALL of my pre 80's vehicles with original radiators to de-mineralised water and a water-wetter anti-corrosion additive. The additive of course requires annual renewal so it is not a silver bullet for the problem. PT

Posted on: 2015/11/14 4:21
I like people, Packards and old motorbikes
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