Operating without a thermostat?

[bmaverick]

With these older engines and the changing coolants available, I think it is hard to know what the best coolant is sometimes.

Good luck!

All the best,

Peter

I too would agree. You can't even find the old school green coolant anymore.

Prestone makes a non-long-life formula for, All Vehicles and All Years. Its the closest substitute for classic vehicles and machines.

 

[ponytug]

Yes, use what works for your engine, and you are comfortable with. If it isn't premixed 50/40, always use distilled water and use distilled water to flush unless your water source is naturally soft, low TDS water. Softened water is not recommended due to the higher ionic strength, specifically chloride that can cause corrosion to be accelerated.

Thanks for the tip on the Prestone. I missed that one six months ago when I was in the midst of coolant purgatory. One manufacturer discontinued the original coolant and was recommending a new coolant that would clog if any trace of the original coolant remained, and the engine cooling system was designed not to fully drain. At the same time, I had a twenty year old engine designed for the toxic green coolant, and I was trying to find a reasonable replacement, with a bankrupt manufacturer. I wish I had known about it then; I sure could have used the Prestone. Sigh. Win some, lose some...

All the best,

Peter

 

[bmaverick]

Yes, use what works for your engine, and you are comfortable with. If it isn't premixed 50/40, always use distilled water and use distilled water to flush unless your water source is naturally soft, low TDS water. Softened water is not recommended due to the higher ionic strength, specifically chloride that can cause corrosion to be accelerated.

Thanks for the tip on the Prestone. I missed that one six months ago when I was in the midst of coolant purgatory. One manufacturer discontinued the original coolant and was recommending a new coolant that would clog if any trace of the original coolant remained, and the engine cooling system was designed not to fully drain. At the same time, I had a twenty year old engine designed for the toxic green coolant, and I was trying to find a reasonable replacement, with a bankrupt manufacturer. I wish I had known about it then; I sure could have used the Prestone. Sigh. Win some, lose some...

All the best,

Peter

Some of those longlife coolants, like the poster images above have a limited shelf life in the bottle. Those coolants I would avoid totally. Yes, you are right, they get exposed to air with too much nitrogen and turn into SLUDGE ! Sludge will not cool any engine! I only use DI, distilled or twice RO water in a cooling system.

Ashland-Valvoline has this one, but I've never seen it in my area,

And PEAK,

 

[Gregster613]

Some of those longlife coolants, like the poster images above have a limited shelf life in the bottle. Those coolants I would avoid totally. Yes, you are right, they get exposed to air with too much nitrogen and turn into SLUDGE ! Sludge will not cool any engine! I only use DI, distilled or twice RO water in a cooling system.

View attachment 873151

Ashland-Valvoline has this one, but I've never seen it in my area,

View attachment 873152

And PEAK,

View attachment 873153

bmaverick, I know what distilled means, but what does DI // twice RO mean as per water for cooling system?

I made the mistake of using my well water to top off my radiator in the El Camino and now I need to flush and change. I'll probably flush twice also, so I'm going to need quite a bit of distilled H2O.

And - I'm assuming that the three different types of antifreeze you show, are to be "stayed-away" from?!

Do you have a preferred brand that you use?? If so would you mention it? As with everything these days there are "numerous" choices in the antifreeze aisle and as pointed out - some choices have severe consequences. Thanks for any advice. Greg

 

[5030]

You might want to order a new radiator cap as well. After a time, rad caps loose their spring tension and won't hold any pressure and pressure is important because it raises the boiling point of the antifreeze.

 

[5030]

DI is deionized water and RO is reverse osmosis. I use distilled myself, readily available at any supermarket.

Both my Kubota's take ordinary green antifreeze and so does my diesel pickup truck. My focus takes long life and my wife's Burb takes Dexcool.

DI water is what they use +Urea in diesel exhaust fluid.

 

[5030]

I change my radiator caps every few years on everything btw.

 

[bmaverick]

bmaverick, I know what distilled means, but what does DI // twice RO mean as per water for cooling system?

I made the mistake of using my well water to top off my radiator in the El Camino and now I need to flush and change. I'll probably flush twice also, so I'm going to need quite a bit of distilled H2O.

And - I'm assuming that the three different types of antifreeze you show, are to be "stayed-away" from?!

Do you have a preferred brand that you use?? If so would you mention it? As with everything these days there are "numerous" choices in the antifreeze aisle and as pointed out - some choices have severe consequences. Thanks for any advice. Greg

Distilled water is steam vapor collected on a stainless hood into a stainless or glass basin.

DI water is De-Ionized. You can look up the process.

RO is Reverse Osmosis, going thru 2 times.

The three shown are the ones out there for ALL VEHICLES, FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS. Meaning they are acceptable even of the old classics. These formulas are safer to use in the old systems, like your El Camino.

To flush out WELL TAP WATER, you will need to also use C-L-R. Well water is known to contain all kinds of things. My place runs both a sediment filter and then a 2-micron filter before the holding pressure tank. It's not quite RO.

As for preference, there is only one on the shelves in all the box stores, the Prestone. It in Walmart, Menards, AutoZone, etc.

The trouble maker coolants are the ones with For GM vehicles only or DexCool type formula. In fact the original GM DexCool formula had several Class Action Lawsuits for making sludge and destroying engines. GM with other woes then did a bankruptcy. The court then agreed with GM and gave a $500 voucher towards a purchase of a new GM vehicle as restitution. For the 17-million vehicle owners in the Class Action Lawsuit, it was the last day they would ever own another GM product. In fact, the boycott was very strong for a few years even after that. Only the 2nd US gov bailout saved them. Out of the 17-million owners, many were their own UAW and engineering employees. Entire generations of GM families walked away, swearing never to own their products ever again.

The original GM DexCool was also used in a few other selected vehicle brands outside GM too.

... and now you know the rest of the story, good day! -Paul Harvey

 

[5030]

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bmaverick​

Elite Member​

With these older engines and the changing coolants available, I think it is hard to know what the best coolant is sometimes.

I too would agree. You can't even find the old school green coolant anymore.

Sure you can. Autozone has it on the shelf and I don't buy the dilluted kind either. I mix mine with distilled water and use a Brix Refractometer to set the concentration. They are cheap and accurate.

 

[California]

As I noted above, lots of customer-replaceable parts are the same as Datsun/Nissan of similar age.

I expect this includes your radiator cap so long as the pressure rating is the same.

That's what I have on the YM240. It was much easier to find, and cheaper, when defined as "70's Datsun".