anti freeze causing corrosion

[geoff]

my car was overheating so I checked things out and found gunge everywhere in the system.
I also found that the aluminium was badly corroded - eaten away at the thermostat. The radiator was completely blocked up.
I have flushed the engine through and had the radiator rebuilt and will fit a new thermostat - but I don't want a repeat of this.
Here in Europe there is much discussion about the non availability of the old BLUE colour antifreeze and that the new yellow, pink, green coloured stuff is bad for these old aluminium engines.
Does anyone have a recommendation about what I should refill it with please?
regards
geoff

[seabeelt]

Most likely cause is not replacing the coolant every couple of years. There have been pictures here of heads that are eaten away by coolant, but is not a problem with proper maintenance. Many many cars out there with aluminum heads and other components. The issue comes with cars not being used and sitting for years and years.

[BEEK]

a proper mixture of antifreeze is what is needed, and one should change the coolant every year or 2 anyway. This often gets neglected. What usually happens is the car boils off some water over time. the owner adds antifreeze. now after a few times of that your concentration is way over the 50% mixture. and yes antifreeze will eat aluminum if it is not diluted.

[AriK]

Antifreeze is a maintenanc item. That includes draining and flushing the system as well as inspecting/replacing your hoses, thermostat, and radiator according to a fixed schedule. All these components degrade in time and their particles cycle through the system over and over picking up hitch-hiking particles with no way of filtering them out until a drain procedure is initiated or until something blocks up. Cars that sit in storage encourage more of this degradation. If a stop-leak product has ever been used that's more crud that cycles in your system. That being said i bet you can't remember the last time your whole system has been maintained. Today's antifreeze is very reliable. I suggest you flush your system thoroughly several times with a chemical cleaner meant for this purpose and change those age old components. Refill with 50-50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water.

[geoff]

thanks for all your responses. I concur with what has been said and yes, my car sits around for most of the year unused.
I am surprised however that nobody has mentioned the known problems caused by the newer anti freezes.
I have seen much mention here in europe of problems with the newer products, now the the blue colour anti freeze containing glycol is banned. Our climate here in the south of France is not very cold so i am wondering whether to add just a weak mixture of antifreeze, after a good flushing.

[AriK]

It seems like the european antifreeze is phosphate free compared to the rest of the world. If you were to use a North American product with your water, deposits will form in the mix. It is not recommended to go under 50% mix of antifreeze for freeze and lubrication purposes of the water pump. I would perform more frequent drain-refills in any case. These FAQs may help:
http://www.peakhd.com/product-lines/peak/faq/

[SoFlaFiat]

Quality of water makes a difference as well. Never put treated well water in the car. I say treated because if you live up where the water is clean, your well is most likely not treated. Here in Florida, on the other hand, they put all sorts of stuff in the water to "purify" it. I saw one radiator eaten away from the inside within 18 months.

[4uall]

I use the Prestone Pre Mix



This might help with waterless options

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PykrgzWPQ

Waterless Engine Coolant. It's environmentally friendly, increases your fuel economy up to 10%, prohibits engine corrosion - and will probably last longer than your engine! Jay's been using Evans Waterless Coolant in his vintage valuables for 16 years now.

[majicwrench]

Not a chemist here but antifreeze protects metals is MHO.
Back in the day, Volvo, in their maintaince schedule, didn't show to replace the coolant. Always found that interesting.
Corrosion can be horrendous from cavitation, which happens when you get air in system.
Corrosion also caused by electrolysis, when current starts flowing thu coolant due to bad grounds etc.

Gunge, most gungle (I like the term) is due, like was said, to various stop leaks.

In the last 30 years I have never actually just drained and flush a cooling system on my own cars for maintainace purposes.
Like a lot of things, methinks folks go way overboard changing stuff too frequently, but each to their own.

[chrisfiat]

the " newer " antifreeze is not the issue, every car manufacture in Europe, and around the world for that matter, has engines with iron blocks and aluminum heads, use what they use and change it when they recommended to change it. i personally use vw's g12 in all my engines, car, boat and motorcycle

[geoff]

I do like the idea of this waterless option;
Has anyone here actually been using it?

[GTO]

Hi, Being UK based anti freeze is a must. A couple of years ago my 73 1800 was laid up for two years. Prior to laying it up it was serviced and fresh antifreeze added. When I went to put it back on the road I found that the water pump corroded and wrecked. The internal and external alloy had been eaten away by corrosion.It was a new, original pump as well. The same for the thermostat housing in the head.Heater valve was also solid with gunk.

To cut a long story short it was caused by the new OAT antifreezes on the market. After lots of research I came across this article on a Rolls Royce forum.

Code: Select all

http://rrtechnical.info/miscellaneous/coolantoatwarning.pdf

There are numerous other threads on the internet forums and they all come back to the new OAT antifreezes being the cause. Since going back to the old Glycol type,I have had no more problems

[geoff]

I am totally with you on this on, my thermostat is totally eaten away - and in fact I must say that I am shocked that there has no been a barrage of other people saying tha same here on the forum. It is as though not many people are aware of this well known problem.
I don't know where you got your glycol based fluid from though - I thought is is banned. Are you sure it is glycol based - is it blue colour?
I like the idea of this waterless product, and that is why I was asking if anyone here is using it.

[geoff]

hey GTO
please can you check the link to the RR site
I cannot get anywhere with it, and I would like to read it
thanks
geoff

[GTO]

Hi just checked it and it's working for me. Try copying and pasting in a new tab.

http://rrtechnical.info/miscellaneous/c ... arning.pdf