Coolant Confusion

[Aitch]

I will be fitting a new Aluminium radiator to my 1979 Spitfire so need to replenish the coolant/ antifreeze etc. Being old school, I thought 50% water, 50% glycol would be ok, but in going into Halfords the choice is now confusing. What would I now need to choose? The Halfords chap explained that they do not do any for a Spitfire and could not direct me to a specific brand/ grade.

In reading the forum, I notice that a GT6 enquirer had the similar problem so can anybody give me some guidance for such a simple query?

Thanks, Aitch

[JohnD]

Aitch,

I'm surprised that they didn't give you specific advice at Halfords - they are usually quite good.  

It not that you just need an antifreeze to protect the engine from frozen water coolant, but one with an iron block and an aluminium radiator will be like a battery. And corrode the aluminium without anti-corrosion protection.  This Halfords page explains https://www.halfords.com/motoring/advice/what-is-antifreeze-oct-22.html

 Read that, go back and say that you have an aluminium rad and an iron engine, rather than a Triumph Spitfire!  I'm sur you'll get the right stuff.  "IAT" would be cheapest.

John 

 

[Aitch]

Thanks for that, will have a read and probably go in later in the week.

[Pete Lewis]

its said  you need to give it a really good flush  as glycol and oat/Iat    wont mix and can turn to a gel consistency 

Pete

[Firefly]

 

I`m using this stuff at the moment, probably won`t need to change it again ??!! 

[Aitch]

Intriguing, but can't enlarge photo . Who makes it as can't read details?

[Firefly]

              Google 4LIFE  antifreeze, lots of people sell it. 

                   

[Pete Lewis]

available from many places   heres an ebay ad  but its only 1 litre   that makes it expensive 

 

 

 

and club shop £22   5litres   far better value 

 

 

[Aitch]

Thanks

[Firefly]

                                only 1 litre   that makes it expensive  

                 Yes but you can buy 20 litres for £75 which is not to bad, and no more fluid running down your arm and neck every 2 years!🙃

[Chris A]

27 minutes ago, Firefly said:

                                only 1 litre   that makes it expensive  

                 Yes but you can buy 20 litres for £75 which is not to bad, and no more fluid running down your arm and neck every 2 years!🙃

Yes, but. As it is 'for life' why do you need 20 litres? Unless you are planning to use it on a fleet of cars or you have a leak in the system 🙄

[Mjit]

I'd guess you need 20 litres because about a week after you fill up with it the water pump will start to grumble, then when you've drained/fixed/refilled for that the radiator will start leaking so you'll need to drain/replacec rad./refill, then the front oil seal will start leaking so you'll need to drain/remove rad so you can remove the pully nut/fix seal/refill.  Or maybe it's just me who feels like you are having to drain the coolant for one reason or another every 5 minutes!

 

NOTE: I'm not in any way suggesting these waterless coolants are causing any of those issues, just every other job around the engine seems to involve draining it.  My last one was replacing the coolant and flushing the system as a maintainence process, then the fan switch in the bottom radiator hose giving up the ghost 5 weeks later...which meant draining the coolant so I could replace the switch.  I curse whichever accountant at Triumph decided to save a few pennies be removing the drain tab for later Spitfire radiators 😠

[johny]

3 hours ago, Aitch said:

I will be fitting a new Aluminium radiator to my 1979 Spitfire so need to replenish the coolant/ antifreeze etc. Being old school, I thought 50% water, 50% glycol would be ok, but in going into Halfords the choice is now confusing. What would I now need to choose? The Halfords chap explained that they do not do any for a Spitfire and could not direct me to a specific brand/ grade.

I dont think theres any engine now without some aluminium, even our engines had aluminium thermostat covers so think pretty much any antifreeze will do. The labels usually mention aluminium....

[johny]

The important thing is to have something in the system and change it as specified😁

[Firefly]

 

                   I needed 20 litres because I have 2 old classics, and it filled both with a bit for toping up if needed. Buy 20 litres and share it with a friend (if you have any😜.  It isn`t one of the waterless varieties, so if you had an emergency you can top up with water without it turning to jelly.

[Wagger]

Cars of the 1990's to 2010 had iron blocks, alloy heads and copper rads, so anything that worked then will be good enough now. However, my car was totally dry when found. My son filled it with the pink stuff. and no problems for over two years since. Mind you, it does less than 200 miles a year.

[Richeee]

What ever you do dont mix them cause your losing water then add k seal for luck. 

Been there and got a very expensive T shirt.    Flush out loads then stick to one.

 

[Aitch]

Interesting comments and pictures (Looks like Acrypol that you use of the roof)

My Spit is coming up for recommissioning and has been standing for over a year (double covers and thick blanket over the engine compartment) due to my hip and knee replacement. Currently, there is some water in the cooling system and radiator but this is clear and clean. I don't know what the previous owner used and he didn't say when car was purchased 2 years ago, so hopefully taking the sensible option of complete flush and replenishment as well as I also have a new thermostat to fit.

Aitch

[johny]

Whatever you use Ive found the stronger the colour the better so you can more easily confirm the overflow pipe is full, as it should always be if it feeds into an bottle👍

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, Mjit said:

NOTE: I'm not in any way suggesting these waterless coolants are causing any of those issues, just every other job around the engine seems to involve draining it.  My last one was replacing the coolant and flushing the system as a maintainence process, then the fan switch in the bottom radiator hose giving up the ghost 5 weeks later...which meant draining the coolant so I could replace the switch.  I curse whichever accountant at Triumph decided to save a few pennies be removing the drain tab for later Spitfire radiators 😠

Been there...  In my current Herald the system has had to be drained four times in the last year. It just seems to happen regularly!

[daverclasper]

1 hour ago, Richeee said:

What ever you do dont mix them cause your losing water then add k seal for luck. 

Any personal problems with K seal Richeee?. Just asking, as there are different views on it.

Have used it myself on a couple of engines, with no apparent problems, and it MAY, have plugged a few smaller leaks that MAY have deleloped during that time?

No idea myself?

[Richeee]

Used it in a Range rover p38 that was losing water. Repeatedly topped up with any old coolant i had and then used k-seal.

As a result it kept over heating, and noticed the sludge in the rad.   It was subsequent to this i found out about different coolant types.  The use of k seal which blocks holes by its nature could only have exasperated things.

But as you say thats my personal view.

[Josef]

6 hours ago, Mjit said:

I'd guess you need 20 litres because about a week after you fill up with it the water pump will start to grumble, then when you've drained/fixed/refilled for that the radiator will start leaking so you'll need to drain/replacec rad./refill, then the front oil seal will start leaking so you'll need to drain/remove rad so you can remove the pully nut/fix seal/refill.  Or maybe it's just me who feels like you are having to drain the coolant for one reason or another every 5 minutes!

 

NOTE: I'm not in any way suggesting these waterless coolants are causing any of those issues, just every other job around the engine seems to involve draining it.  My last one was replacing the coolant and flushing the system as a maintainence process, then the fan switch in the bottom radiator hose giving up the ghost 5 weeks later...which meant draining the coolant so I could replace the switch.  I curse whichever accountant at Triumph decided to save a few pennies be removing the drain tab for later Spitfire radiators 😠

I feel the same about brake fluid. I was thinking recently with having the Herald since 2007 I’ve never changed the brake fluid cause it’s been there for two years, there’s always been something else that’s forced it!

[Pete Lewis]

i would think by now your brake fuid is more water that dot4   

we have a dip tester  cheap to buy  and gives you a good heads up on the moisture content  

well worth getting one on your  easter wish list 

[Chris A]

15 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

i would think by now your brake fuid is more water that dot4   

we have a dip tester  cheap to buy  and gives you a good heads up on the moisture content  

well worth getting one on your  easter wish list 

I think the implication of the post was that the fluid gets changed regularly due to problems with the braking system not that it is still the same liquid since 2007, which would be very watery by now.