FOR LIFE COOLANT

[Anglefire]

There is an interesting article on Canley Classics website about cooling issues and electric fans.

Actually the best fan IMHO is a viscous coupled one - almost no power loss when cold and warming up, and progressively engages as the heat rises. 

[Badwolf]

There is a 'discussion' between Doug and myself about this on another thread. I feel that what works for me is to boil water from a dehumidifier, and add the correct amount of antifreeze to it. The water from the dehumidifier has no solids disolved in it (its distilled), the boiling removes the oxygen which would combine with the steel in the engine etc, to form rust (red or black iron oxide) and the antifreeze stops the water freezing etc. Cheap and no problem to top up with tap water in an emergency situation.

[dave.vitesse]

I will just throw this in for what it is worth. Being an old fart and therefore around when these cars where current the teaching at the time was too much antifreeze was a bad thing. This was because it lowered the boiling point and encouraged leaks. As a result Standard Triumph recommended a maximum mix of antifreeze of 35%. Quite what you did in very cold counties I do not know.

For the Vitesse I stick to that dictate. The TR7 which has an aluminium head around 45-50%, but that get flushed each year before it put away fro the winter. As for using tap water, that's a no no for me at this location. Once again the teaching back in the 1960's was if your engine has an mix iron block and ally head then use distilled water with the antifreeze to reduce the corrosion.

In my case though antifreeze is said to have improved I still see no reason to modify the way I treat the cooling system.      

Mark I agree the viscous couple fan should be the most efficient as it is forgotten that the electric fan uses power from the engine i.e. Mechanical converted to electric power then back to mechanical power,. Power is lost through this process, whereas the viscous has direct mechanical power from the engine. Though it should be said there have been some reliability problems with the viscous fan in the past.  

Dave 

[dougbgt6]

13 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

 

There is a 'discussion' between Doug and myself about this on another thread.

 

Is there?!!  I have views on this? Do I?

Alzheimer's is a wonderful thing, you make so many new friends every day. 

Doug

[Badwolf]

Yes you do have views... I have read most of them on this forum (too much time on my hands last month) and I value all of them, along with everyone else's on this forum.

[Badwolf]

... search for 'magnetite' under London T-Charge.

[Colin Lindsay]

I've always run on the original fan, with the exception of my first Spitfire (but then I was newly fangled and a lot younger so it got an oil cooler and stuff like that, which as the years progressed all went on eBay). I changed the GT6 fan from the original metal six-blade to a plastic version, and the Herald to an alloy version, but otherwise they're factory standard. The radiators on all of my cars have been uprated to modern cores, probably three row. 

Think of car maintenance as a diet fad - for years people ate things, then suddenly it was all bad for them and they were dropping off, then suddenly it all became healthy again. It turned out it was never the food, just the lifestyle. So too with cars - we're altering the original spec for equipment that just isn't required - usually race / fast road stuff as we all think it's sporty and cool - and then finding most of our cars just don't need it! Unfortunately sometimes the hard way... 

[dougbgt6]

BW, Ah, yes! An amusing anecdote. We should put the best ones in a volume and sell it. If only there was some event coming up where such a thing might be desirable.

Colin, my GT6 fan was always plastic. I'm still torn about fitting an additional electric fan after the great head gasket disaster last year.

Doug 

[AidanT]

Ha  Doug if  you had had 4life  in, it would have prewarned you! Back to the thread at last....

 

??

 

Aidan 

[SpitFire6]

On 12/4/2017 at 9:36 PM, sulzerman said:

Hi all

Has anyone used waterless/forlife coolant , is it worth the money?

I have not and would not.

Does it eliminate corrosion,blockages and make the engine run cooler?

In theory there is no Oxygen so corrosion due to water is reduced and compression due to galvanic corrosion is reduced. The engine will run hotter, but if the thermostat and radiator are sized to enable this change; maybe it is no worse than EG/PG and water?

recommended!?

I would not..But many people have had a good experience with it.

I am in the process of reinstalling the mechanical pump. I will keep the EWP in series though for now as I have an electric pre-heater that needs flow.

Why not try Prestone concentrate antifreeze and see how it goes?

Cheers,

Iain.

 

 

On 12/4/2017 at 9:36 PM, sulzerman said:

 

 

 

.

 

 

[PeteH]

Hi

Interesting to see the range of thoughts on this. I ran wife's Vitesse in the 80`s on a Mix 40/60 I think. BUT when my son had his Dolly the "perceived wisdom" was to use "neat" antifreeze!. Theory being it led to less "galvanic" corrosion, which was (again) perceived as being the greater of the issues. But Times change.

When we where making "feed" water, from seawater, for the  water tube high pressure marine boilers, control of the water condition was paramount. And we went to great lengths to reduce oxygen, and many other elements. For "our" purposes using filtered tap water, in my case, would be adequate. But some very hard water area`s would benefit from the use of De-ionised water as the base with about 40% "bluecol" type A-F. with the possible addition of an additive to reduce oxygen?.

A word of caution though on the use of caustic soda to clean (parts of) the system. It can be particularly vicious to some alloying agents and weaken the inherent strength of the material. But it makes copper very shiny!. As witness my nice clean outside lantern, which my neighbour actually thought was painted steel, Before it`s transformation!!

Pete

 

[Anglefire]

I used de-ionised water when I put the correct antifreeze in my spitfire around even though our water is very soft. I just thought for a quid for 2.5ltrs I might as well. 

[Guest]

Ditto Mark.

40% AF with de-ionised water.

The latter currently £1 at Tesco for 2.5L

When I drained the Vitesse coolant after 2x years it was still as clear as it was when filled - I have no doubt a flushed system and then using de-ionised water is the way forward for coolant protection and longevity. 

Regards.

Richard.

[Anglefire]

1 hour ago, classiclife said:

The latter currently £1 at Tesco for 2.5

Got mine from Tesco too - Sainsbury was £1.50 for the same thing 

[dougbgt6]

PeteH,

Just to be clear and in case anyone is confused, I advocate using washing soda to clean the cooling system not caustic soda. However, despite being less virulent than caustic washing soda and aluminium don't get on and the system should be thoroughly flushed out after 50miles/couple of days. 

Doug

[SpitFire6]

On 12/25/2017 at 0:50 AM, spitfire6 said:

 

Hi,

Tried to quote what I had said previously, but result on my screen, i.e. No text I can see! (Not result I expected SySGod.)

Anyhow.

I have measured voltages & have galvanic problems. Was surprised as the corrosion inhibitor I used was supposed to prevent to prevent this occurring.

Until I can do some wiring mods & the Summer is not here:

I have now, become a member of +90% Glycol Club.

Cheers,

Iain.

 

 

 

[PeteH]

15 hours ago, spitfire6 said:

 

Hi

Bloody Hell!!. what sort of measuring equipment do you have access to?. Such currents are usually only measured in micro-amps. Either that or your cooling system is better than my battery!.

Mind we did rig a "Salinity" test up once, using 110V dc two lengths of wire and a 110V 40w Bulb.  One end in the Ships "Hotwell" where the boiler feed was taken from, the other to positive feed. Bit dodgy, but it worked as the salinity increased the lamp grew brighter. And we had to start blowing down the boiler to reduce the salinity.

[dave.vitesse]

Where a car is fitted with an rad overflow bottle a useful check on the corrosion of the cooling system is to examine the lower, bottom, contains of the bottle for rust and sludge. If there is a lot then the cooling system needs flushing out. Don't be fooled by what you see at the top of the bottle, empty the bottle out and check the state of the lower level.

Dave   

[dougbgt6]

Then put it through the dishwasher, mine came out clean and shiny. 

db

[Anglefire]

Just now, dougbgt6 said:

Then put it through the dishwasher, mine came out clean and shiny. 

db

But only when the wife has gone out  

[dougbgt6]

My last wife went out 23 years ago! So I have no dishwasher access problems. 

db

[dave.vitesse]

I am the dishwasher

Dave

[SpitFire6]

4 hours ago, PeteH said:

Hi

Bloody Hell!!. what sort of measuring equipment do you have access to?. Such currents are usually only measured in micro-amps. Either that or your cooling system is better than my battery!.

Mind we did rig a "Salinity" test up once, using 110V dc two lengths of wire and a 110V 40w Bulb.  One end in the Ships "Hotwell" where the boiler feed was taken from, the other to positive feed. Bit dodgy, but it worked as the salinity increased the lamp grew brighter. And we had to start blowing down the boiler to reduce the salinity.

Hi PeteH,

 Sounds like you were making bleach? Of course not forgetting the chlorine gas? A 10 Quid TDS meter would have been much safer and not kill anyone. LOL.

I was talking about measuring the galvanic voltage with a £3 multi-meter on the DC millivolt range. OK I used a Fluke, but the results are the same.

Armed with your DVM, the presence of any stray currents is easy to identify. I might end up adding some sacrificial Anodes to stop rusting in the usual damp rust prone problems. Sick of the four comers of the car corroding. 

Cheers,

Iain.

PS. I can try and find a link about measuring the voltages if anyone's interested, as easier than me being verbatim.

 

 

[AndyTV8]

I was swapping my radiator this afternoon and considered popping the overflow bottle in the dishwasher..... I thought better of it for now  )

...... andy. 

[PeteH]

1 hour ago, spitfire6 said:

Hi PeteH,

 Sounds like you were making bleach? Of course not forgetting the chlorine gas? A 10 Quid TDS meter would have been much safer and not kill anyone. LOL.

I was talking about measuring the galvanic voltage with a £3 multi-meter on the DC millivolt range. OK I used a Fluke, but the results are the same.

Armed with your DVM, the presence of any stray currents is easy to identify. I might end up adding some sacrificial Anodes to stop rusting in the usual damp rust prone problems. Sick of the four comers of the car corroding. 

Cheers,

Iain.

PS. I can try and find a link about measuring the voltages if anyone's interested, as easier than me being verbatim.

 

 

Back circa 1965  ish, there where not too many digital anything's. Transistors where a relatively new invention!. Even my Radio was a Valve Set. Hallicrafter, quite expensive American AC and DC job!. As 3rd Engineer on a tramp steamer. I was given the "AVO" in a leather case and told to get on with it. 110V DC power from 3x2 stage Steam reciprocating power plants. Chiefy and I came up with the idea of the salinometer as a way of keeping tabs on the Salinity. So we watch-keepers could blow down the two steam boilers only when absolutely necessary, as doing it too often wasted fuel oil. Sacrificial anodes are a way of life in marine practice, without them the Propeller(s) will turn into a lace curtain in short order.