Long life coolant in older vehicles

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

another Todd

Joined
May 15, 2006
Messages
2,593
Location
Lakeside CA and Lake Havasu City AZ
The Long life coolants seem to be phosphate free. Some are silicate free. Is this a concern on older vehicles designed for conventional green coolant. I read somewhere that vehicles that originally used conventional green needed phosphates and or silicates for proper lubrication of the water pump seal. Is this true? I am mainly refering to a 1996 Ford 460 cu in engine which I have used conventional coolant since new, but I am getting reado to change it and wondering if long life coolant would be OK. If OK...which one and why? Thanks in advance.

If it matters it's a motorhome, that has seen about 2000 miles a year since new, but in a year will start seeing very long trips of 10 to 15 thousand miles yearly.
 
Last edited:
G-05 has been in use in MB cars since the late 70's/early 80's, and there are plenty of old, high mileage cars running it today.

Your vehicle is not old.
 
The new coolants are fine for older cars. I'll put HOAT in my Renault when I finish it, but of course I have no need for it in my Corvair.
 
I can't answer directly, but I can say there is no blanket "yes" or "no" because the term long life can mean HOAT, OAT, etc. Each are a different composition containing more or less silicate, or no silicate inhibitors. Some older cooling systems and engines need silicate, some don't. The higher the level of silicate the shorter the coolant life.
 
No worries here at all. Coolant is coolant, and I've never seen anything that said there were ingredients in the green stuff to properly lubricate any component.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: another Todd
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Some older cooling systems and engines need silicate, some don't. The higher the level of silicate the shorter the coolant life.


What determines whether or not an engine needs it?

The types of metals used. Modern cooling systems and engines are mostly aluminum. A decade + ago it could be a combination of metals including cast iron, steel and copper. For those systems cavitation is a concern. Silicates do a better job inhibiting for that type. An example is the Ford Powerstroke Diesel:
http://www.powerstrokediesel.com/docs/Coolant_Information.pdf

I would think your not all-aluminum, so a low silicate would be the way to go as recommended in prior replies (HOAT/G-05).
 
Your motorhome has an unusual radiator design. it has plastic tanks crimped onto a copper and brass core. The long life coolant will attack the solder in the copper and brass core which ruins the radiator. A new radiator is about 950 dollars plus 6 hours labor to install it. I would never put long life coolant in a copper and brass radiator.

It it had an Aluminum core or if it's been replaced with an Aluminum core then the LL stuff wont hurt it.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Your motorhome has an unusual radiator design. it has plastic tanks crimped onto a copper and brass core. The long life coolant will attack the solder in the copper and brass core which ruins the radiator. A new radiator is about 950 dollars plus 6 hours labor to install it. I would never put long life coolant in a copper and brass radiator.


Thumbs up for you Chris.

Might have just saved OP tons of money and trouble if a breakdown had occurred.

That's why I love reading BITOG.
 
If you have metal tanks on your radiator, the core is almost certainly copper and brass and soldered together. A number of years ago I ran some Dex-Cool in an older Volvo with a metal radiator, and within a week it was leaking like a sieve as the solder joints had come apart. With a metal rad, I would stick with traditional green coolant.
 
Originally Posted By: Mike242GT
If you have metal tanks on your radiator, the core is almost certainly copper and brass and soldered together. A number of years ago I ran some Dex-Cool in an older Volvo with a metal radiator, and within a week it was leaking like a sieve as the solder joints had come apart. With a metal rad, I would stick with traditional green coolant.
Yup. No LL coolant in the all metal ones either. I have seen some cheap Imported all metal Radiators for those Motorhomes, never have seen one from the factory. Always plastic/copper/brass.

$630 shipped if your a gamblin man. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ford-Sterlin...251003100173%26
 
Last edited:
Thing with the recommendation of no LL coolant is that there really isnt any classic green anymore it seems. Even the "green" stuff is either relabeled dex, low silicate or something else along those lines...
 
Reading the replies about your cooling system maybe it used the coolant in that Powerstroke coolant link from the factory. If you use an alternate like standard green or a HOAT/G-05 an additive may be helpful. Either the additive in that Powerstroke coolant link or what I use, RMI-25. Been using RMI-25 for many years including the cast iron/copper/brass years. I have never replaced a waterpump, radiator, thermostat, cap or hose in any vehicle I've owned. You can buy it on Amazon. Here is some reading..

http://www.rmi25.com/
 
The term "Long Life Coolant/AF" can mean many things as far as AF chemistry. It can mean Dex Cool or a Dex-clone like universal coolants that predominate auto parts stores and Wally. Both of those have 2eha as the active ingredient but no silicates. It can also mean the previously recommended G-05 with low silicates which Ford now uses, when your Ford engine was made though, it was likely original green. Ford however is now in the process of changing over it's fleet to a Dex/2eha based product.

And the Asian formula coolants are also Long Life coolants and they contain phospates and are referred to as P-HOAT's or sometimes P-OATS. They contain no silicates, nitrites, borates or amines.

Original Green which uses silicates has become more difficult to find and one of the negatives is use resulted in silicate fallout or drop out, which also means a shortened recommened maintenance life cycle of about 2 years. However, some makers of original green like Zerex have been able to reduce the silicates (low silcate original green), and according to it's msds spec/data sheet increase it's service life up to 5years/100k mi. It or a similar low silicate original green AF, depending on price and availabilty would be an option to G-05. It appears NAPA stores sell Zerex OG full strength for about $3 less a gallon than Full strength G-05.

Whether G-05 or low silicate original green, I'd recommend the full strength version and distilled water to a 50% concentration.
 
I looked at the radiator again, and I was wrong, Chris 142 is correct. It does have plastic tanks and appears to have a conventional brass core. Looks like only conventional green coolant then? Is that even available anymore?
 
Last edited:
Sold at/available from NAPA auto parts stores to name one store. Read the second half of my previous post relating to ZOG.

More information on Zerex OG. http://www.valvoline.com/products/consumer-products/antifreeze-radiator-products/antifreeze/40

zerex224x296_proddetailspg.png
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

V
  • Locked
Is Peak Global Life Time the same as Global Long l
Replies
11
Views
7K
VicMatson
S
  • Locked
Coolant Chaos
Replies
7
Views
4K
mechanicx
S
  • Locked
Subaru Super Coolant (blue) = Mazda FL22 ?
Replies
8
Views
21K
SubLGT
H
  • Locked
Peak Global in a Peak Green vehicle?
Replies
6
Views
3K
Greasymechtech
S
  • Locked
Coolant for 1993 Mazda RX-7
Replies
4
Views
2K
soundwavefd
Back
Top Bottom