I'd like to see one actual paper that states that "2-EHA is far more likely to soften gasket and plastic than it's distant cousin sebacate". They're both plasticizers, one isn't better than the other, and gaskets are designed to deal with that. The 2-EHA is worse than sebecate logic makes about sense as saying methanol cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes.
Peak Coolant....is it any good?
- Thread starter Zack1978
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I'd like to see one actual paper that states that "2-EHA is far more likely to soften gasket and plastic than it's distant cousin sebacate". They're both plasticizers, one isn't better than the other, and gaskets are designed to deal with that. The 2-EHA is worse than sebecate logic makes about sense as saying methanol cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes.
If the white papers are available to the general public, the issue has most likely been resolved a long time ago.
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I figure that the amount added to the solution is very critical to the threshold of where damage begins, but the information at least free stuff doesn't go into that aspect of the equation. You might be right and the amount added has been reduced sufficiently to prevent damage.
Concentration is one thing and I bet there are white papers from various gasket manufacturers providing various material solutions to enhance compatibility. With global economy and various automakers using the same suppliers, you can be assured that no supplier would want to be left behind just because their product doesn't play well with a certain coolant chemistry.
Manufacturers and suppliers all work together constantly to improve their products and reduce costs. We as consumers and enthusiast, have a very narrow look at what's going on, never mind lack of expertise. It's quite easy to mistake a move by a manufacturer as something it is not. Like moving to a coolant without 2-eha.
We, as consumers, have been conditioned by the giant machine that is the automotive industry, that whatever they do, it is in the best interest to us. Most of the time, though, it is in the best interest to them.
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Well thought out response for sure. Thank you.
I'd still like to know a more detailed answer especially if you have a car from the 1990s or so. That was before that chemical was used in coolants as far as I can tell.
I have worked at tier one vendors for the automotive and large appliances sectors so I got a bit of an insider look at how such processes work.
"Cost out" is an obsession at many of these companies and it is to the absolute detriment of the quality of the product and interests of the consumer. As a customer you may save a few bucks on that big ticket item, but in the end it won't last nearly as long as items just a decade or two earlier and you end up buying new replacements more and more often, which of course in the long run will cost you a LOT more.
Dexcool was introduced in GM vehicles in 95 or 96, so it’s been around for quite a while. And GM was the biggest automaker in the world up until 2008, so that is a lot of cars and the main reason most All Makes/All Models coolants use 2-eha.
If I had an old vehicle from 90s, yeah I would avoid dexcool or dexcool clones with 2-eha, as that chemistry was new back then. But for anything made in late 2000s onward, there should not be any material incompatibility issues. Mixing chemistries is another story though.
I have had problems with the 351W in my truck eating timing cover gaskets and leaking for years. I'd only get a couple years out of the gaskets and when I'd change the gaskets there would be nothing left of them around the coolant passages to the water pump. The RTV silicone (used various types) would also be like jello. I'd used Supertech concentrate coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water in it for years. I switched to Zerex G-05 and the problem has gone away. 2-EHA must have been causing the issue because the new gaskets haven't shown any signs of deterioration after 2 years now with G-05.
While 'perhaps' there "should not be" any issues with 2eha in modern cooling systems, fact is Asian vehicles (PHoat), Stanlantis/Mopar OAT and G-05 (and orig. green) still avoid using it. Whatever their reasoning, with the many readily available aftermarket AFs (for vehicles noted) that follow the same no 2eha protocol, no need for me to use an AF that doesn't follow the vehicle manufacturer.
FoMoCo back spec'd it's new(er) yellow AF, which is supposedly very close to current Prestone, for their Orange DexCool application vehicles. I can't remember Ford back specing an AF on it's MC AF chart before. With that in mind, one could speculate the new yellow has a lower concentration 2eha than the Orange Dex. As FoMoCo has changed AF specs so frequently it is tough to use as definitive proof of some issue with Dex, but the back spec does make it a curious occurrence imo.
FoMoCo back spec'd it's new(er) yellow AF, which is supposedly very close to current Prestone, for their Orange DexCool application vehicles. I can't remember Ford back specing an AF on it's MC AF chart before. With that in mind, one could speculate the new yellow has a lower concentration 2eha than the Orange Dex. As FoMoCo has changed AF specs so frequently it is tough to use as definitive proof of some issue with Dex, but the back spec does make it a curious occurrence imo.
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I just need to ask a basic question. I have two gallons of Peak's Asian(blue) AF in my inventory for my '98 CRV and '05 Pillot. Our daughter's '19 Hyundai Tucson Sport is a little below the MIN line and after reading yesterday that all of the Valvoline Zerex Asian AF's are essentially the same(just different colors) I ran out to the garage to pour some it into the overflow tank of her Hyundai. It was then when I realized/remembered that I have Peak's Asian Blue, NOT Valvoline's Zerex. Does the same apply to Peak's Asian formulas...they're the same across the board except for the color? If not, I'll be out today looking for their Asian Green formula since that's what they list as going into Hyundai's. Thanks, guys!
I think you will be fine.
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No. None of the current Peak OEM Asian coolants (Green, Blue, Pink) have any 2-EHA or any form of that chemical. Neither did Zerex Asians...
PRESTONE ASIAN FORMULAS INDICATE IN THEIR MDS/SDS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BETWEEN 0 and 5% 2-EHA!
I used Peak Long-Life Full Strength + distilled water in a 2008 Nissan Altima. No problems to report. It's had Nissan OEM, Zerex Pink Asian, and dealership mystery coolant in it. It's now at 212k miles.
which is why the aftermarket replacement Fel-Pro PermaDryPlus gaskets as well as the new OEM service intake manifold gaskets are using fluoropolymer sealing beads on a stainless steel carrier vs. the original PA66/GF33 carriers with silicone sealing beads - Dex-Cool attacked the silicone beads.
However, with the OEMs using RTV silicone form-in-place gaskets and xOAT using 2-EHA/decoanate or sebacate as well as benzoate as the organic acid component, Loctite/ThreeBond/Permatex had to up their OEM game as well. ThreeBond lists a few “coolant-compatible” silicone RTV FIPGs.
Case in point - Toyota and their valley plate leaks. Toyota switched over to a pink “super long-life” coolant using sebacic acid as the OAT part. Since then, many of their V6/V8 engines using a water inlet plate in the V-bank can leak. The official recommendation is to take off the inlet plate and reseal it with ThreeBond 1282B, Toyota 08826-00100 seal packing. That’s $70 a tube but lists compatibility with their pink SLLC coolant as well as the old red “long-life” phosphated coolant without an organic acid component. Many dealer techs and well-meaning mechanics will use the regular Toyota FIPG 103 black RTV which is ThreeBond 1207B. ThreeBond lists oil and long-life coolant compatibility for it. I’m going to reseal a Toyota V6 valley plate, I’m going to use the right silicone(1282B) and Prestone Cor-Guard pHOAT using 2-EHA/decanoic acid. I have confidence it will work. The OEM RTV seal has failed.