[DeTomaso] [Land-speed] alum heads on the street

[Adin, David]

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/assets/images/ZincAnode-web.jpg

Flex-a-lite #32060  from Jegs for $9.

Prestone Dex-Cool

I found the following . . . and thus recommend you do your own research
and do NOT mix!

The first one is obviously for late model GM cars and light duty trucks.
The second covers the rest of the field, including cars and diesel
powered vehicles. Note that the latter will cost about a buck a gallon
more than the traditional green product.

Background and reasons for our recommendation. Until 1995 most
automotive coolants sold in North America were compatible with one
another. Heavy truck owners were beginning to use some more
sophisticated technologies, but a lot of those customers were using the
same coolant that they had for 20 years! In general, buying quality
antifreeze and mixing it 50-50 with water was the only requirement. Big
truck operators needed supplemental coolant additives (SCAs) to protect
diesel engines.

Oh how the situation has changed! GM cars now use DEX-COOL. Though still
an ethylene glycol based coolant, the anti corrosion chemistries are
dramatically different.

As a laboratory compatibility test, we intentionally mixed DEX-COOL with
a conventional coolant and subjected the mixture to a sample of fresh
aluminum. The resulting data suggests that aluminum corrodes at an
accelerated rate when subjected to this mix compared to pure DEX-COOL or
pure conventional coolant. As a result, Amalgatech recommends that the
coolants not be mixed.

Further, it is our experience that it is best to maintain GM vehicles
with genuine DEX-COOL through the warranty period of 5 years, 150,000
miles. After the extended cooling system warranty has expired, the end
user is on his own anyway, so any quality extended service coolant is a
good choice. PEAK(r) and Prestone(r) both have products that are
available. It's best to stay with extended life coolants in the 1995 and
newer GM cars.

Note 1. DEX-COOL was initially dyed orange. In 2000 model year cars,
most of the GM coolants that we've seen are pink in color. All of the
aftermarket supply that we've seen so far however, remains orange.

Note 2. Ford presented a technical paper years ago that concluded that
the conventional 'green' factory fill coolant that they used was just as
durable as carboxylate-inhibited coolants, like DEX-COOL. Nevertheless,
Ford and Daimler-Chrysler both appear to be changing to an advanced
hybrid technology in the 2001 or 2002 model year cars. This coolant is
easy to identify because it is golden yellow. It offers the same
extended life benefits as DEX-COOL, but without the compatibility
questions. Further, it meets the new ASTM D6210 specification so it can
be used in diesel trucks.

Note 3. The diesel engine community has now embraced fully-formulated
coolant as defined by ASTM D6210. These coolants do not require any
initial additives, but for diesels they must be supplemented. Most can
be operated for the life of the engine, using advanced maintenance
strategies such as the Penray Need-Release(r) or Fleetguard 'ES'(r)
filter systems.   

-----Original Message-----
From: sparky.2211 at cox.net [mailto:sparky.2211 at cox.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 8:18 AM
To: Adin, David; LandSpeed List
Cc: panteras
Subject: Re: [Land-speed] alum heads on the street

There are anodes that are made to screw into the rad. drain plug
hole!!!!!!----YES YES YES
---- "Adin wrote: 
> Since my knowledge of chemistry ends with "Salt, its not just for
> margaritas." I must ask:
> 
> 
> 
> Alum heads - antifreeze -What should one do to prevent the chemical
> (galvanic?) action in the cooling system??
> 
> 
> 
> Is antifreeze enough?  Do I need a sacrificial anode?
> 
> 
>