[DeTomaso] Time for coolant flush

[Larry Stock]

We keep the No-Rosion and the combined water wetter/NoRosion version called Hypercool products in stock.
Larry Stock

On 3/3/23, 9:22 AM, "DeTomaso on behalf of Doug Braun" <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> on behalf of doug351c at gmail.com <mailto:doug351c at gmail.com>> wrote:


Jim,


For cars like ours that get little use compared to a daily driver, a good way to know if your coolant is nearing its end of life is to check its voltage. This voltage test is especially important if your coolant is over 6 years old and you're running an aluminum radiator. This is because the radiator's aluminum starts to corrode from electrolysis at a faster and faster rate as the coolant ages and its corrosion inhibitors wear out. 


If your voltmeter has manual scale switching, switch to a scale between 1V and 12V max reading (disregard if your meter is auto ranging). 
Remove the coolant pressure bottle's cap.
Add coolant if the level is low in the bottle.
Start the engine. 
Wait until you feel the side of the pressure bottle starting to get warm (meaning that the thermostat has opened). 
Have a helper rev the engine to 2000 rpm.
Insert the meter's positive probe into the coolant tank and connect the negative probe to a good ground on the car. Don't let the positive probe touch the inside wall of the tank, only the coolant. If your reading exceeds 0.250 V, it's time to change the coolant. Typically new coolant will measure under 10 millivolts i.e. < 0.010 V. 
Shut the engine off as soon as you get your reading or you may end up with coolant all over the floor.
After you shut the engine off, use this opportunity to further top off the coolant in the tank.


If you get a bad reading, you still don't necessarily need to replace the coolant. You can do as Julian suggests and add the "No-Rosion" product or a zinc plug and rerun the test.


If you do end up replacing the coolant, I like to add a bottle of Red-Line water wetter.
I also use 1/3rd anti-freeze and 2/3rds water since, as Julian says, water provides better cooling than anti-freeze.
This mixture will only freeze if the temperature gets below 0 degrees F. I'll never be driving my Pantera when its gets this cold and my garage never gets below 30 degrees F. 


Doug Braun
Soon to be blue again, #5505


-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso On Behalf Of Julian Kift
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2023 8:21 AM
To: jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com <mailto:jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com>; Mike Drew <mikeldrew at aol.com <mailto:mikeldrew at aol.com>>
Cc: De Tomaso Forum <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Time for coolant flush


A quality antifreeze should contain corrosion inhibitors, but there are specific stand-alone corrosion inhibitors available like No-Rosion that you can add, or alternatively you can add a sacrificial anode, usually a zinc plug.


An ideal coolant pH is between 7 & 8, and antifreeze is more alkali than water so adding more will increase pH. Pure water has a higher specific heat capacity (better cooling), so ideally use enough antifreeze for your climatic conditions to prevent freezing and maintain the pH toward the neutral (7) side to help prevent galvanic corrosion.


Julian


________________________________
From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com>> on behalf of Mike Drew via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>>
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2023 8:01 AM
To: jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com <mailto:jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com> <jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com <mailto:jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com>>
Cc: De Tomaso Forum <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Time for coolant flush


Jim,


What is making you think you need to dump perfectly good coolant in a perfectly bled system? Getting all the air out of the cooling system is a PIA and changing coolant on a car driven so little borders on ‘recreational maintenance’.


Don’t tease the animals….


Mike


Sent from my iPhone


> On Mar 3, 2023, at 07:48, jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com <mailto:jim.kosloskey at jim-kosloskey.com> wrote:
>
>  All,
>
> It is time for 6949 to have its first cooling fluid flush since
> restoration.
>
> It has an aluminum radiator now, so I was curious as to what mixture
> Anti-freeze I should use and brand. I know there are now multiple
> formulations. Is 50-50 still a good ratio and would any brand do?
>
> This vehicle is in Michigan (@ 44^th parallel) so straight water is not
> a good alternative for me. Also this is not a daily driver and is only
> driven May through October (probably less than 2000 miles per year).
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Kosloskey #6949 Yellow 1974 L




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