Coolant or water for an old car??

[zai]

Hello,

I flushed my coolant last week but as my system was quite dirty, I still flush every 2/3 days to really clean it before to use a coolant (castrol350)+demineralised water.

I've read dexcool genuine holden coolant / castrol 350 & Tectaloy V plus coolant (suitable for V6 commodore using the same GM HN 2043 specification) could be too "strong" for the old engine = leak due to corrosive coolant on gasket

Is anyone can confirm. And what could be the solution?

I don't mind to fill my system just with water and to flush somethimes to clean it.
Now I know how to do it, it's quite fast & easy.

thx++

[crazyspoon05]

I'd stick with the coolant, running any car with just water in the cooling system is asking for trouble

[levymetal]

coolant too strong for an engine? never heard of that before, but who knows... i just use the cheapest tectaloy coolant in mine. coolant's coolant and it's better than water.

2 problems with running just water:
1. water has a lower boiling temp than coolant, therefore you have a higher risk of boiling
2. rust. if you don't want to rust away your motor, use coolant

in the long run, you'd be worse of running water than a 'strong' coolant.

[zai]

Ok water out
so powerfull coulant or shitty coulant to be sur to preserve the gasket?

[D3V14NT]

I'm with levymetal on this one, coolant's coolant. That and I've never seen any 'coolant damaged' gaskets when doing the intake manifold gaskets or the timing cover gaskets on the cars i've had.

If you're really worried about it just use exactly what it states in the manual

[zai]

yeah that's why I bought some castrol suitable for V6 commodore, using GM HN 2043 specification, as in the manual.
I just wanted to be sure. If i have some pb with my gaskets, my car will certainly finish at the wrecker!
and I am quite sur I can drive a long way with if I'm cautious.
thx++

[strgas]

check your coolant concentration level 30 - 35 % and dont forget the seal conditioning pellets for the V6

[VYMAD]

I used to use two of the small tins of "Castrol rust and corrosion inhibitor" Good stuff for oler engines

[zai]

it's 50/50 normaly! sould I put more water instead?
and yes I bought these pellets
gonna look for the price of this rust & corrosion inhibitor.

[levymetal]

the concentration is up to you, 30-50% coolant is fine. i just use premix so i don't even have to worry about concentration.

[wortus]

these motors definitely need 50% coolant with the maximum being 60% or else you may damage the engine. If these motors are run without the right concentration of coolant they will corrode and also due to the cylinder head design the coolant will boil around the valve seats and may damage the engine.
You'd be better using some cooling system flush and following the instructions and get the right coolant in it don't use clean water.
I'd use the Nulon long life coolant it's a higher quality and isn't much more expensive and you don't need the pellets unless a leak develops. To fill it you need to flush the system to get the radiator flush and/or all th eold coolant out and then remove as much water as you can, make sure it's at least 5 litres you may have to undo the heater hoses or blow air into the top hose back to the engine with your mouth. Add the concentrated coolant (5L or it) to the motor then top up with clean water that way you get the concentration right as the capacity is 10 Litres
Series 1 VN has a surge tank so you don't have to bleed any air and usually fill the surge tank to the seam.

[zai]

flushing done 50 coulant / 50 demineralized water
I should have filled the system with 10l. but I still have about 2l of water I didn't use???!!
= only 8l and I purge the air as more as possible

any idea?

[levymetal]

you had the heater on full yeah? i don't know the capacity of a v6 but my 5ltr took exactly 10l including filling the overflow bottle, and i have an alloy radiator which i would assume has a larger capacity as well. so maybe yours could be 2l less which sounds about right.

[Matt_vp]

did you have the heater on when u purged the air from the system?
Always use coolant, no if, buts or maybes. It was created for a reason.
Matt

[zai]

yes heater on off course. I have let the engine becoming hot (fan kicked out) and I drove with the heater max for 5 minutes and still the same.
Perhap's I need to drive a bit more?
will see 2 morow

[centy]

i remember when i was working in a workshop there was some hassel with an old type coolant SOMETIMES causing problems with alloy radiators but the rep said it was fixed so coolant allways.
I had a 1968 landrover and the inside of its engine was clean as it had always run coolant.
straight water equals rust and electrolisis so you motor is getting eaten from the inside out.

[wortus]

flushing done 50 coulant / 50 demineralized water
I should have filled the system with 10l. but I still have about 2l of water I didn't use???!!
= only 8l and I purge the air as more as possible

any idea?

If you flushed it there would still have been water in the block unless you took out the drain plugs, so if you added the 5 litres of concentrated coolant first and then topped up with water it would be the right concentration.
These motors have a surge tank so there's no need to bleed, it will just fill up and displace the air as the header tank is the highest point. Did you make sure the small tubes from the surge tank to the inlet manifold were not blocked?

[zai]

I clean everything before = get out the radiator to clean inside and outide and be sure all the dirty water was out, put some air inside all the hoses to be sur all the water was out.

Yes, I was thinking about that finaly, probably some water was still inside the block

but that strange, today I run nearly 800 km! and my gauge was most of the time near the second bar. Or before, it was one and a alf

So, I clean everything, flush with clean water every 3 days for 2 weeks, use a nulon cleaner, clean the radiator, add some castrol coolant for holden commodore, purge air inside the system and it's like my car was more hot!!!!!


any explanation?

thx++


thx++

[wortus]

The gauge may not be so accurate, you can check both sensor and gauge for accuracy? other problems can be blocked cores in the radiator, faulty thermostat or in some cases the fins rust off the water pump if the car has been run with the incorrect type and amount of coolant. If it was not as hot before you did it then it s probably not the gauge.
When I had my VN is would normally sit on or near the first mark, I only ever saw it go up past half on really hot days or in heavy traffic. I thought that was fairly normal and never worried as it cooled down as soon as the car got moving again. I don't think the fan comes on on these cars unless the motor is failry hot or you turn the aircon on. How is your temp if you run the aircon all the time ie the fan is on?

[zai]

don't have any aircon anymore, need to regaz so no more fan with aircon.
But it's like you said: Above the first mark until 80 km/h. A bit more at 100/110 on highway. Past half on heavy trafic and hot day. And fan kick in before the 3rd mark.

WIll see in the future.

thx eveybody++