Cooling System (Pellets)

[skotlar]

Hi All,

I'm new here and new to owning a VU series 2, 3.8 ute in the last week.

Given that it hasn't been serviced in a while I flushed the cooling system today and had bought the pellets to go in also, but forgot to add them.

Is it safe enough to crush them and just add them from the radiator lid rather than the hose seeing as i've now filled the system?

Cheers

Scott

[pablo]

Yes!......

[fitz_vt]

yep you can as long as you crush them alot before you put them in , pressurize the system (as you would if you were bleeding the system then let it cool and make sure the pellets have circulated also make sure its a 50/50 coolant mix thats very important otherwise it will overheat and cause all sorts of problems... (pre mixed is only 33% UNLESS specified)

[skotlar]

yep you can as long as you crush them alot before you put them in , pressurize the system (as you would if you were bleeding the system then let it cool and make sure the pellets have circulated also make sure its a 50/50 coolant mix thats very important otherwise it will overheat and cause all sorts of problems... (pre mixed is only 33% UNLESS specified)

Thanks heaps guys, I used the genuine Holden coolant 50/50 so that's all good, I was just kicking myself that I paid for the pellets and forgot to put them in after all that.

Appreciate the replies.

[])R@G()N]

Do you really need them anyway ?? what do they do?

[MR_VX]

Do you really need them anyway ?? what do they do?

You dont have to but, is reccomended you should use them, it stops corrosion happening in the radiator, its cheaper to buy the pellets then a new radiator.

I normaly just put them in under the radiator cap ive never had a problem before, crushing them up makes more sense tho.

[])R@G()N]

I just put a new radiator in yesterday. I've only put coolant in it.

One of tanks on the old one slit luckily I wasn't to far from home.

[skotlar]

Do you really need them anyway ?? what do they do?

I thought that also, but it states it in the book and for the $7 from memory, I didn't complain.

On another note, I noticed there is coolant that has run under the surge tank since flushing, would this be as a result of filling too much coolant?

[])R@G()N]

yes it will drop some coolant untill it gets to the right level

[VYMAD]

Not many people worry about adding the pellets. I have never used them.

[MR_VX]

for the small price they are why wouldnt you?

[Brett_jjj]

for the small price they are why wouldnt you?

I know a lot of people wont use them because they seem to "crud up" the cooling system after a while,and they make the coolant look dirty/rusty.I dont use them.I do use castrol coolant that is specifically made for the commodore V6 engine though...

[VK SL 3800]

the castrol anti freeze 350? i searched hi and low for it but couldnt find it anywhere.

[Brett_jjj]

I threw the bottles ages ago,so im not 100% sure,but it might have been called something like "350" actually,but I know it says on the front of the bottle that its specifically made for the commodore/toyota lexan V6 engine.It cost around $45 for 5 litres.I got it from supercheap.I was using a few different coolant brands, except for the cheap stuff, before I spotted the castrol one specifically made for the V6 engine,so I thought Id try it out,and have been using it for a while now.Ive done two coolant changes with it.

[MR_VX]

I know a lot of people wont use them because they seem to "crud up" the cooling system after a while,and they make the coolant look dirty/rusty.I dont use them.I do use castrol coolant that is specifically made for the commodore V6 engine though...

true true it does make it look rusty. I only use them because Holden recommended me to use them thats all. Ive never thought about it to "crub up" the system but i can see ur point there.

[undar8ed1]

Umm... the pellets were for lubricating seals not corrosion inhibitor arn`t they after 1997 type b coolant has lube added to it in which case pellets are obsolete from what I know.

[fitz_vt]

The Pellets are to A. Extend the life of your coolant and B. Lubricate Seals.
Always use a coolant that complies with the HN2043 Specifications usually castrol 350, nulon long life coolant .
There is three types of coolant
(TYPE A)Ethylene Glycol (mono ethylene glycol to be exact). In concentrate form is does come from some manufacturers quoted as grams per litre concentrate, but under AS/NZS 2018.1, 1998 Type A (from memory), to pass standard it must have at least 95% ethylene glycol, by volume, the rest is usually a corrosion package. This type of coolant is an anti freeze-anti boil and commonly referred to as Type A concentrate.
Type B is Radiator corrosion inhibitor ... this is as it says, no ethylene glycol to speak of, even if the 200 ml cans says it has some, by the time you mix at the recommended treat rate of 5%, there is not enough glycol to make a difference to boiling and freezing points.

3. this is the more recent type of coolant known as OAT (organic acid technology) and is becoming more common in new vehicles, and is usually not compatable with ethylene glycol coolants. (red coolant dont use this in your commodore......)

Type A coolants can be diluted as per OEM (vehicle) requirements, usually from 33% glycol to 50% glycol in demin or distilled water.
Type B coolants are not anti freeze-anti boil, but straight corrosion inhibitors.

[undar8ed1]

Umm... the pellets were for lubricating seals not corrosion inhibitor arn`t they after 1997 type b coolant has lube added to it in which case pellets are obsolete from what I know.

So would you use it in nulon long life coolant, it lasts five years any way so the pellet would still be obsolete right?

[fitz_vt]

So would you use it in nulon long life coolant, it lasts five years any way so the pellet would still be obsolete right?

Pretty Much most of them come with the lubricant in them.

[])R@G()N]

After taking the side tank of my old radiator I will not use Pellets ever again. All they are good for is blocking your radiator up

[VYMAD]

After taking the side tank of my old radiator I will not use Pellets ever again. All they are good for is blocking your radiator up

They sound a bit like "Stop leak", block every cavity within your cooling system, except the hole that you put it in to block...............

[vx_commodore]

i went to buy some of them pellets from holden the other week and they said they dont sell them any more because they aparently change the colour of newer coolants or something along them lines..went to holden in maroochydore qld.. can u get them from other stores like autobarn,repco ect ??

[])R@G()N]

They sound a bit like "Stop leak", block every cavity within your cooling system, except the hole that you put it in to block...............

Check this out





I had 150mm's of radiator working that must be all I needed because it never got hot.

[VYMAD]

Holy crap! Is that just from using pellets?? Glad I have never used them. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Holden don't use them anymore either. If that's right then I can see why.

[RiCeY]

Dont use pellets.

With decent quality coolant and a sealed cooling system that wont allow air in, they arent neccessary.