Best coolant for aluminum radiators anybody???

[HHI VIPER]

Going to change some fluids and was wondering what would be a good coolant for aluminum radiators? When I had my BMW, Beemer had a special coolant that was made for aluminum. Any ideas would be helpful! Also, what would be a good additive , if any? Water wetter, etc...

 

[EllowViper]

Dex or something like that. Engineered for aluminum. I've been using it with a pint of water wetter in my Fluidyne for several years. Hey, I'll be in Hilton Head the end of Jan with the family for a gymnastics event. Staying at the Marriot.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Dex or something like that. Engineered for aluminum. I've been using it with a pint of water wetter in my Fluidyne for several years. Hey, I'll be in Hilton Head the end of Jan with the family for a gymnastics event. Staying at the Marriot.

Hilton Head is a 3 hour drive for me. I may have to come hang out as well if I can swing it. I nominate Jeff to buy all the beer For the radiator fluid, I'd recommend Bud Light. That way, if it leaks, its like a free keg

 

[HHI VIPER]

Dex or something like that. Engineered for aluminum. I've been using it with a pint of water wetter in my Fluidyne for several years. Hey, I'll be in Hilton Head the end of Jan with the family for a gymnastics event. Staying at the Marriot.

I'll PM you my number. Get ahold of me and maybe we can drag Chad aka: V10Speedluvr down for a night out! Thanks for the info too! Just went the the Councours De Elegance today and have pics I would like to post. I just have to figure out how. May take a couple days!!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Hilton Head is a 3 hour drive for me. I may have to come hang out as well if I can swing it. I nominate Jeff to buy all the beer For the radiator fluid, I'd recommend Bud Light. That way, if it leaks, its like a free keg

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL!!! He beat me to the post!!!

 

[EllowViper]

Miller lite works better than bud light. Easier to "burb" the system!! But a good Hefe is the best of all.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL!!! He beat me to the post!!!

Another trip in the Viper. If I keep this up, that thing is gonna get caught in the rain one day and I'm not gonna be happy Is the boat running? Eric (EllowViper) is a big guy, he can help push this time

 

[HHI VIPER]

Hilton Head is a 3 hour drive for me. I may have to come hang out as well if I can swing it. I nominate Jeff to buy all the beer For the radiator fluid, I'd recommend Bud Light. That way, if it leaks, its like a free keg

OK Chad....some beer on me! I need lubrication too! If I used beer for rad fluid, my car would "always" be low on fluid!!!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Another trip in the Viper. If I keep this up, that thing is gonna get caught in the rain one day and I'm not gonna be happy Is the boat running? Eric (EllowViper) is a big guy, he can help push this time

The boat is out of the water getting some TLC. Yeah man, that sucked when the water pump went only 5 minutes into the trip. Good thing we had alot of beer and some Van Goh coffee flavored vodka so it really didn't matter how far we went!!! He!!, we could have just stayed on the dock but I was trying to get you to the Redneck Riviera sandbar where the bikinis hang out.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Miller lite works better than bud light. Easier to "burb" the system!! But a good Hefe is the best of all.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Did a little testing recently. Peak Global Lifetime was as good as any other for aluminum, steel, etc, but markedly better for magnesium, a metal not really found in auto engines and due to the chemistry, very difficult to protect. It must have something special...

 

[HHI VIPER]

Did a little testing recently. Peak Global Lifetime was as good as any other for aluminum, steel, etc, but markedly better for magnesium, a metal not really found in auto engines and due to the chemistry, very difficult to protect. It must have something special...

Thanks Tom! Would you use any Water Wetter? Good, bad for aluminum??????

 

[AZTVR]

Going to change some fluids and was wondering what would be a good coolant for aluminum radiators? When I had my BMW, Beemer had a special coolant that was made for aluminum. Any ideas would be helpful! Also, what would be a good additive , if any? Water wetter, etc...

The simple answer without really answering is: use the same coolant that you use to protect that very expensive aluminum V10 block and heads ! Dexcool or others that Tom has recommended.

I have tried one bottle of water wetter in a 50:50 mixture based on research and some recommendations. I can't tell that it did anything since I don't have a set of before and after temperatures in the exact same load conditions. There are some good posts out on the web that say it does lower head temperature; but, others say if you use it with antifreeze, it doesn't add much effect since the antifreeze often (usually?) has surfactants in it already.

It's cheap enough and I couldn't find anything that says it hurts anything.

 

[LifeIsGood]

50% Peak Global LifeTime and 50% distilled water.

 

[dave6666]

I tried Redline WW and could not tell any difference. I no longer use it during my semi-monthly radiator swaps.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Thanks Tom! Would you use any Water Wetter? Good, bad for aluminum??????

Many, many years ago there was someone who only used WW + water. He bought a new block. I think the takeaway there is WW is not a corrosion inhibitor.

I don't know that there are ingredients in WW you need beyond what is already in a low- or no- silicate coolant. The "cool" thing about these long life coolants is that they do not put a layer of chemicals on the metal surface like the green coolants did, they only counter the chemical reactions of corrosion. Therefore the heat exchange between the coolant and the metal is already better.

If you want better heat transfer, pure physics would say use a 60% water/40% glycol mix instead of 50-50.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Many, many years ago there was someone who only used WW + water. He bought a new block. I think the takeaway there is WW is not a corrosion inhibitor.

I don't know that there are ingredients in WW you need beyond what is already in a low- or no- silicate coolant. The "cool" thing about these long life coolants is that they do not put a layer of chemicals on the metal surface like the green coolants did, they only counter the chemical reactions of corrosion. Therefore the heat exchange between the coolant and the metal is already better.

If you want better heat transfer, pure physics would say use a 60% water/40% glycol mix instead of 50-50.

Thanks Tom and everybody else. Going to go with the recommendation above for Peak Global Lifetime with no Water Wetter. Don't want my Rad to look like Dave6666's cutaway section in the other recent thread. Corrosion city!!!

 

[HHI VIPER]

I tried Redline WW and could not tell any difference. I no longer use it during my semi-monthly radiator swaps.

What's the next Rad Dave? You should think about Chads theory of beer as a filler for your Rad. When you put her back in the garage, put a glass underneath, fill er up, chill it and have a cold one! Isn't recycling a great idea???