Antifreeze

[leversole]

Are there any issues with mixing antifreeze in a B615 (Big Radiator)? The current "color" is green...can I just get some green antifreeze and be done with it?

Thanks

Leslie

[1958 F.W.D.]

Spend a couple of bucks at the parts store for an antifreeze tester. It will tell you if the stuff in the radiator now is a proper ratio.

This is absolutely, positively critical to do if you live in an environment with temps that drop below freezing regularly. Buy the hydrometer (looks like a turkey baster with a big-ass glass window with a needle and gauge on it) from any auto parts store and follow the directions carefully- you usually run the engine up to operating temp, draw up the coolant into the turkey baster (MAKE SURE YOU OPEN THE SYSTEM WHEN IT IS STILL COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and check the protection level (freezing level) of the coolant. Adjust it as necessary by adding (I prefer to use 100%) anti-freeze-coolant until it is protected to your normal/average coldest temp and then add 10-15 degrees for good measure.

[RowdyRebel]

The turkey baster thing I bought says to test the antifreeze when everything is cool....

[Phase 1]

Some say yes - some say no. As far as the freeze point, I do not think there is a problem with mixing. But it is said that mixing orange and green can cause the mixture to gel. Probably best to add green.

[hatcity]

What is this freeze of which you speak?

I have to check COOLANT condition

[farmer52]

Make sure the anti-freeze/coolant is formulated for HD Diesel engines. You need to not only be concerned about freeze protection but also hardware protection. You can buy test strips to check coolant "additives" (glycol and nitrates).

[1958 F.W.D.]

Make sure the anti-freeze/coolant is formulated for HD Diesel engines. You need to not only be concerned about freeze protection but also hardware protection. You can buy test strips to check coolant "additives" (glycol and nitrates).

Ken has a very, very good point. If you have a more modern diesel engine which requires the coolant/anti-freeze to be treated with Nalcool (or an equal) system treatment, you need to check that as well. Have you changed the coolant filter lately?? When I worked in the shop at Jevic, IIRC coolant filters got changed every 100K.

My tukey baster says check the coolant/anti-freeze at "operating temperature."

Hat City, come to my house here in about a month, I'll show you all about needing anti-freeze.

[farmer52]

Ken has a very, very good point. If you have a more modern diesel engine which requires the coolant/anti-freeze to be treated with Nalcool (or an equal) system treatment, you need to check that as well. Have you changed the coolant filter lately?? When I worked in the shop at Jevic, IIRC coolant filters got changed every 100K.

My tukey baster says check the coolant/anti-freeze at "operating temperature."

Hat City, come to my house here in about a month, I'll show you all about needing anti-freeze.

probably does not have a coolant filter so even more important to check the nitrates. Being a dry sleeved engine it is not as important as wet sleeves but important just the same. Penray has good products (www.penray.com) and are very helpful.

[Vladislav]

Im'm shure it's better to fill the system with a content of solid package mixed with a distilled water in recommended proportion.

On practic I have mixed different kinds of products of colours blue and green, different ages of work in a systems, with water from a water pipe and so on. Had neither issues. One time i had a boiling in a forest because of radiator break/leak, added pair of liters from a pool in a forest aside the road and drove far enough.

Had the cooler repaired when came home and changed that mixture. Have had no troubles with that engine for many years after. And it was not END but 1985 Mercedes V8 with alluminium block/linings/heads.

[smorse54]

I'm getting off track a bit here,but.......

My father has been gone for nearly 35 years now.He grew up in the era where people were changing from horses to cars,trucks, and tractors.Many of the farmers would use kerosene in their engines in place of antifreeze because it was availible and cheap.It would cause the hoses to get soft and swell to double their size.Most engines then had no water pumps,no pressure caps so it took several years for these to fail completely.Just thought I'd throw this in. Steve

[1958 F.W.D.]

probably does not have a coolant filter so even more important to check the nitrates. Being a dry sleeved engine it is not as important as wet sleeves but important just the same. Penray has good products (www.penray.com) and are very helpful.

Coolant filters are more common on fleet-spec units, especially ones in fleets that have extremely strong preventive maintenance programs. I dont think I have ever seen a coolant filter on anything other than fleet-owned tractors. They are about the size of a Fram PH8A oil filter (318 Mopile) and have a filter element of course, but also have a time-release solid chemical core that slowly dissolves treatment into the system.

[RowdyRebel]

The CL log truck I used to drive had an E7-454 and was equipped with a spin-on coolant additive/filter thingamabobber. My CH with an E7-460 has the additive packets that I add to the coolant reservoir at every oil change.

Personally, I use Fleet Charge antifreeze....purple in color, but has all of the additives already mixed in for the initial fill and I'm not diluting the additive package if I need to top off the reservoir later on. I still add the packets that come with the filter kits when I change my oil, though.

This is the most important thing I look for on any fluid I use in my truck:

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Meets or exceeds the following specifications:

Mack Truck

[1958 F.W.D.]

coolant hydrometer on bottom, battery hydrometer on top.

this thread got me thinking that I have not checked the freeze level of the firetruck yet this year, so this morning while I was doing some yardwork, I lit her up and let her run for 45 mins, and then checked- I'm good for -20F, plenty for my neck of the woods as we RARELY see anything below Zero F. Once in a while we'll get down to maybe -2 or 3 but thats it.

Measuring your freeze level is critical if you have slow coolant leaks like I do (and may old trucks do) and you add water or mix constantly throughout the summertime.

[RowdyRebel]

coolant hydrometer on bottom, battery hydrometer on top.

this thread got me thinking that I have not checked the freeze level of the firetruck yet this year, so this morning while I was doing some yardwork, I lit her up and let her run for 45 mins, and then checked- I'm good for -20F, plenty for my neck of the woods as we RARELY see anything below Zero F. Once in a while we'll get down to maybe -2 or 3 but thats it.

Measuring your freeze level is critical if you have slow coolant leaks like I do (and may old trucks do) and you add water or mix constantly throughout the summertime.

I use an old 2.5 gallon oil jug (that's been rinsed out, of course) to mix antifreeze. A gallon of antifreeze + a gallon of distilled water....swish it around & add as needed. The only time the mix gets disturbed is if I blow a hose on the road & have to add water to top it off and get home.