Engine Coolant

[Trickydicky]

Now I know when you see the price of this, http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewP ... exID=22046
you will choke on your tea/coffee but my question is, has anyone used this product or know of anyone who has?

To some it may appear as snake oil but reading the manufactures web site it is marketed world wide and sold by many leading companys.

I suppose my first question would be, by increasing the boiling point of the coolant could this lead to engine damage as the product could lead you to a false sense of security if anything goes wrong? after all there are many variables that contribute to engine cooling.

I am not at this moment thinking of using the product, mainly due to the fact that I have not heard any reports about it, but if it achieves all the aims it is marketed with, then surely this can only be a good product to use in the minor engine?

Thoughts anyone?

[Alec]

Hello Dicky,

I've read a bit about it but do not see any advantages over conventional coolant for me and a tremendous disadvantage should a hose fail and dump all that expensive coolant.

Alec

[Trickydicky]

Yep thats a point, reading on the website it does say it helps hoses live longer, but then if you dont know the ones fitted are up to job in the first place the only option is to replace all the hoses first.
Which adds to the already expensive purchase.....

Richard

[MarkyB]

Somebody have a defibrillator on standby for when Roy sees the price!

[les]

Can't think of a reason to dump the normal stuff, it's served me well over the years!

[bmcecosse]

Why on earth would you want to raise the boiling point of the coolant? It should never be anywhere near that! And I haven't risked looking at the price - after all - water runs out the sky free........

[simmitc]

If you want longer life hoses, then fit silicone; and stick with water plus Bluecol anti-freeze. Modern antifreeze does not suit the Minor, and as Roy says, the temperature should never get above normal boiling point unless something is wrong.

[bmcecosse]

It should never even GET to boiling point......

[moggiethouable]

It should never even get TOO boiling point......

The very mention of snake oil however can get some peoples blood to boiling point in 2 beats of an s.u. fuel pump.

[bmcecosse]

[customjob]

Why on earth would anyone spend £**.## on that when good old water and blue col work just as well. you'd be crazy if you did it's just a sales ploy somebody will be daft enough and brag that there using it.

[Alec]

Hello Custom job,

to be fair, a lot of vintage car owners use it due to the lack of corrosion it causes unlike water. If you have a rare or unique car I can see it's value there.

Alec

[C6Dave]

As an alternative, you could use Fernox Alphi 11 http://www.fernox.com/files/Fernox/Cont ... 1%205L.pdf

Fernox Protector Alphi-11 is classified as non-hazardous and non-irritant and compatible with all materials you will find in a cars cooling system

You can buy it in 5 litre containers at Screwfix http://www.screwfix.com/p/fernox-alphi-11-5ltr/59505

Some more info:

Traditional blue ethylene glycol is a toxic but highly effective antifreeze and contains silicates as an inhibitor to help prevent corrosion in an engine with mixed metals in its make-up. Bluecol and Blue Star are well known brand names and both of these ARE declared suitable for ‘classic cars’ on their company websites.

Be aware that there are also low- or no-silicate ethylene glycol formulations (usually red) available which may NOT be suitable for all engines

Propylene glycol is another well-known and less toxic antifreeze formula and usually contains silicates but Comma, the main manufacturer, have now discontinued it in favour of an ethylene glycol product containing ‘bittering agents’ to make it less palatable and minimise the risk of accidental poisoning. Both of the above products use inorganic additive technology (IAT).

Recently problems have been reported concerning the use of antifreeze mixtures using organic acid technology (OAT). OAT was introduced in the mid-1990s and the products are biodegradable, recyclable and do not contain either silicates or phosphates and are designed to be longer lasting.

However these products do seem to cause problems in older engines; over and above the ability of antifreeze to find the smallest crevice and leak, OAT antifreezes have been accused of destroying seals and gaskets and causing a great deal of damage in ‘old’ engines.

For this reason the manufacturers DO NOT recommend the use of OAT antifreezes in historic vehicles. These products are usually coloured red, pink or orange.

The final category is HOAT. These products use hybrid organic acid technology in an ethylene glycol base with some silicates in the formulation alongside the organic corrosion inhibitors. The product is usually coloured green and ARE NOT recommended for use in historic vehicles.

The FBHVC are still researching this problem but their advice at the moment is:

• only use blue coloured IAT antifreeze in historic vehicles;
• only use OAT products (‘advanced’ or ‘long life’ antifreeze) if the vehicle used it when new and if specifically directed by the vehicle’s manufacturer;
• never mix different types of antifreeze without thoroughly flushing out the system;
• always replace the coolant within the time scale specified by the antifreeze manufacturer as the corrosion inhibitors break down over time.