Hi, being reading about waterless engine coolant, anyone use this and are there any real noticeable improvements and/or pitfalls?

 

Never heard of it, however, back in old days some ran alcohol in the winter to keep from freezing.

 

I use it all the time in my Corvair. Never had an over heating problem, plus you can literally find that stuff everywhere.

 

Well, almost everywhere. When my dog lets one loose, there's none to be found for a surprisingly wide radius.
Even she hurries out of the room in fear for her own survival.

- Eric

 

Jay Leno is plugging one brand and apparently the stuff is pretty good but pricey.

 

LMFAO


Roger.

 

VW used it in their Beetles, for many years.

 

Seriously, does anyone have any experience with this (these) products?

 

Could you be a little more specific? Links, Brand name's, part number. Not everyone wants to search out links.

 

I was referring to this brand:

 

Apparently it is supposed to keep engines cooler than a regular water/antifreeze mix.
However it has been pointed out many times that many thousands of cars left the factory with a standard cooling system that worked fine. Always worth checking why your car is running hot before trying this fix.
Of course if your engine is modified or you are towing a heavy trailer it could be you need a heavy duty cooling system. Back in the day if you ordered the towing package the car would most likely come with a bigger radiator, bigger brakes and maybe a transmission cooler.


Roger.

 

From watching the video, it seems to me the greatest benefits would be that it is non-toxic, non-corrosive, not pressurized (350 degree boiling point, no need to pressurize the cooling system), and doesn't break down. They sell it as one application, never change coolant again. Just make sure water never gets into the system.

The video also says that prices vary depending on which type you buy, but figure $40 per gallon. For something that ends cooling system corrosion, that's cheap. No need to look at it as a heating issue fix, the benefits (if, of course, it works) stand on their own.

 

The downside is it is very expensive compared to regular antifreeze mix, which contains corrosion inhibitors and lubricant for the water pump.
If you ever get a leak you are in big trouble, a hose lets go during a trip, you put the replacement one on you were wise enough to carry, then top up the cooling system. With what?, you mustn't mix it with water. do you carry a $40 gallon spare around with you?.


I'll stick with antifreeze thanks.


Roger.

 

I looked into this some time ago, and it sounded pretty good. Our old cars benefit from lots of newer, better parts. Oil (right up until they cut back on zinc) has steadily improved for years. Radial tires ride better, handle better, corner better and are safer in the rain. Modern camshaft design makes more power than older designs. BUT, as Roger points out, if you get a leak on the road, you may be dead in the water. None of the other "upgrades" I mentioned can leave you up the creek without a paddle.

 

Nothing to me says run out and buy it.

 

I have to agree. Besides, what about the occasional heater hose leak, after the car sits a while or etc. I'll just use the regular old Prestone. I've still got my original radiator, after 42 years, when taken care of, coolant systems don't corrode all that much.

 

$40/g .... I'm curious ... how much are you guys paying for Prestone? I'm seeing anything from $16 to $20 for a gallon of concentrate, Which covers 2 gallons of fill.

 

I tried it in my Franklin, however, it didn't make any difference. The car ran just the same, and I will comment, that it didn't boil over when I was climbing Mount Washington.

 

I used to work at a place that was a dealer for this kind of stuff. I always thought of it as snake oil, pretty expensive snake oil. Just fill with good water and maybe add a $10.00 bottle of water wetter or something along those lines. It felt like antifreeze to me so I wonder....

 

The last stuff I bought was on clearance at the grocery store, of all places. I didn't need any but at $7 per gallon for Prestone I couldn't pass it up. Other than that, I typically buy the generic stuff from Auto Zone, Wal Mart, etc. for $10 or so.

 

I am using it now because it was placed in there by the previous owner. I don't have a recent baseline for comparison but I can say that I have no overheating problems now, temp is around 190* after heating up and hard driving doesn't make the temp rise one iota. But, I also have an external transmission cooler and a 4-core radiator (both put in the car around 1985) so staying cool has never been a problem now or in the Texas heat back in the day using antifreeze and water. Because I have a larger radiator and transmission cooler this might skew the results a little.

If something ever decides to blow out I will probably flush everything and just go back to regular ole Prestone and water. I am not sure if the benefits outweigh the cost though there might be some benefit somewhere, maybe in some high winding turbocharged car. Is it worth it for 1970's technology? Probably not. Regular cooling system maintenance solves most problems. It is often the most overlooked engine system...that is until something starts getting a little hot.