What's the best engine coolant to buy and were from ?

 

I use Titan / Silkolene Pro Cool Antifreeze 4L and the rest water

from

http://www.rogerclarkmotorsport.co.u...?productID=655

 

Go to your nearest decent motor factors and ask for an anti-freeze suitable for alloy engines and having a corrosion inhibitor.

They are all virtually the same. And don't be fooled into using waterless coolant, distilled water etc etc. All a waste of dosh.

 

Thanks for the reply's fellas

 

Is that the OAT stuff that's good to use with Alloy blocks?

 

I have to disagree with the distilled water part. Normal tap water will leave a lot of deposits especially in a hard water area. Using distilLed will prevent this. Each to their own but it's cheap and it's all I mix my coolant with.

I even use it in my washer fluid bottle as tap water left scuz which made my bottle look dirty from the outside lol.

 

That is actually very incorrect. We are suffering from major headache with inter-mixing issues with diferent coolants, time and time again.

For starters, OAT and Your typical 2year Glycol are very different.

To complicate further there is hybrid OAT, high Silactate, low silicate, phosphate free to contend with too. Japanese cars tend to favour low silicate coolants, but most standard 2yr/3yr coolat in the UK is high silicate.

To break it down Glycol is 2yr, Hybrid is 5year, OAT is 10yr.

I wouldn't use OAT in a cooling system containing copper or brass. Some older classic scoob as ones with aftermarket radiators and heatermatrixs do have copper cores. OAT provides inferior corrosion protection from this. Later scoobs and ones with the factory rads are aluminium and plastic, so no worries.

Also some OATs are intolerant to leaks (be it a dodgy cap or otherwise) cavitation and radidly break down. Vauxhall and VAG had a big headache with this, both have since changes their OEM antifreeze formulations.

The problem is you can't get all the old coolant out, and that is where the issue is with many cars. So my advice is to pick one brand of antifreeze and stick to it (2yr/3yr antifreeze for classics, 5yr for new-age). If you do have to swap brands and type, Flush, fill, flush again, fill again and flush again is the only answer to ensure everything is right.

I've seen the mess caused by non-compatible brands. Put it this way if the sides of the header tank looks brown and dirty... its too late.


Also the colour of it means **** all. Just makes it look pretty, or sludgy brown when it intermixes.

 

What do you recommend then mate?
This any good :
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/ca...0481&0&cc5_866

 

Prestone Long Life £11 for 4 litres in COSTCO.

 

That's a hybrid OAT it'll depend on what's been used in you car now.

I currently cant recommend a specific type without knowing the car and what has been used in it previously.

The aftermarket coolant industry is in a state of flux on this where they are now realising that like oil, they now need to make antifreezes compatible with the original manufacturers coolants (like dexcool, g12, ,g13, g12+, g12++ etc. none of which you'll find off the shelf with these specs). rather than just branding everything as being Universal (when it isn't)

Hybrid Oat is an attempt at a one size fits all, it's ok if the system is flushed, filled (and allowed to circulate) and reflushed and the system has no copper.

 

I don't know what's in there TBH, ill be doing a full flush & its on an 06 Blob so should be fine reading your first post & copper.

Thanks

 

Think it through, bud, there's how many litres of coolant in there? Let's say six in all.

In the hardest water area in the UK, if you boiled 6 litres of water dry, you'd end up with less than a teaspoon of deposits.

You aren't boiling your coolant dry, (hopefully), you are circulating it. It isn't used up, like in a kettle, and continually replaced, like in pipes.

Using distilled water won't do any harm, but is a waste of dosh.

 

a good quality Blue Glycol mixed at the correct ratio will do everything you ever need for a Subaru engine..........if you want better then the likes of the Motul Inugel Expert is a premium distilled "coolant" and requires no further mixing/additives..........

all carried in stock and advice given as required