Author Topic: Coolant for IC engines.  (Read 1699 times)

Offline LANTAIN1982

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Coolant for IC engines.
« on: December 03, 2020, 05:52:37 AM »
Looking for advice on a coolant mix suitable for Brass radiator/alloy block/CI sleeves [Howell v4 typical]
It seems rather unpractical to purchase, plus expensive, a large quantity of commercial coolant for such a small application.
 Would appreciate any words of wisdom from the informed forum.
Thank you. Lantain1982

Online Jo

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2020, 07:51:05 AM »
As we do not leave the water in the jacket but drain it out to store the models I normally just use plain water in my Stirling engines. Yes the Cast Iron liners will get a bit of surface rust but nothing worth worrying about.

Another thing to consider is: Is it a closed/pressurised or open coolant system?

Jo
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Offline Vixen

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2020, 08:47:11 AM »
Evans water-less engine coolant is widely used in motorsport engines, However it is not as cheap as tap water. You can expect to pay nearly £30 fo 2 litres.

Do a search on e-bay for : EVANS-Power-Sports-Waterless-Engine-Coolant-2L-Litres-MX-Trail-Enduro-Race-Bike, lots on offer.

You could also consider standard 50-50% water and glycol antifreeze. It also has excellent anti-corrosion properties and is a lot more affordable. You could safely leave it in the engine during the running season ?? and drain it during the off-season or longer term storage.

Mike
« Last Edit: December 03, 2020, 09:01:37 AM by Vixen »
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Offline michaelr

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2020, 01:42:55 PM »
I use ready mixed car Radiator Antifreeze and Coolant top up in 1ltr bottles, obtained at any motor car accessory shop or garage .

Michael.

Offline LANTAIN1982

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2020, 03:46:39 AM »
Thank you all for the responses.
I`ve settled on the premix from the local Auto shop.   A 1 Ltr  bottle should be more than enough to allow correction in case of leaks. [hopefully]

Bill.

Offline Rustkolector

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2021, 04:42:18 AM »
Bill,
Last time I was in the auto parts store there were 5 different colors of premixed antifreeze. There is inorganic acid technology (IAT), organic acid technology (OAT), and hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) antifreeze currently available. It can be very confusing and is relative to protecting the metal and sealing combinations of modern engines and cooling systems. But antifreeze can do damage under certain conditions, especially in model engines. Case in point, I have a model engine that sits on a 6061 Al mounting block mated to another 6061 AL plate. Years ago some green 50/50 premix antifreeze leaked out of the engine and seeped between the two AL pieces. I knew some got in there but didn't think it would matter. 4 years later I needed to separate those two plates. What I found was a lot of white gritty powder and two very deeply pitted aluminum surfaces. From that experience I have deduced that if you repeatedly drain an aluminum model engine antifreeze cooling system after each use and let the cooling system dry out then you could see something similar to my experience. I don't begin to chemically understand permanent glycol based antifreeze solutions and what happens to them as their water content is reduced to little or nothing as they dry out. But hey, they are comprised of inorganic and organic acids and AL is a highly reactive metal. Be cautious. 
Jeff

Offline dieselpilot

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Re: Coolant for IC engines.
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2021, 04:48:03 PM »
The problem is constant exposure to oxygen. Closed systems prevent oxygen from getting into the system, but you still need to replace the coolant regularly.

 

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