What is the preferred coolant/antifreeze for the T's. Sacramento Cal area. Very seldom freezes but Very hot weather summer time. A few 110 days each year.

General rule of thumb is a 50/50 mix. Is your cooling system clean ??

Richard,
Not so long ago, any "standard" coolant was fine.
The new, Long Life coolants, often orange in color, have reportedly shown an annoying tendency to eat up the lead-bearing solder in our copper radiators. They are sometimes referred to as "Organic Acid Technology" and are designed to work well with the new aluminum radiators that are not soldered. Be wary, because the container labels can lead one to believe they are OK for any car.

"Conventional Green" coolants (Peak, Zerex, O'Reilly, etc.) are all supposed to be the same Ethylene Glycol base we have been using forever, with an "Inorganic Acid Technology" that is OK for copper, brass, solder, aluminum, etc.

I recall the lower-toxicity propylene glycol coolants also being OK with solder, but in a recent search through various manufacturer's web information I was unable to confirm that, so I went with one gallon of Conventional coolant, topped off with a bit under 2 gallons of distilled water. This 1:2 mix transfers heat better than 1:1, and has only a slightly lower boiling point. There is quite a bit of tech info about coolants on the web, if you don't mind taking the time to search it out...

Best regards. BE

(Message edited by brianeliason on July 11, 2015)

Thanks for the information. As far as a clean system I thinks so at least on my 15 as I am replacing the hoses and the drained water has no rust at all or off color to it.

Richard - Here in the Sacramento area I never use anti-freeze. I just add a pint of Prestone Anti-Rust to the radiator. If we get a period of extended low temps say 25 and below I'll just do my annual radiator drain and refill when the weather warms up. If you are storing your car outside or an open shed, then the ethylene glycol as noted above might be a good idea.

No reason to put more than two quarts of antifreeze in T in that area.
Water will disapate heat better than anti freeze.
Use a little antifreeze and four Oz. Of soluble oil, it's cheaper, will keep the system cleaner and will cool the engine better and is a whole lot cheaper

Richard, if it seldom freezes in your area, why not just keep running plain water as it does cool the best, use an anti-rust compound and when or if it gets down to freezing, either just drain it out (probably could use a flushing then anyway!) or maybe even just put a lamp on top of the engine and a blanket on top of the hood/radiator. Unless it gets super cold, that ought to keep you out of danger. Just a thought.

Richard, here in South Australia, [read L.A.] climate wise, I only ever use coolant in T's with an alloy Z head. Castrol used to market a concentrate which had no anti-freeze component. This is cheaper than otherwise.

With cast iron heads, I use clean water. Haven't yet got around to adding soluble oil.

Allan from down under.

I just use a 50/50 mix of original green coolant. Be weary, there are "universal" coolants out there, I personally had a bad issue with that once in a daily driver that always used traditional green coolant.

We have Zerex green concentrate (part# ZX001) at work or I buy Napa green coolant concentrate (part# NAF 1GAL) and I mix them myself--it is a better value vs. buying premixed.

Richard,

I would use a mixture of green Prestone mixed with water in a concentration appropriate to provide freeze protection down to the typical 20 degrees Sacramento has on a few nights every winter. A gallon of Prestone and then fill it the rest of the way with water.

I agree with Royce, Use the Green CONVENTIONAL. Do not use straight distilled water though. I don't trust the anti rust formulas and well as an antifreeze mix. I use a little less than 50/50

The more antifreeze you mix with the water, the hotter the engine will run. I would think 50/50 in California is totally unnecessary. Add only enough antifreeze for your climate and where you expect to drive. More is NOT better.

Fellows, can you clear this up for me. Is it usual for anti-freeze and coolant to mean the same thing in your terms? I thought most anti-freeze was an addition to the coolant being used. I find it hard to get coolant which does not have anti-freeze as an inclusion.

Allan from down under.

Yes Allen, coolant and antifreeze get tossed around the states as the same term by most people, including myself.

And a few people here are correct in stating that you really only need to use as much coolant/antifreeze mix with water to obtain the lowest temps seen in your area. For me in NY, it can get pretty dang cold with sub zero temps--in fahrenheit of course.

Oil is lubricant.
Grease is lubricant.

Water is coolant.
Antifreeze is coolant.
Water, antifreeze and monkey sweat mixed together is coolant.

One of the reasons I use water a couple quarts of antifreeze and soluble oil is because I don't trust antifreeze to keep the system from rusting. Soluble oil will.
Soluble oil not hurt the paint.

It has been said here but I'll add to it. Unless you need freeze protection down to -34°F, a 50/50 mix of antifreeze in never recommended in a thermosyphon cooling system.

When Ford made Model T's there was no glycol antifreeze and they had no recommendation on the mix. There is a modern engine that uses a thermosyphon system (I forgot the name but it is in this forum) and they see over heating problems if people use a 50/50 mix.

Jim

Model T engines do not overheat when using a 50 / 50 mix of water anti freeze. But it is excessive for most folks. You only need to use enough anti freeze for the lowest temperature that your area typically sees, because it is cheaper. Why waste money? A gallon of Prestone (or whatever brand of ethylene glycol) mixed with water is plenty.

Anti freeze / water mixture does not hurt paint or brass. Anti freeze / water mixture does provide outstanding protection against corrosion, much more so that soluble oil can.

An ethylene glycol / water mixture provides outstanding protection against freezing, boiling, and corrosion. That is the truth, no BS, and no old wives tales. Read more here:
http://www.prestone.com/products/antifreeze_coolant/product_list?select_region=1

And with all the pets around, everyone should use Prestone's "Low Tox" antifreeze. Got it in all my cars. Somewhere I read the older iron engines should have propolyne glycol instead of ethylene anyway, but you think I can find it??

Propylene glycol was used in automobiles beginning in the late 1980's. So if your idea of an "older collector car" is a 1988 Chevy Citation or Oldsmobile Ciera then that is the stuff for you!

I would not use anything labeled "safe" or "environmentally friendly". Such labels indicate the product is not as well suited for its intended purpose as it should be, and is more expensive than it needs to be.

Royce, do I detect a hint of cynicism in your last post? That's like saying the new pesticides to control termites don't work like the old organo-chlorides did!!

Allan from down under.

Allan,

No cynicism. I just like something to do what it needs to do. I don't plan on giving any of my pets the opportunity to sample my anti freeze, or my oven cleaner, or my paint thinner for that matter. Buy the enviro - friendly version and you pay more for worse product.

I agree with Royce.

Look at D-Con.(sp)?

They can't make it anymore. Why??? Because if kids or pets ate it, they would throw it up.

Duh??? That's what makes if so good. Rats and mice can't vomit. They bleed to death internally. Kids and pets throw it up and go on with no lasting side affects.

The same would apply to a lot of new products.