MTFCA Forum

Hello there! Can I use red 50/50 OAT antifreeze in the 1927 model t?

Personally, I would not

I'm going to guess that the vast majority of "T" owners run "green" coolant and if I ever needed to borrow coolant when in a group or on a tour, "green" is what you're very likely going to be offered.

the two do not mix and there is no technical benefit of OAT over standard coolant since there is no aluminum in the "T" cooling system that needs protecting

No, I would not, do not, do not recommend using it.
Use only coolants that are labeled for older vehicles and these are IAT coolants.
The old school green stuff.

Don't trust me, trust what the manufacturers say:
https://www.valvolineglobal.com/en-ksa/ ... -coolants/
I won't use DexCool either due to it causing gasket failures
https://www.classlawgroup.com/gm-dex-cool-settlement

https://www.reuters.com/article/busines ... N27350115/

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threa ... it.110944/

The green stuff works fine in all vehicles but it needs to be updated, flushed on a regular basis to keep it's corrosion protection good.
Mike

"Green" antifreeze, used as directed, is best for Model Ts and other pre-1975 vehicles.

Does having an aluminum head influence the decision? Just asking.

The newer green stuff is compatible with aluminum.

Green anti-freeze is fine for aluminum heads. Buy a name brand, and use as directed. Adding a properly designed overflow tank to the system might help prevent corrosion by limiting air/oxygen access to the coolant.

"Unviersal" anti-freeze is being sold today. It is labeled as compatible for all vehicles/all years.

Noel

if you read what Mike posted, the green coolant protects cast iron, brass, copper and aluminum from corrosion. Not mentioned, but importantly, it protects the lead solder from being attacked as well.

the newer OAT specifically does NOT protect brass or copper from corrosion and the lead solder will definitely be attacked.

I think that in itself should answer your question.

Folks can play games with other coolants like OAT and Universal Coolants (Hybrid OAT) but at $1600 a pop, my radiator is going to get (green) coolant that was designed to protect it. I also know that corrosion protection ceases after 2-3 years, so it gets replaced periodically.

As far as aluminum head corrosion, my experience has been that generally it happens when you run 10 year old coolant (8 years after it quit protecting against corrosion) or you have oil-soaked wiring pinched somewhere on the frame. You can test coolant for electrical current in the mV range. I had such a car which was eating up an aluminum radiator cap FAST. Updating the wiring stopped that problem in its tracks.

The newer OAT coolant lasts for years and years and as such, goes well with a generation of children who are in a great many cases, afraid to drive, and if pushed to actually get behind the wheel, would never conceive of opening the hood to see what was under it. Leave that up to the older UBER driver.

Are there places in the USA where antifreeze is not necessary, like southern California.
I use clean water and a cup of soluble oil to limit corrosion.
The green stuff does the same, but will also find the tiniest leak anywhere in the cooling system.

Allan from down under.

Allan,

Given his location listed I sure hope he uses something of antifreeze or protects the car.
You can use a water / AntiRust and keep it in a heated garage or drain it, I have in the past.
But then I started parking them in different places. Some temperature protected and some not so I swapped them all to antifreeze.

There is NO good reason NOT to use an appropriate anti-freeze/corrosion inhibitor in Model Ts. There are a number of good reasons to do so. It will prevent boil over and minimize or eliminate corrosion and eliminate risk of freezing. It will not leak from a system that is in good order. I have also used it successfully in systems with rope packed water pumps. It seems to prolong the life of the packing.

If you have a chronically leaky radiator, it's best to repair it or replace it. Short of that, a product like Bars Leak will usually stop small leaks when used as directed. If your radiator is clogged, patched, rotted, or exhibiting loose fins, you need to replace it.

In the early days they used kerosene

Kerosene has many disadvantages. It's not a good coolant, for one thing.

I was told years ago by an old demo derby driver that he filled up his derby cars with used motor oil in instead of coolant for the derbys he ran.
It wasn't the best coolant but it did not leak @ the slightest leak.
The derby did not last long anyway so any coolant was better than no coolant.
I feel he told the truth, I'm not sure if it was worth it or not.
I have seen some odd stuff in radiators but Green Is Good for me.
Just because it is "new" or "improved" does not mean it is better for me, it might only be better for the manufacturer.

Mike

Oil is not a good coolant, and its viscosity makes it an especially poor choice for a Model T. You're much better off with green anti-freeze and Bars Leak than with oil or kerosene. A car that just runs short sprints at WOT would be better off with a water tank and anti-freeze than with oil. I'd want to put a water pump on such a car. A 3 gallon tank could be rigged up for less than a radiator.

Evans Waterless ..... www.evanscoolant.com. ....... complete protection. Read their website to get your answers.

I don't think Evans is well-suited for Model Ts. (?)

So, if we wanted to switch from something like OAT to the green stuff, how much of a flush is involved?

I'd drain and refill the system a couple of times, driving the car a few miles between. If it's dirty, a more aggressive flush would be in order.

Txgoat2.... Why do you think Evans is not suitable for Model t's?.. it's been in my car the last 20 years with no problems regarding cooling or freezing. The only problem I had was leakage because the hose clamps needed tightening.

There have been discussions on this subject here. /////// See below......


**** I tried a forum search using: "Evans coolant" Many relevant results from several forum members.