Antifreeze

[LeviSara]

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

[Scott_Conger]

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

[Mike Silbert]

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

[TXGOAT2]

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

[NoelChico]

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

[big2bird]

The newer green stuff is compatible with aluminum.

[TXGOAT2]

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.

[TXGOAT2]

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

[Scott_Conger]

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.

[Allan]

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.

[Mike Silbert]

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.

[TXGOAT2]

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.