15 replies to this topic

[MFM]

Had a very small hairline crack in my bottom radiator hose which just left a few drops on the stone tray everytime I drove it so had it fixed by a reputable radiator place. While I was there I purchased their own Glycol radiator coolant (5lts - green). I was already running the $80 genuine Holden red Glycol for a couple of years and Temp idled at half and over half at traffic lights by about 2mm, so when I replaced this with the new Gycol I didn't mix it I put the whole lot in which nearly fills then Torana, topped up with demineralised water but then the dam car started to run hotter? over half when running in this cool weather and a good 3mm past the 180f mark on the gauge? So drove car to the radiator place today and manager looked under bonnet and says its not running hot even though 10 miniutes of idling it was showing 3/4 hot on the temp gauge? Never did this with the GMH red Glycol. Anyone gort any idea whats going on?

 

[MFM]

Oh and I also checked my Thermostat this arvo. Its a 160f, so I went and bought a 170f thinking my 20 year old one might be stuffed which made it worse so put the 160f back in.

[FNQ]

Just a theory -   just thinking about your circumstances. 

 

the coolant in most radiators is water. Pause for effect.

 

It(water) is a good coolant but its boiling point can be raised by pressurising to say 13 or 14 lbs - ( trusty radiator cap)  and then some additives can also be put in to prevent rust / scale - raise the freezing temperature - good old alcohol (oops glycol) and also work as a type of surfactant to assist with the thermal exchange.

 

BUT all the goodies in the green /red stuff needs the proper amount of water to make best use. So maybe the ratios in your new brew are wrong- easy to test. Drop or siphon some out and blend in some more water

 

It could be a case of the factory OEM people really did know what they were talking about or it could be that the new you beaut stuff is really not much chop.  Hiope you solve this. cheers D

[MFM]

Thanks FNQ. I thought about doing that just to see what happens. The Red Devil Gycol I used looks like good quality stuff i.e thick and dark green made in OZ. Its the viscosity of lite milk so guessing you could be right?

[Zook]

Just a theory -   just thinking about your circumstances. 
 
the coolant in most radiators is water. Pause for effect.
 
It(water) is a good coolant but its boiling point can be raised by pressurising to say 13 or 14 lbs - ( trusty radiator cap)  and then some additives can also be put in to prevent rust / scale - raise the freezing temperature - good old alcohol (oops glycol) and also work as a type of surfactant to assist with the thermal exchange.
 
BUT all the goodies in the green /red stuff needs the proper amount of water to make best use. So maybe the ratios in your new brew are wrong- easy to test. Drop or siphon some out and blend in some more water
 
It could be a case of the factory OEM people really did know what they were talking about or it could be that the new you beaut stuff is really not much chop.  Hiope you solve this. cheers D

Haha. Clever, but possibly too subtle.

[claysummers]

Are you sure you got all the air out when you refilled? Just a thought.


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[MFM]

Yes I thought about the air in the block so rang Red Devil owner who's my age and he says 6cylinder holdens never needed to worry about air in the blocks? Being distrustful as I am of most people's opinions,  I measured the water I drained out of the radiator and it was very much the same as I put in.

[grumpy xu1]

Had a very small hairline crack in my bottom radiator hose which just left a few drops on the stone tray everytime I drove it so had it fixed by a reputable radiator place. While I was there I purchased their own Glycol radiator coolant (5lts - green). I was already running the $80 genuine Holden red Glycol for a couple of years and Temp idled at half and over half at traffic lights by about 2mm, so when I replaced this with the new Gycol I didn't mix it I put the whole lot in which nearly fills then Torana, topped up with demineralised water but then the dam car started to run hotter? over half when running in this cool weather and a good 3mm past the 180f mark on the gauge? So drove car to the radiator place today and manager looked under bonnet and says its not running hot even though 10 miniutes of idling it was showing 3/4 hot on the temp gauge? Never did this with the GMH red Glycol. Anyone gort any idea whats going on?

You mean originally you were running the red holden coolant that suits all aluminum engines & radiators & not the green to suit a cast iron engine & copper core radiator ?

The 2 shouldn't be mixed, so do a system flush, before replacing.

Try some nulon one coolant, work out the total cooling system capacity if you drain the block. Coolant concentrate should be 50 / 50. So if you count 10 litres removed, add 5 litres of concentrate coolant & 5 litres of distilled water.

[MFM]

Gary I flushed the system out with tank water by shoving the garden hose into the heater hose till is ran clear out the bottom radiator hose. Blew it out with air then  refilled it. It didn't take much more than 5 litres? which is pretty well what came in the coolant bottle?

[yel327]

Why the coolant? I just run corrosion inhibitor. They took the good Castrol one off the market though so not sure if the others are as good.

[rodomo]

Do you mean the tiny can (100ml???)

[yel327]

Yes. I think it had Boron in it.

[MFM]

I agree that you don't need coolant in Qld but where do you buy just corrosion inhibitor only? Used to buy the small Castrol pop top cans (concentrate) in the 80's & 90's. The reason I used the GMH red inhibitor and paid a fortune for it ($90 - 5litres) is because I figured if it can protect aluminium blocks then there is no reason it couldn't protect cast iron/copper radiators as the core anti corrosion ingredients would have to be the same wouldn't they? (propylene Glycol) apart for the varied concentrations from manufacturer to manufacturer.

[yel327]

I just use either Penrite or Nulon corrosion inhibitor now.

https://www.superche...wE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[FNQ]

Apart from changing the coolant, nothing else was changed, except that you cleaned out the heater matrix. I know it ran clear but maybe some junk has been dislodged there.? I am not convinced that changing the coolant causes approx 10 degrees of difference.(say 160 to 170)  Only other thing worth trying is take out the temp sensor and give it a good clean -or try another? 

[MFM]

I ended up replacing the 160f thermostat and drilled a pencil size hole in it now it runs perfect?