Tropical Coolant

[Dprio34]

In no way am I suggesting that Tropical Coolant is better than OAT, but I am curious if anyone that has spent any serious time in Latin America or maybe DownUnder and has had any experience with this type of coolant.
Average daily temp down here never really varies much from 30 Celsius so no concerns about freezing, ever.

Dealerships are damn honest in the USA in comparison to the ones down here, as OAT runs over $30 per gallon; if you can find it. I have been trouble shooting another vehicle’s coolant system for some time and have been literally pouring money down the drain. So I poured this tropical coolant in as a stop gap measure.

It seems this coolant would serve better for a flush or trouble shooting than distilled / denatured water, but the suspect thing is, there are no ingredients listed on the container.

Just soliciting opinions from anyone who has used this in their vehicles.

 

[joekatana]

After living for 5 years in Latin America I stopped convincing the local mecanics to use coolant instead of water,seems that at least in most central American countries the use of plain water is recommended by the mecanics The big dealerships use coolant and the nice independent "high end" shops to but it seems like almost all the others use water and even recommend to remove the thermostat !

 

[roscoFJ73]

I keep using Toyota Red, its available everywhere and I dont have to remember too hard what I used last time. But that one in the pic is not going to harm anything.

 

[FJ73Texas]

They are too cheap down there to use proper coolant it seems.

My FJ73 had straight water with no thermostat installed when I got it shortly after it arrived from Colombia. Entire coolant system had to be rebuilt/replaced to make everything proper.

 

[Dprio34]

Thanks, @FJ73Texas @joekatana and @roscoFJ73 Funny you mentioned thermostats. A few people I spoke with down here, asked me why I hadn’t pulled my thermostat. Ops normal down here. A couple boat mechanics at a bar I frequent also told me all the boats use this ReD stuff I their cooling systems as well. Better than water that’s for sure. How much better....no idea. But $3 bucks a gallon ain’t bad.

 

[bjowett]

I'd run 70/30 water to coolant... maybe even further if the system will tolerate it.

Things you should know about coolant | hellafunctional

 

[Tapage]

They are too cheap down there to use proper coolant it seems..

something like that .. but I believe ( in old rigs ) it's more due to leaks that never got fixed ..

 

[roscoFJ73]

Thermostats allow an engine to reach operating temps sooner, which is good for the engine. When they are open they also pressurize the system somewhat.
I would find some new mechanics to drink with.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

When I was looking for BJ40s in Costa Rica I think I saw one with coolant in. The seller was very proud in the fact he used it and was trying to sell me the truck because of it. The BJ I ended up buying had no thermostat in it and used only water. Put thermostat and green coolant in and been good ever since.

 

[Dprio34]

@roscoFJ73 , I’ll drink with them, but won’t invite them over to the casa or touch my rig.

 

[SNLC]

Toyota red, go 70% water and 30% coolant. Water transfers heater far better than coolant.

I go from 30/70 to 70/30 every time I drive down there.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

FYI folks, at the very least Toyota sold the HJ47 in tropical climates without a thermostat. It is right in the parts books, two housings available. One with thermostat and one without.


A LOT of tropical spec Cruisers are also direct drive on the fan with no fan clutch.

Cheers

 

[MalcolmY]

FYI folks, at the very least Toyota sold the HJ47 in tropical climates without a thermostat. It is right in the parts books, two housings available. One with thermostat and one without.


A LOT of tropical spec Cruisers are also direct drive on the fan with no fan clutch.

Cheers

Oh. If I remove the fan clutch would I get better cooling?

 

[ca18sean]

Oh. If I remove the fan clutch would I get better cooling?

You replace it with a solid hub so it spins the fan full time instead of on a viscous clutch.

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

I would use that coolant straight, no dilution. Once at home I would flush it for a replacement with Toyota Red. And just in case, I would keep an extra couple of gallons in the car until I get back home.

"Make it cheap, no matter how dangerous the end result is" and "do not use original parts, replace with whatever you have at hand" are the principles by which mechanics in that part of the world seem to live. And a good reason to stay away from them.





Juan