What's the Current State of the Coolant Debate (2 Viewers)

[TriaxialBulls]

and you've come to the right place to do so

Yeah I thought half the point of mud was over-researching things for your LC...

 

[DiscoCam]

When I bought my 80, the coolant was nearly black with with floaty chunks in it. I ended up replacing the radiator, water pump, radiator hoses, and heater hoses just to make sure that it's reliable. I flushed it out with distilled water because our tap water here is hard water until the stuff that came out was clean. Now it has genuine Toyota Super Long Life Coolant in it because I have a case of it in the garage for my other trucks so it's convenient.

Like others have said, I think it makes no difference what sort of coolant that is used. Green, Toyota LLC, Toyota LLC, Universal Gold, Honda Blue.. etc. Just change it often so it doesn't end up looking like how mine did.
Fresh coolant is way better than old disgusting pond water.

 

[Proven]

I run red, because I bought four jugs of it ages ago and still using it to blend into the distilled water.

I did a flush once...I think....

Distilled>Filtered>Hose

 

[Tachycardic]

Ok, so I know you should flush everything out if you want to go green to red, but what about green to another green like prestone green to zerex green? Still flush everything out?

 

[LC4LIFE]

If I wasn't putting in the same exact coolant, I would flush it a lot. My mantra is to not mix coolant of any kind.

 

[Bambusiero]

I've been running Xerex G-05+distilled H2O for years now, chemistry is Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT), if you care.
It's neither red nor green, but light yellow.
Think of the advantages! If I run low out on the trail, then I can just piss in the radiator - it's compatible
I replaced a 10 year old water pump - just because...looked so good, it could have been installed a few months ago - kept as a spare.

 

[Bambusiero]

totally agree with this...

My routine with a neglected cooling system. Flush, flush, flush (using a mild cleaner) and garden hose with Tstat removed, drive it, drain it, block and radiator every time, refill, drive it (heat control full hot), drain it. Then a couple of distilled water only flushes (3 gallons at a time), drive it, drain it. Replace Tstat, final fill 50:50 Toyota Red (whatever) and Distilled water. Drive it for 10 years. No issues.
I would not use any tap water for the final fill,
Toyota Red (whatever) and distilled water 50:50 after a thorough cleaning/flushing of the system = no problems.

Garden hose flush FULL BLAST in every direction you can, then drain & very thoroughly replace/dilute the tapwater with distilled until the system is practically pure distilled, then drain just enough to make room for your gallon of 100% antifreeze of choice. top off with distilled - off you go.
A drain & replace 2-3 years later is an already clean system.

 

[jpoole]

I'll add that if you want to get old tap water, or whatever other liquid, out of the cooling system after you've flushed it that you can set your shop vac up to blow and then place the hose on rad. hoses/etc. for a few minutes on each to blow most of the remaining fluids out.

 

[BILT4ME]

totally agree with this...


Garden hose flush FULL BLAST in every direction you can, then drain & very thoroughly replace/dilute the tapwater with distilled until the system is practically pure distilled, then drain just enough to make room for your gallon of 100% antifreeze of choice. top off with distilled - off you go.
A drain & replace 2-3 years later is an already clean system.

The only concern here is that a garden hose is operating on 65 PSI and your cooling system is only designed for 14-16 PSI. Make sure you don't seal the hose tightly to anything and be sure to remove the thermostat when doing this.

 

[-Spike-]

The only concern here is that a garden hose is operating on 65 PSI and your cooling system is only designed for 14-16 PSI. Make sure you don't seal the hose tightly to anything and be sure to remove the thermostat when doing this.

It's only 65 psi in a closed system. You'd be hard pressed to get 1psi if it's open.

 

[TriaxialBulls]

Ok, so I know you should flush everything out if you want to go green to red, but what about green to another green like prestone green to zerex green? Still flush everything out?

Based on my research, almost no 2 coolants are the same. That's not to say that they are incompatible; like I stated in my research essay I think there are a couple that could be added to each other (like Prestone Prime "all vehicle", which is just ethylene and diethylene glycol). However unless you have the SDS's in front of you and know for a fact that they're compatible, I would not mix them. Also keep in mind that SDS's don't necessarily show all of the chemicals in a substance anyway. If you had an accident and lost some coolant, I'd say you are better off just adding water and then doing a flush/fill ASAP.

It's only 65 psi in a closed system. You'd be hard pressed to get 1psi if it's open.

Yeah that PSI drops pretty quick after it leaves the nozzle, although they do sell those systems where you can attach the hose to your radiator (or a few other places). I wouldn't use one of those.

 

[Bambusiero]

It's only 65 psi in a closed system. You'd be hard pressed to get 1psi if it's open.

Thank you - my point exactly - all that hose water gushing out some big hole somewhere, carrying any loose debris out with it.

 

[Bambusiero]

I'll add that if you want to get old tap water, or whatever other liquid, out of the cooling system after you've flushed it that you can set your shop vac up to blow and the place the hose on rad. hoses/etc. for a few minutes on each to blow most of the remaining fluids out.

Now there's a good idea! hadn't thought of that. - thus reducing the number of "residue dilution refills" needed.