There are now a number of "antifreeze" mixtures out in the market place. GM,
Ford and Chrysler all have their version of a 5 year plus, 100-150K mile
chemical solution. Pretty much they work as advertised, if they are kept
in pristine condition -- no American type ethylene glycol added or the mixture
contaminated with non distilled water. These are 'organic' antifreeze
chemicals that originated in Europe and are market as 'environmentally
friendly' (spotted owls won't drink them).
Texaco and GM (Dexcool), followed by Caterpillar were the original purveyors
of these antifreezes in the US. There is a significant problem with them --
they are pretty high in chemically bound silicon and if the chemical balance
get screwed up the silicon drops out as a solid (sand) the effect is
sandblasting the water passages --- the heater core usually goes first !
I run antifreeze for two years, drop it flush and reload --- use the cheapest
'brand name' ethylene glycol I can find. Works for me, had 240,000+ mile on a
Toyota before my daughter seized the engine (said that the temp needle was
only close to the red mark --for two months).
Pete Koernig
'70 1600 (# 29429) almost done
'69 2000 'lot of work left
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Cawrse" <nqrithjim@hotmail.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 5:58 AM
Subject: OT: embittered anti-freeze
> For all:
> I always check the freeze protection level of our cars around now, although
> the coldest weather we get
> is maybe 20 degrees. Anyway, looked at our one fairly good newer car,
> Susans PT cruiser, and it was
> a bit low, but had wierd pink anti-freeze. Nothing like it at advance auto
> or auto zone (my two close parts stores). So....based on the expansion tank
> saying "caution use only this pink stuff in this engine" or words to that
> effect, I stopped at the Chrysler dealer on the way home from work
> yesterday. $20.58 for a gallon of this magic juice, supposedly good for 5
> years or 100,000 miles. Holy cow!
>
> But then I read the lable, and below the big MOPAR lablei it said
> "EMBITTERED". Well, at least they
> got that right, because I was quite embittered for paying that much.
>
> Just wondered if anyone on the list knew just what chemical process caused
> anti-freeze to be labeled
> "embittered".....or if all you had to do was charge 4X more than the normal
> green stuff for it.
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