What coolant

[meadowbrook]

As I prepare for my trip to Hershey, I have replaced the radiator and water pump on my 230. I got an aluminum Champion radiator. 

Any tips on coolant type? I am thinking a basic green coolant should be fine, but the aluminum radiator may set up a galvanic corrosion issue since it is now connected to the iron engine through the coolant and bolted to the steel radiator support. 

Am I being paranoid?

[Sharps40]

Check voltage through coolant....google the procedures.  (I seem to recall one checks the voltage through the coolant running and not running)

What you are concerned about should not occur if the system is properly grounded and the overall resistance is low/in spec.

As I recall, if its under .3ish volts running, yer good to go. 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes

find a radiator today that is NOT aluminum albeit with plastic reservoirs......for the record...what did the Champion company recommend for their product....I say this as if it is truly a concern they would inform....the latest and greatest coolants are designed today for todays cars...

[Don Coatney]

When I bought my Champion radiator it did not come with any coolant recommendation. I used the green stuff 50/50 mixture and I have no visible galvanic corrosion.

[Sharps40]

Yep.  nothing over .3 volts is good.

 

One of many links to testing the coolant for electrical ground faults.

 

http://www.aa1car.com/library/cooling_system_electrolysis_corrosion.htm

[rb1949]

Good reading Sharp. Of all the rainbow colors, green seems to be winning here.

[Sharps40]

Green is good for all.  I even drain the dexcool acid stuff outta the gm's and put in green.   Nary a problem with green.  Course, nary a problem with water neither but at least green helps with freezing when its cold.  As long as the system is good shape you don't have to over think the coolant.

[chopt50wgn]

Using the old stand by green/yellow antifreeze is the way to go. The newer "high mileage" coolants do not work as well in older vehicles and although they say they go 150K miles, they really don't. All antifreeze should be drained and flushed about every 2-3 years to keep the system running properly.

If you are worried about electrolysis, you can always get a cap that has a sacrificial anode built into the bottom of the cap which the electrolysis will attack before anything else.

[greg g]

I have been using a 70% water, 30% green coolant for 12 years since my engine rebuild.  My car goes into the garage in November.  The garage is attached to the house and hardly ever gets below 40 degrees.  The 70/30 mix is good to between 0 and 10 degrees, provides anti rust and cools better than 50/50. My car with stock radiator rarely goes above 175 degrees.  If it does when climbing grades or slogging along in traffic, it will drop back down to 170 as soon as the extra thermal load is relieved.

[meadowbrook]

Thank you so much for the responses, this is one of the best forums I have ever seen, makes it worth it to just own an old Dodge to belong to it

I have installed the radiator and added 3 gallons of coolant 50% mix of filtered water and Prestone green coolant. (I hear good and bad things of distilled water so filtered should be ok, especially since even modern cars' shop manuals (like my 2007 Chevy) mention drinking water and not distilled, but whatever floats your boat  )

I did a measurement of voltage on the coolant to ground and I got an interesting reading, it started at 0.27 V and slowly dropped to below 0.1 V.

Maybe I will hang a piece of Magnesium inside the radiator just to be sure as an anode.

The only concern was how close the fan is to the radiator, as close as 1/4 inch. I will see if it comes close to hitting with a warm engine. I may have to remove the fan and add an electric one.

[Captain Neon]

On Monday, September 26, 2016 at 6:02 PM, Sharps40 said:

Green is good for all.  I even drain the dexcool acid stuff outta the gm's and put in green.   Nary a problem with green.  Course, nary a problem with water neither but at least green helps with freezing when its cold.  As long as the system is good shape you don't have to over think the coolant.

You do realize that the IAT (Inorganic Acid Technology) green coolant has a lower pH (stronger acid) than the OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolants?

[chopt50wgn]

You want to use a zinc anode  not magnesium. Magnesium will be used up much faster than zinc because its harder.

[Sharps40]

3 hours ago, Captain Neon said:

You do realize that the IAT (Inorganic Acid Technology) green coolant has a lower pH (stronger acid) than the OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolants?

Who cares?.  Never had an aluminum or brass part destroyed by green.  Had Plenty leaked that had dexcool though.  Green was first (after water and alcohol) in the old ones. 

 

Two things.  Green is still around and works fine.  My advice is based on my experience. 

Others mileage may vary.  Like I said.....system good, probably don't need to over think coolant.  Mebby save the brain power for keepin the modern less gas than real gas from boilin outta the carbs or determining if close pins really prevent vapor lock or if Indian Head Gasket shellac is the best gasket sealant in the universe or if Fluid Drive really is a step backwards in overall performance....ad infinitum 

Edited September 28, 2016 by Sharps40

[Captain Neon]

It matters because eventually there will be idiots claiming that "green" conventional coolant is alkaline when it most definitely is not.  When there are people claiming that one can inflate balloons by mixing vinegar and baking soda to make helium (carbon dioxide is formed, it isn't lighter than air, and the reaction won't produce enough pressure to do much more than puff up a balloon a little), and even more people believing it: one needs to be factual.

[Plymouthy Adams]

1 hour ago, Captain Neon said:

It matters because eventually there will be idiots claiming that "green" conventional coolant is alkaline when it most definitely is not.  When there are people claiming that one can inflate balloons by mixing vinegar and baking soda to make helium (carbon dioxide is formed, it isn't lighter than air, and the reaction won't produce enough pressure to do much more than puff up a balloon a little), and even more people believing it: one needs to be factual.

It won't work...!!!!!!!!   please someone shoot a few of these balloons before I exit the stratosphere...

[Sharps40]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 10:51 AM, Captain Neon said:

It matters because eventually there will be idiots claiming that "green" conventional coolant is alkaline when it most definitely is not.  When there are people claiming that one can inflate balloons by mixing vinegar and baking soda to make helium (carbon dioxide is formed, it isn't lighter than air, and the reaction won't produce enough pressure to do much more than puff up a balloon a little), and even more people believing it: one needs to be factual.

Yer worrien bout stuff that don't matter for the OPs question.  Alkaline/acid, who cares.  OP likes green,  Green works good, that's why its been around and as long as the electrical systems are right good grounded, not much chance of galvanic action eating away the aluminum radiator....course, green prolly won't eat it neither even without voltage in the coolant. 

 

OP just build a good clean and fresh and properly functioning cooling system, check the grounds, tune the motor right and fill the block with whatever ya want, water is a universal solvent and will eventually dissolve yer block but, not in your lifetime.  So, water, alcohol, green, even dexcool if ya just like the neat color, whatever, its all coolant and it'll all perform admirably in a good system and dont' worry about heliumdioxide bubbles in yer balloons.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Sharps40