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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

anti-freeze

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Russ Smart

03-05-2005 08:35:02




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I have been wondering what the general opinion is on changing anti-freeze. We have a couple of GM vehicles 4 & 5 years old and GM recommends changing the coolant. What do you people think? And what type of anti-freeze do you recommend? Thank you!




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John Horner

03-06-2005 11:41:15




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
Change it out once every two years and your rate of cooling system failures over time will be MUCH lower than it is for the folks who just leave it in there forever.

Lots of choices these days for anti-freeze. Old fashioned green stuff mixed 50/50 with distilled water will do a fine job if changed every other year.



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thejdman01

03-06-2005 08:38:56




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
i only test antifreeze with some neat test strips that tell you the acidity. you can use conditioner or i change it if it gets too far out of wack otherwise i dont bother changing it if its not acidic. i do change it everytime i have to go into the system ie change radiator etc. the idea of needing to lube a waterpump is horse stuff. the shaft seal on a water pump is a very hard ceramic. (ie if somone pisses you off open the hood take a ball peen hammer and hit the pully of the water pump will break that seal hell drive off w/o coolant the water temp guage wont come up and hell blow it up) no i havent done that. but that seal does not need lubrication nor does antifreeze lubricate. that shaft on the water pump is highly polished ie dont ever touch it ijust like bearings, shafts in injection pump, the acid from your skin will pit it. and the ceramic seal is very hard there is no lubrication present or necessary

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Joe in Minnie

03-06-2005 07:06:34




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
I HAVE NEVER CHANGED ANTI-FREEZE IN ANY MOTOR I'V OWNED OVER THE 40 YEARS OWNING THEM, AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, IF YOU HAVE DIRTY ANTI-FREEZE, REMOVE IT, AND CLEAN OUT THE UNIT, THEN ADD NEW, BUT TO JUST CHANGE IT FOR NO REASON OTHER THEN THINKING IT TURNS BAD, THAT NEVER HAPPEND TO ME OVER THE YEARS, I'D CHECK THE STRENGHT OF THE ANTI-FREEZE AND ADJUST IT IF NEEDED, BUT IF IT LOOKS GOOD, LEAVE IT ALONG...

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Bill(Wis)

03-06-2005 05:46:39




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
Have any of you run into "pre-mixed antifreeze"? I've only heard of it. Never seen it. Do they label it prominently enough to tell what it is? Also do any of you use steam distilled water when you change? I always have but never thought to ask anyone else if they did.



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John Horner

03-06-2005 11:43:24




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Bill(Wis), 03-06-2005 05:46:39  
Pre mix is becoming pretty common, and yes it is normally clearly marked. I always use distilled water if not using pre-mix, but lately have been buying the pre-mix variety for convenience.

John



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leland

03-06-2005 09:29:56




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Bill(Wis), 03-06-2005 05:46:39  
The pre mix is a ripoff for 5 bucks you are buying a 1/2 gal of AF and a 1/2 gal of water not a bargin in my book.



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Bill(Wis)

03-06-2005 11:25:15




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to leland, 03-06-2005 09:29:56  
Agreed. It seemed like a silly idea intended to make a few more bucks. Thanks.



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Jerry/MT

03-05-2005 19:16:56




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
I don't change the antifreeze regularly but I add a pint can of water pump lube and rust preventative every fall. Except for some of the new stuff on the market, antifreeze is antifreeze. It's ethylene glycol, whether it's called Prestone, Peak, etc. I also add conditioner to my diesel powered equipment to prevent sleeve damage.



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Dean Barker

03-05-2005 18:19:03




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
I've been using the Texaco extended life anti-freeze for about 10 years now, including the heavy duty extended AF for diesels in the tractors and combine. I have had excellent results. Haven't changed any of them yet just to change. Probably should, but haven't.



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kyhayman

03-05-2005 17:24:24




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
This is an often debated topic. All I can offer are my own observations and experiences. Been farming full or part time since 1982, may dad from 1945 to today. Like a lot of people, I do what he did. Never, ever, in any vehicle we have ever owned, period, without exception, has the antifreeze been changed for the sake of changing it. When we open a cooling system, out it goes and in goes new but other than that never changed anything. Right now, on the two hills, there are 11 tractors, a skidloader, a dozer, 2 pickups, 2 bigger trucks, and 6 cars with antifreeze in them. Never had a failure of anything that could be contributed to antifreeze except one wet sleeved diesel which had a pin hole in a sleeve when I got it from the previous owner not using cooling conditioner. Only ever lost 1 freeze plug and that was on my pickup, 2 years old, 42,000 miles (and the sorry so and so's would cover the plug under warranty but not pulling the head to get to it.) As far as antifreeze, I never use anything special, whatever the flavor of the month is at Auto Value or Sams house of horrors.

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thurlow

03-05-2005 18:49:39




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to kyhayman, 03-05-2005 17:24:24  
My experience exactly; change it (usually) when I need to drain the radiator or block, never before. Only anti-freeze related failure we ever had was on a 1066 which was barely out of warranty; pin holes in sleeves. On some of my equipment, the anti-freeze must be 6 or 8 years old; use the cheapest (permanent type) I can find..... ....your experience may be different.



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leland

03-05-2005 16:58:51




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
It's a good idea to change A-F bacause as it breaks down it can turn acidick and to begin to destroy you engine and cooling systen. I have saw AF so bad that it ate holes thru freeze plugs.



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twopop

03-05-2005 15:45:47




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Russ Smart, 03-05-2005 08:35:02  
the antifreeze does not wear out,the additives do.you can purchase small bottles of additves at an auto parts store



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point1206

03-05-2005 18:04:17




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to twopop, 03-05-2005 15:45:47  
anti-freeze is anti-freeze. I used to haul it by the tanker loads. The plants which I hauled out of would have any where from prestone to walllmart bottles waiting to be filled. It all came out of the same tank. I've heard changing you're anti-freeze once ayear would make you run cooler. I never did and never had problem. You alaways had to add alittle once in a while. I never have use any additives.

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WayneH

03-06-2005 05:21:05




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to point1206, 03-05-2005 18:04:17  
all anti freezes are not the same, and diesel engines require more attention and special additives than a gas engine. That's why on "real" trucks when they change the oil they also put a new pre-charged coolant filter in, and use test strips to test it. The cooling ability does not go away, but the compression is so high in diesel engines if you do not add something like FW-15 you will end up with cylinder caviation, which is why so many people have had problems with the older IH 7.3 engines in the Fords.

I'm a believer in changing my oil, and if it says change the anti freeze every five years in gas engines, and test it in diesels, I do that. But then I also change the brake fluid in my vehicles every 5-10 years too..

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Dean Barker

03-06-2005 21:02:42




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to WayneH, 03-06-2005 05:21:05  
I change my brake fluid every 6 or 7 years. It seems to eliminate rusted wheel cylinders and master cylinders. I think that is a good idea.



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Brian G. NY

03-06-2005 07:37:29




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to WayneH, 03-06-2005 05:21:05  
Wayne, When you think of it, changing brake fluid is makes more sense than changing anti-freeze. I had a friend who was a medic in Korea. He told me they used to change the brake fluid in their vehicles annually. He did the same to his own vehicles after the war. Brake fluid is alcohol based and absorbs water; most of us have seen the sludge that builds up in the brake cylinders after a few years. Whenever I have to drain anti-freeze, I save it. After a couple of months, all the sediment falls to the bottom and the anti-freeze looks good as new. Not to say there might not be some unwanted acids in it. I use it to top off my tractor radiators. When I do install new anti-freeze, I always mix it 50/50 with distilled water.

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WayneH

03-06-2005 07:53:03




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 Re: anti-freeze in reply to Brian G. NY, 03-06-2005 07:37:29  
no arguement on the brake fluid, it is hydroscopic, so it abosrbs water. And then if they get hot, it boils, which is a bad thing.

Regarding the antifreeze. For my B which has 5.5:1 compression, I'm sure the coolant will be good for a long time. But here is a paper which explains care for diesel engines:
http://www.donaldson.com/en/engine/support/datalibrary/000380.pdf



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