Best coolant for our 60-70's Mopars?

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toolmanmike said:
it isn't the answer all for all older cars.
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Yeah, it really is.

It is interesting that Evans says that the cooling system will operate at a higher temperature but they really can't tell how much. I don't need my engine to run any hotter than it does
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The engine runs cooler. The coolant is hotter. Don't just skim and assume and guess; read and learn and understand.

The Evans coolant boils (or doesn't boil) until it reaches high temps
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What's this supposed to mean? The Evans coolant has a much higher boiling point than water or other coolants.

and because of the lack of water, it doesn't corrode metal parts especially aluminum and the corrosion caused by dissimilar metals. That's a good thing but that's why anti corrosive chemicals are added to ethylene glycol based coolants.
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Corrosion inhibitors inhibit (reduce) corrosion, but they don't eliminate it.

The Evans coolant is touted as a "Lifetime" coolant but a lifetime hasn't been tested yet and when it first was introduced it was recommended that it was replaced every 5 years
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...and over the years it's been on the market, large amounts of real world experience have been gained, forming a solid basis for extending the cautious original 5-year recommendation.

Any chemical will get contaminated especially inside a engine with heat cycles and combustion gasses entering the system.
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Heat cycles do not contaminate coolant. That is not a possible thing. And if you've got combustion gases entering your cooling system, it don't matter what fluid's in your cooling system 'cause your motor's broke.

I still have the original coolant in my 02 PT Cruiser. It still tests to -34° and is clean as a whistle.
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Conventional coolant doesn't lose its freeze/boil protection, it loses its corrosion inhibitors.

The next time I get to the storage garage I will test the system for voltage (electrolysis)
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Good luck.

Guys, I respect you and your opinions
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It doesn't look like it. If you did, you'd make an argument based on facts and reality, not guesses and assumptions. That's not very respectful at all. And that, by the way, is why I'm busting your chops. It doesn't make any nevermind to me if people do or don't buy Evans or any other kind of coolant. My grandfather used to say "You are entitled to an opinion; you are not entitled to an uninformed opinion". I think he was right about that. I have no difficulty respecting someone else's opinion, even if I don't share it, if it's based on facts and reality. If it's based on guesses and assumptions and misunderstandings and willful lack of knowledge...nope, I can't find anything in that to respect.
 
I see Evans coolant as a solution to a question that I never asked. Others have asked, fine for them. Not for me. Most of the time I can run straight distilled water without a problem. Straight water meets ALL of the needs and demands on the system except one, corrosion inhibition. Which is why I use green coolant in a 50/50 mix.

The singular only advantage for me that I see in Evans is that I wouldn't have used coolant to periodically figure out the legal way to dispose of in Kalifornikstan.
 
ntsqd said:
The singular only advantage for me that I see in Evans is that I wouldn't have used coolant to periodically figure out the legal way to dispose of in Kalifornikstan.
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I never thought about that one.
 
ntsqd said:
I see Evans coolant as a solution to a question that I never asked. ...
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You are confusing us. MoparMan318 asked the question which started this thread.

Evans is not for anyone who runs at tracks that require straight water. I can't imagine the hassle of going back and forth, or forgetting and leaving pure water in thru the winter and cracking the block.

I recall paying $48/gal off ebay by the case. I recall NPG+ version, but the name changed over the years. I am down to my last gallon, so about to order another case. Some have pondered buying cheaper propylene glycol coolant at auto parts and running it straight (similar/same as some Evans products, older versions?). It is sold as an "environmental alternative" since doesn't kill animals, but I haven't seen it in CA (imagine that). I am smart enough to carry extra Evans in the trunk, plus hoses and clamps for emergency repairs.

The biggest downside is scheduling the change, since it isn't easy to get all the water out. Best when doing major work and/or radiator swap. Remove the block drains. I blow ethanol thru, then leave to evaporate, plus have a nepheloator (air pump for fat sleepers) bought at a garage sale I leave puffing our dry summer air thru. Sometimes it dries all summer. Not purposeful, my projects tend to drag. It may come out cheaper in the end since regular $15/gal coolant needs replenishment every 3 yrs (who remembers that). To me, the reduced maintenance is worth the cost. If you save a $350 aluminum radiator, it paid for itself. Of course, if it overheats your engine and warps an aluminum head it didn't, so read up and weigh your risks.
 
My comment wasn't in response to any particular post, but I don't see how it would confuse anyone.

I don't run at any track. Purely a street car and highway/off-highway trucks.

Tried PG, it was available in KA under the "Sierra" brand name. Did not work as well as EG - even when mixed according to their instructions, gave up on it.

The combo of green ethylene glycol 50/50 with distilled water and a 180°-190°F thermostat is well proven to me. See no need to change.

EDIT: Something that I've not yet seen mentioned is the radiator cap. One of my trucks starts to run warm every 1.5 to 2 years. Replacing the cap restores normal behavior. I usually end up servicing the system at the same time.
 
is there better? certainly! But NOBODY can argue these facts: Most cars have aluminum radiators for the past 25 years. Many of these cars have aluminum heads. Most cars anti-freeze systems are neglected. Most of these same cars have anywhere between 150 - 200 thousand miles on them, some even much more. Moparman318, go to Walmart and buy Prestone anti-freeze 50/50. If your radiator is good, fan working properly, and thermostat working properly you will not have a problem (providing your block doesn't have 40 + years of sludge)
 
I might have missed it but has anyone talked about how you have to get all of the water out of the system for Evans to really work? Also, what are you guys doing when you go to the track? You would have to dump the Evans stuff, try to catch all of it, then fill with water and hope you get all of the water back out before putting Evans back in. I was looking at Evans coolant for my Ram SRT-10 which is a alum block and heads but having to be 100% sure I got all the water out or else I would damage my engine stopped me.
 
charger426 said:
I might have missed it but has anyone talked about how you have to get all of the water out of the system for Evans to really work?
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That's not actually so. You drain the whole system, use air to blow the water/coolant mix out of the heater core and hoses, etc., and if you're feeling really fastidious you wash out the system with denatured alcohol from the hardware store and then let it air dry (I've never bothered). Then you fill the system with Evans and for the next couple days to weeks after you run the car you burp off the steam from the residual water by loosening the radiator cap then retightening it. Once there stops being any steam pressure, you're done and that's it.

having to be 100% sure I got all the water out or else I would damage my engine
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This just plain isn't true.
 
the last time my engine overheated it was due to a leak, = low coolant , glad I was not paying $50 a gallon. all liquids boil at a certain temp, I do not need higher than 50/50 mix of fairly fresh standard coolant and water gives. I pop off 1 end of the lower hose around every 5 years + refill , for the last 30 years
 
slantsixdan said:
That's not actually so. You drain the whole system, use air to blow the water/coolant mix out of the heater core and hoses, etc., and if you're feeling really fastidious you wash out the system with denatured alcohol from the hardware store and then let it air dry (I've never bothered). Then you fill the system with Evans and for the next couple days to weeks after you run the car you burp off the steam from the residual water by loosening the radiator cap then retightening it. Once there stops being any steam pressure, you're done and that's it.



This just plain isn't true.
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Very interesting. I'm still not 100% on board with this product but I hope popularity picks up. The more they sell hopefully the lower the price. For now I'm just going to use AMSOIL's coolant.....which is going to be changed very soon. Its going from an 7 year/250K miles to a 5 year/150K mile change interval. Plus side is they are reducing the price to reflect the reduction in change interval.
 
Marcohotrod said:
the last time my engine overheated it was due to a leak, = low coolant , glad I was not paying $50 a gallon.
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As was mentioned earlier, in the event that you do spring a leak, it will only trickle out because the system is not under pressure like with water. Hoses will not burst like with traditional coolant.
 
ntsqd said:
I see Evans coolant as a solution to a question that I never asked. Others have asked, fine for them. Not for me. Most of the time I can run straight distilled water without a problem. Straight water meets ALL of the needs and demands on the system except one, corrosion inhibition. Which is why I use green coolant in a 50/50 mix.

The singular only advantage for me that I see in Evans is that I wouldn't have used coolant to periodically figure out the legal way to dispose of in Kalifornikstan.
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Just run a proper good quality coolant additive with straight distilled water and it will be fine in So Cal non freezing areas.

I run Justice Brothers Super Radiator Cooler. I put and extra bottle of Justice Brothers Cooling System Protector for extra electrolysis and corrosion protection when running straight water.

My Chinese aluminum radiator, Edelbrock aluminum heads look fine after 3 years of use. My stray voltage was 76 millivolt (max is 300mV) on 6/10/11 and was so my electrolysis is well under control. When I took the intake off on 3/1/14 is was .83 mV. passages look fine, no rust

Turbo Magazine coolant additive test: http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/engine/0703-turp-cooling-system-additives/
 

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slantsixdan said:
The engine runs cooler. The coolant is hotter. Don't just skim and assume and guess; read and learn and understand.
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This appears to be a variable issue from some quick reading. All I can find so far says that engines temps can (will?) indeed be higher with Evans Coolant. The reason is the the heat capacity of the Evans Coolant is lower than water or water plus standard A/F. The heat flow from the engine parts will be slower as the effective thermal resistance of the heat flow path through the coolant 'coupling' to the radiator will be higher due to the Evans not being able to hold as much heat. The thermostat will have to open a more to allow more coolant flow to compensate, and the t'stat will only do that if the coolant is hotter.

How close the engine's operation is to cooling system capacity throws a variable in all the above, and it all is countered to some degree by less boiling of the Evans coolant in the hot spots so some localized areas may be cooler. But on average, the engine will be hotter; is it 1 or 10 or 50 degrees? Depends ......

The following Evans statement supports all of this if you read it properly: "The operating temperature of the coolant may increase slightly, however the temperature inside the engine will be more consistent."
- "more consistent" ====> lower hot spot temps; less temp variations; etc.....
- "temperature of the coolant may increase slightly" ====> higher average system temps will result (It HAS to.....), and maybe less temp variations with heavy engine loading

And the idea that there will be no pressure in an Evans coolant filled system makes no sense. Evans coolant has a higher boiling point but the localized heat in and around hot pockets will exceed the Evans coolant boiling point so some vaporization and pressure will exist. And if the system is well filled and burped of air, then simple thermal expansion of the coolant will create some level of pressure. I can't find any statements by Evans that there will be no pressure in the cooling system with their product.
 
As I understand it a zero pressure cap is fitted with Evans Coolant. I'd guess some erroneously interpreted that to mean no pressure in the system.
 
Well, a zero pressure would mean it is wide open.... so that would mean any expansion would create no pressure. I did not know that. Thanks for the education....now I need to read up on that aspect.

Edit to add: Here is from the Evans site:
Q. Do I need to change my radiator cap when using Evans coolant?
A. A different radiator/pressure cap is not required with EWC. A water-based coolant generally requires anywhere from a 7 to 15 psig pressure cap. Higher pressure raises the boiling point of water-based coolant. EWC expands slightly as it warms creating pressure of 3-5 psig, and the existing cap does not need to be changed.

So I am not sure where the zero pressure cap info is coming from or if that is for particular applications.
 
I've been running Evans in my Barracuda (408) and my Duster (440). From personal experience I can say that the temperature does rub warmer. For me it's about 10'. I have been able to open the cap on the radiator no matter what my gauge shows without worrying about getting sprayed with boiling water. There is never any coolant transferred to my expansion tanks.
 
The Evans product looks fabulous. If cost were no object, I'd use it in a heart beat.

Right now, I use straight Prestone (green stuff) and distilled water. I add a can of water pump lube. Change it every 2 yrs. Cost of the last change was $37.08.

The best price I could find on Evans was $43.80 per gallon. That makes a 4 gallon change a whopping $175.20. That does not include the ride to the Edge of the World. If I read the information correctly, the Evans product requires replacement every five (5) years.

So. Is Evans worth it? The problem is that the initial cost is so much higher and the lifespan is not so much greater than normal WalMart type maintenance, the numbers don't justify it. The crossover point wouldn't happen in the lifetime of my grandchildren's grandchildren.

To the OP, I recommend good quality antifreeze, distilled water, and a can of water pump lubricant every 2 years. If it can be determined that a premix uses distilled water, then use just a can of water pump lube along with the premix. The idea behind the distilled water is to keep calcium and lime deposits out of the cooling system where it can clog passages and play havoc with the water pump bearing seal.

As a technique note, I put the anti-freeze in first, then the pump lube, then the water. That way it is only distilled water that has to be added to top the system off. Rarely has the engine used all of the water it should after a change. I figure it's due to air pockets. After a couple of decent trips, it will take more water. If topping off through a coolant recovery system, when the coolant in the reservoir is the same color as the coolant in the radiator, everything is well mixed.
 
1967 'cuda said:
I've been running Evans in my Barracuda (408) and my Duster (440). From personal experience I can say that the temperature does rub warmer. For me it's about 10'. I have been able to open the cap on the radiator no matter what my gauge shows without worrying about getting sprayed with boiling water. There is never any coolant transferred to my expansion tanks.
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Just curious as to what pressure cap you are running...and is there any air gap in the top tank of the radiator?
 
The zero pressure cap info came from a local guy who ran it in his now totaled '57 Bel-Air (cell phone driver). It has been a while since he had that car, info could be out of date, but I didn't think something like that would change since Evans isn't new.
 
ntsqd said:
As I understand it a zero pressure cap is fitted with Evans Coolant. I'd guess some erroneously interpreted that to mean no pressure in the system.
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I guess that was directed at me? The Jay Leno video states that the cap can be removed at temperature without fear of being sprayed with hot coolant. I may have misinterpreted that as being not under pressure. Still, three pounds is not enough to split a hose wide open like I have seen with conventional coolant.
 
Not aimed at anyone in particular. I've seen that same sentiment expressed in all sorts of forums over the years.
 
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