terraplane coolant

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Im currently running soluble oil as a corrosion inhibitor in my terraplane radiator,as this was in it when i got the car.some tell me that this is fine,others recoil in horror and tell me how it will destroy my radiator etc.

apparently,glycol based coolants can cause corrosion through electrolisis(not just for hair removal then!)and glycol is very toxic,so i would rather not use it.

Any advice greatly appreciated,cheers,skip

Comments

  • barrysweet52
    barrysweet52 Expert Adviser
    An old man who has been in the radiator business all his life told me that the soluble oil and any rust or dirt eventually combines and sticks like grease inside the radiator. This doesnt help the cooling. Others say the coloured water is no good. I tried the coloured water but am going back to using the oil. as it has a lubricating effect on the water pump. Regards, Barry
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Let's put it this way: when I bought my '37, back in 1971, the radiator had never been touched, so far as I could see. I've driven the car since 1973, using whatever coolant was on sale. The radiator is now 73 years old. The car never overheats.



    So, don't get too concerned about what coolant you use.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Jon is right. This subject is about like an opinion survey about what oil do you use?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Well were do i start.....

    Barry is correct with the solible oil & rust in a cooling, ive seen it to often, it would be ok if you did not have a rusty engine and most Hudsons have a sealed bearing in the water pump, so what are you achieving here. Some early Hudson/Essex cars dont even have one like my 23 essex.



    Coolant can be good or bad,



    1. old coolants will break down and sidiments can block up the tubes especially the smaller ones found in modern cars and can be small as 0.8mmX4mm and some makes of cars have dimpulled tubes to help coolant to circulate down the tube which makes it hard or impossible to rod out for a service, that is when the core or radiator needs to be replaced.

    2. GM Holden Australia our largest car maker, had put in solible oil tablets in their v6 powered cars, I had two different responces from Holden what they were for, one bloke said its to lubricate the water pump (again a sealed bearing!!) the second bloke said to prevent corrosion??? This is a problem, Ive flushed out many Holden cooling systems, overhauled radiators due blockage & as bad as 60-70%.



    Ive had many HET products each of my cars all ran 30% coolant the rest water out of the tap, no problems. I recently sold my 1935 terraplane sedan, engine never had rust, new radiator core with new coolant and then sat for 6 years not used, recently started the car with no signs of any muck inthe cooling system or leaks.



    Only last week i fitted a new honey comb core to my 23 essex ute, engine was rebuilt, all cooling port holes drilled & cleaned. it has around 30% coolant. before the rebuild, the engine block was full of rust after sitting for 25 years.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    skipster wrote:
    Im currently running soluble oil as a corrosion inhibitor in my terraplane radiator,as this was in it when i got the car.some tell me that this is fine,others recoil in horror and tell me how it will destroy my radiator etc.

    apparently,glycol based coolants can cause corrosion through electrolisis(not just for hair removal then!)and glycol is very toxic,so i would rather not use it.

    Any advice greatly appreciated,cheers,skip
    This is a lot of junk about soluble oil. All machine shops use this in all their equipment that has water, prevents rust and lubricates all moving parts. If you start with a new motor job and a new radiator core you will never have radiator problems. Putting it in an old set up will give problems. Walt.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Walt's right. If you start with a new system, whenever that happened to be, and take care of it, you should not have problems with it. The problems come from systems that have sat around for years untouched.

    Like most things automotive, the Public Enemy#1 is inactivity. Incidentally, Public Enemy #2 is heat.
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    The only thing is partly lubricated by the use of soluble oil is the seal, and this is normally a carbon type which doesn't need it any way! There is no question of lubricating the ball bearings in the later type pumps, or the bronze bushings in the '34-'47 type. However, the super sixes up to 1929, and the 8's to '33 all had bronze bushes that were exposed to the water, and the soluble oil is advisable for these. Early models had a greae cups to bothe front and back bushings, but later models(at least '24-'26) had no grease supply for the front bushing. All I use in my Essex is a two-yearly dose of rust inhibitor. This stops rust forming in the water jackets, and the top and bottom pipes of the radiator are cast iron, so it stops these from corroding. Incidentally, I have done half a million miles in this car, and never had to overhaul the water pump.

    Geoff.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Anyone paranoid about rust/electrolisis ---Semi truck dealers sell an additive to prevent this , and some little strips you dunk in the cap opening to wet them. The color they change to tells you if you need to refresh the additive --- Use a low sulpher anti freeze- BUD.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Heres the latest bad news.Thought i would change my hoses(heavy duty,been on the car at least 5 years, since before i bought it).The inside of both main hoses were rotting away,chalky bits of rubber flaking away,seeming in reaction to the oil.the thermostat was gummed with rubber gunk and the outlet water manifold corroded and flaky with rust on the inside.So much for soluble oils protective qualities!

    My main fear is that the radiator is gummed right up with crud. The plan is to run a couple of washes of heavy duty rust and scale remover thru the engine(15min running a time).then drive it into town and have a radiator guy reverse flush it.Then im going to put some nice coloured stuff in it and pour my soluble oil on some troubled waters somewhere far far away.

    any ideas on how to proceed gratefully recieved as im a complete novice at this old car tinkering! thanks,skip
  • ESSX28-1
    ESSX28-1 Senior Contributor
    [QUOTE=Geoff C., N.Z.;126856 Incidentally, I have done half a million miles in this car, and never had to overhaul the water pump.

    Geoff.[/QUOTE]



    The joy of the Thermosiphon!!
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