[6pack] HVDA and antifreeze - two questions

[Navarrette, Vance]

 	Richard:

	The "anti-freeze" part of the coolant lasts forever. It is the
"anti-corrosion" part of anti freeze that wears out. A good change
interval is 2 years, which insures that your water pump doesn't rot.
This holds true no  matter how often you drive the car.
	HOWEVER - I am a lazy old fart, so I prefer another strategy -
which you are on your own if you wish to try...
	If the anti-freeze is free from rust, and is a nice clear green
color (indicating that rusty crap has not yet started to circulate in
the coolant) then I add a bottle of corrosion inhibitor every two years.
This replaces the worn out inhibitors at a fraction of the cost, and I
do not need to dispose of the toxic ethylene glycol.
	You can get a half pint of corrosion inhibitor at the auto parts
store for a couple of bucks. The inhibitors in anti freeze are
"sacrificial" meaning that they are consumed by the electro chemical
process that prevents corrosion. When they are totally consumed,
corrosion starts even though the freezing properties of the coolant are
preserved indefinitely. This is why they recommend a bi annual
replacement schedule - that and to insure that dirt gets flushed from
the radiator.
	If you are lazy, cheap, and grumpy like me, then try just adding
the inhibitors back in the mix as long as the coolant is otherwise in
good shape.

	Cheers,

	Vance


    Vance Navarrette
    Cogito Ergo Zoom
    I think, therefore I go fast

-----Original Message-----
From: 6pack-bounces+vance.navarrette=intel.com at autox.team.net
[mailto:6pack-bounces+vance.navarrette=intel.com at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of richard olson
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 8:51 AM
To: 6pack at autox.team.net
Subject: [6pack] HVDA and antifreeze - two questions

Antifreeze -
I put "Prestone" in 1997 (I got my 1972 TR6 in 1996).
In 2000 I fixed my heater and put new antifreeze too.
Now its 2008!  Is this a good time to put new antifreeze in?
Is "Peak" use?  Went do I need to put new antifreeze in?
2 years? 5 years?..... each year?

<snip>

Rick Olson, '72 TR6