Coolent for Aluminum radiator
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 2
From: California City Ca
Coolent for Aluminum radiator
I just Ordered a New 3 core alumiunum radiator just woulding what is the coolant I should be useing with it.
I did some reading on this subject and just about everything I read dont tell you much they go in circles.
I just had to tear down my old 355 with 3000 miles on it and I did notice my new Aluminum heads aready starting to show signs of corrosion in the water jackets.
I asked the Auto parts guys what to use for coolant once again they were not much help.
I dont want to be replacing the radiator again in a couple years or the heads due to using the wrong coolant.
I did some reading on this subject and just about everything I read dont tell you much they go in circles.
I just had to tear down my old 355 with 3000 miles on it and I did notice my new Aluminum heads aready starting to show signs of corrosion in the water jackets.
I asked the Auto parts guys what to use for coolant once again they were not much help.
I dont want to be replacing the radiator again in a couple years or the heads due to using the wrong coolant.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 995
Likes: 1
From: Naples Campania
Water Wetter
No coolant required. Just water and Water Wetter. Been using it with the new ZZ4. It reduced my coolant temp by 20 degrees with the old L98 block.
You've gotta do a nice long flush though. I flushed it 3 times.
No coolant required. Just water and Water Wetter. Been using it with the new ZZ4. It reduced my coolant temp by 20 degrees with the old L98 block.
You've gotta do a nice long flush though. I flushed it 3 times.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Your 86 had ethylene glycol (green) coolant as the factory fill and if you do a flush and refill every 2-3 years, your system will be fine. I would recommend buying concentrated anti-freeze and using distilled water to make a 50% mixture. It's actually cheaper that way than buying a pre-mix. Distilled water can be bought at any grocery store for around a buck a gallon. Get two gallon jugs to add to to two gallons of coolant concentrate. That will be enough to fill an empty system.Watter Wetter helps to reduce coolant temps, but it will also break down after a period of time. Good quality coolants have chemicals in them that will help to reduce formations of deposits but you still need to perform maintenance.
If you go with a red "Dex-cool" type of coolant, make sure you completely flush the block and the rest of the system of the old green coolant. The two coolants do not mix and will cause problems.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,700
Likes: 1,667
From: moraga ca
Water Wetter
No coolant required. Just water and Water Wetter. Been using it with the new ZZ4. It reduced my coolant temp by 20 degrees with the old L98 block.
You've gotta do a nice long flush though. I flushed it 3 times.
No coolant required. Just water and Water Wetter. Been using it with the new ZZ4. It reduced my coolant temp by 20 degrees with the old L98 block.
You've gotta do a nice long flush though. I flushed it 3 times.
The op is in California in an area with no freezing temperatures. Water Wetter with distilled water is all that is needed. It'll prevent corrosion is the most effective way of decreasing engine temps.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 944
Likes: 0
From: Mesa Az
seriously? .... i may do this on mine that... I figure I will be having heating issues in my car. will it protect down to like say... 28*F? it gets just below feezing maybe twice a winter here in arizona.
Last edited by mistaben; Aug 22, 2011 at 02:29 PM.