perentie coolant

[charlie a]

Hi all - My 110 Perentie has a sticker saying the vehicle uses Nalcool Maximum coolant.My questions are whether this product is readily available or whether there is an easily available substitute that I can use to either replace the Nalcool or, hopefully, just top it up as required.
Yours Charlie a

[Chris078]

looks like Nalcool has a number of different coolants (http://www.eclubes.com.au/products/browse/64/nalco-heavy-duty-coolants). Anyone know which one was used in the Perentie?

I know my local NatRad said he would refill with N2000 when I asked about it a while back.

[cummo]

I am in the process of benchmarking the cooling system in my Perentie, part of which will be changing the existing coolant. My radiator is stickered stating that only Nalcool Maximum coolant is to be used in the Perentie's cooling system. A bit of Googling put me onto a firm called East Coast Lubes in Brisbane who in turn referred me to a firm called Southern Cross Lubes in Melbourne who deal with NSW. I spoke the technical/lube engineer (a very helpful guy) who advised that Nalcool Maximum was no longer available, with the replacement coolants being Nalcool NF48C (concentrate) and Nalcool NO5 (the same product but premixed at 50/50).

Apparently the 2 Nalcool coolants are a high quality heavy duty diesel ethyl glycol based coolant with corrosion prevention additives for both cast iron and aluminium protection. If my engine is anything to go by (12/1988 vehicle build) it does an excellent job; the fluid that came out after being run with a Nulon radiator flush in it was near perfect - no rusty fluid, and the amount of sediment and scale wouldn't have covered a 20 cent piece. The inlet and outlet of the water pump and the outlet of the thermostat housing are clean as a whistle with no corrosion or tuberculation evident. In addition to the anti-freeze properties of the ethyl glycol the additives supposedly deposit a coating to all internal surfaces of the block and cooling system which I think is the purple deposit I could see inside everything.

Now for the bad news - both the concentrate and the premix can only be bought in a 20 litre quantity, with the concentrate costing $190 - $200 and the premix costing $140 - $150 via a distributor.

Based on how good a job it seems to do it I will more than likely shell out for some of it - probably the concentrate - but it will hurt! If any other Perentie owner local to Newcastle/Hunter Valley would like to split a drum I'd be interested......

Cheers, Dave

[Chris078]

sounds like it's worth using. Also sounds like you'll want to pair up ( or 3 people would be better - should be enough concentrate to do 3 cars) with others and see if you can do a deal with a radiator shop to do them.

Obviously you can DIY; I've had good results with having a proper pressure flush done on the system, which is something only a shop can do.

[Blknight.aus]

goto kmart, get 2 of the tectalloy coolant 1l bottles, buy 2x 10l bottles of water.


thats what you need to look after the suzi.

flushing is done in a similar manner and a pressure flush gun can be purchased from supercheap on some days, a good tool store for around $90 and you'll find about 8 different uses for it once you have one and work out how it does what it does.

you need to have a semi decent air compressor to use it.

[Davehoos]

Thanks for the info on the nalcool as we use it at work.


We have used the afloc brand till last year, the local agent sent one drum of NF48C that was labelled ready to use to and another with recommendation to add deionised water.

[inside]

Are people over thinking this? Just get a good quality coolant like Castrol or something. This is not a Land Rover engine that is going to warp a head in 20 seconds or corrode a part if some super space shuttle designed coolant isn't used.

[87County]

I think that's what Dave was saying in post number five above

[incisor]

goto kmart, get 2 of the tectalloy coolant 1l bottles, buy 2x 10l bottles of water.

there are several tectalloy coolants

which one dave?

[AndyG]

Have you considered waterless coolant :p :wasntme:

[Blknight.aus]

there are several tectalloy coolants

which one dave?

Last time I was in Kmart they only had the one type of tectalloy coolant but it was available in concentrate or premix. if you get the premix you dont need the distilled water. (but you cant drink the premix in an emergency)


Have you considered waterless coolant :p :wasntme:

Dont laugh, yes. its been done I've set it up into a county (basically the same vehicle) and was trialed in a few various vehicles types by the ADF in something like 1998.

IIRC from back in the day it was a nalcool product, there was always confusion when we got vehicles in that had the nalcool and afloc stickers on the system when they came in because the colours didnt match up for a while.

[incisor]

Last time I was in Kmart they only had the one type of tectalloy coolant but it was available in concentrate.

we get two here, both are concentrates


xtra cool


Concentrate
Radiator Corrosion Inhibitor
Type B
2 years / 40,000 km life span
500ml treats up to 10 litre system
Minimal or nil AFAB protection
Contains Ethylene Glycol 369g/Litre
100% Corrosion Protection
Australian Made
Keeps cooling water clean and rust free
Reduces corrosive attack on aluminium and cast iron
Will not harm radiator hoses
For vehicles requiring a glycol based coolant use Tectaloy Anti-Freeze Anti-Boil Long Life Concentrate Coolant
Silicate, phosphate & amine free


and

xtra cool green gold



Concentrate
Makes up to 15 litres
3 years / 60,000 km life span if diluted with tap water
3 years / 100,000 km life span if diluted with demineralised water
Type B
Organic
Radiator Corrosion Inhibitor
Contains Ethylene Glycol 280g/Litre
100% Corrosion Protection
Minimal or nil AFAB protection
Australian Made
Exceeds Australian Standard AS 2108-2004 Type B
Silicate, phosphate & amine free


they very similar but there seems to be some differences in the points above

[Blknight.aus]

the bottle in the back of foz thats possibly from the last batch I bought when I was in the switch is the gold stuff.

the key difference between the 2 is the concentration and the additional inhibitor package.

if you get the non gold one, drain and change yearly with a back flush every 2 years.

Given the exhorbitant cost of the gold one... use the same process and timings. (but you could goto a 2/4)

[cummo]

Took Dave's advice from his earlier post and knocked-up a cooling system pressure gun in the shed this morning out of threaded brass and pvc pipe fittings. Fairly compact, fits across the palms of two hands. Made it so that the O.D. of the outlet fitted into the mouths of the radiator hoses at the radiator ends (the radiator is out to be taken to my radiator guy for a check-over).
Removed the thermostat, re-fitted the housing and then set to and flushed the engine block bottom-to-top and bottom-to-top with mains water pressure and the air pressure kept fairy low (60 psi). Worked a treat, though didn't shift much in the way of sediment or corrosion as I think the innards are fairly clean, as not much came out with the chemical flush either. Thanks Dave.
A new Isuzu 82-degree thermostat will go in, and the old (also 82-degree thermostat) will probably be kept as a spare if it checks out OK.

[Blknight.aus]

Took Dave's advice from his earlier post and knocked-up a cooling system pressure gun in the shed this morning out of threaded brass and pvc pipe fittings. Fairly compact, fits across the palms of two hands. Made it so that the O.D. of the outlet fitted into the mouths of the radiator hoses at the radiator ends (the radiator is out to be taken to my radiator guy for a check-over).
Removed the thermostat, re-fitted the housing and then set to and flushed the engine block bottom-to-top and bottom-to-top with mains water pressure and the air pressure kept fairy low (60 psi). Worked a treat, though didn't shift much in the way of sediment or corrosion as I think the innards are fairly clean, as not much came out with the chemical flush either. Thanks Dave.
A new Isuzu 82-degree thermostat will go in, and the old (also 82-degree thermostat) will probably be kept as a spare if it checks out OK.

theres a few variants of the thermostat... mostly its changes in the little bleed port.

if you have one that has the rattler in it, has the tiny hole in it or doesnth have a hole. make a 3mm hole.

dont forget to gently clean the threads out of the housing bolts and housing as well as cleaning up the mating faces properly, you're not aiming for a shiney finish but a matt finish. Dont forget to use loctite to stop the bolts from corroding in place. a smear of antisieze on the shanks and 243 on the leading 3 threads. Dont let them contaminate.

[cummo]

Thanks Dave; sounds like a plan. The housing bolts were a little corroded, dry though not wet. I will run a lubed tap through the holes, and some copper slip to the threads. Good idea re. the Loctite to the upper threads; hadn't thought of that. Wasn't sure whether the housing mating faces needed a sealant - Stag or similar - although it sounds like the flange seal on the thermostat flange will seal the housing sufficiently.
I will have a close look at each of the thermostats also.

Cheers, Dave

[brad56]

watching with interest for future reference