correct coolant for series 2a vehicles.

[WilliamB]

Good Morning.

What is the correct coolant for me to use in the 2a?
Being used to PomLand We need anti freeze! but this is the land of spiders.:o
I will be fitting an 82deg Theromostat as per UncleHo and a "newer" (series3) rad.

Thanks
william.

[chazza]

Depends how cold it gets where you live. If you don't get heavy frosts, a corrosion inhibitor will be fine,
cheers Chazza

[WilliamB]

BrisVegas and Sydney.
shouldn't be frosty! so, just a corrosion inhibitor? Ok.
Thanks.

[JDNSW]

From the owner's manual:-

"Use soft water wherever possible; if the local water supply is hard, rain or distilled water should be used. ....In cold weather, when the temperature may drop to or below freezing point, precautions must be taken to prevent freezing of the water in the cooling system...... Only high quality inhibited glycol based solutions should be used."

The engine was not designed to require a corrosion inhibitor, but it will not hurt and may help - if you use antifreeze they all include it. As it freezes here I use a green coolant, but in the absence of freezing, rain (what's that?) water is perfectly satisfactory.

John

[WilliamB]

yes - I was looking at the manwell too.
I do use water, but I wondered about the coollant properties of 'green stuff'.
I am about to take off for a long drive, and wanted the best cooling I could get.
(apart from timing, oil filter, air filter etc.)
I wondered about an oil cooler too.:D

[isuzurover]

Many old vehicles with cast iron heads specify no corrosion inhibitor or just soluble oil (e.g. 3.9 ISUZU), but IMO you have rocks in your head if you don't run corrosion inhibitor - I have seen plenty of series heads with badly corroded water galleries.

I use the small tins of highly concentrated castrol stuff - 2-3 tins per LR.

Water has a higher heat capacity than almost any other liquid, so pure water will be the best coolant, but bad corrosion will make a vehicle MUCH more likely to overheat than corrosion inhibitor or anti freeze will.

It is also a good idea to fit a coolant filter. You will be surprised at how much crap it will collect - even on an engine which has been looked after.

[JDNSW]

Many old vehicles with cast iron heads specify no corrosion inhibitor or just soluble oil (e.g. 3.9 ISUZU), but IMO you have rocks in your head if you don't run corrosion inhibitor - I have seen plenty of series heads with badly corroded water galleries.

I use the small tins of highly concentrated castrol stuff - 2-3 tins per LR.

Water has a higher heat capacity than almost any other liquid, so pure water will be the best coolant, but bad corrosion will make a vehicle MUCH more likely to overheat than corrosion inhibitor or anti freeze will.

It is also a good idea to fit a coolant filter. You will be surprised at how much crap it will collect - even on an engine which has been looked after.

Corrosion in a system which is all iron like the Series will be virtually nil - provided that the water used is distilled water or close to it, such as rainwater. Of course, you do not know what has been used in the past, and is probably still contaminating the cooling system. Water with significant mineral content is likely to corrode the water galleries - not all that rapidly, but remember that the newest Series is twenty five years old (slight rounding, but not much) and the newest 2a is thirty-five years old, so there has been a lot of time for corrosion to take place.

John