What type of coolant ?
- Thread starter K2MSmith
- Start date
Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
There is a "Diesel Coolant" made specifically for diesel engines, apparently with more cleaning stuff added, and it's redish/purple in colour. I have used it for years, and it works fine. I don't know if there is any real downside to using the normal auto green/yellow coolant, but if it says diesel on it, I figure it must be sort of useful. It's about the same cost as the green stuff, but it only comes in gallons.
Frank
Jerry VB
E32-3 / M-25XP
Some Random Words of Wisdom from the Internet:
You don't want to mix types - it can gum up your cooling system. If you don't know what your coolant type is, the safe course is to drain, flush with water, and the refill with fresh new coolant.
My "new to me" boat has red coolant and came with a partial jug of Yanmar coolant.
(source, with a bonus thread)
You don't want to mix types - it can gum up your cooling system. If you don't know what your coolant type is, the safe course is to drain, flush with water, and the refill with fresh new coolant.
My "new to me" boat has red coolant and came with a partial jug of Yanmar coolant.
My coolant was red. West Marine diesel coolant is green. There is no WM warning about mixing with other coolants.
I mixed them. The color was mud. So I felt bad, like when nobody was looking I kicked a dog or something. I mean, we are responsible to ourselves, no? If not, then to whoooom?
So I pumped all the coolant out and started over and now it's a very pretty green.
That was near $80 for two gallons of WM and sales tax. I doubt it was really necessary....
I mixed them. The color was mud. So I felt bad, like when nobody was looking I kicked a dog or something. I mean, we are responsible to ourselves, no? If not, then to whoooom?
So I pumped all the coolant out and started over and now it's a very pretty green.
That was near $80 for two gallons of WM and sales tax. I doubt it was really necessary....
K2MSmith
Sustaining Member
Your reply gave me the idea that maybe I should just give List Marine a call (they serviced my engine about 18 months ago when after i first bought the boat). They are also a Yanmar dealer and repower shop, so maybe they just use Yanmar coolant (?)…
Jerry VB
E32-3 / M-25XP
It probably is Yanmar. List Marine should be able to give you good advice.
Yanmar uses the red type coolant, which is found in the Auto aisle under the category "Asian" engine antifreeze.
I wrote about my own self-inflicted coolant woes here:
sailboatrefit.com
I now have the red type, happily.
I wrote about my own self-inflicted coolant woes here:
Yanmar 3GM30F Heat Exchanger Service, Don’t Mix Coolant Colors
sailboatrefit.com
I now have the red type, happily.
To answer your original question, this for topping up: (Purchased from List)
My notes from my first coolant exercise, a couple of years ago:
MaineSail says NOT to mix antifreeze types unless it says safe for all makes. "if it is green stay with green" and DO NOT MIX"
If you don't know what was in there before it is best to
-- drain
-- fill with distilled water
-- run to temp
-- drain
-- (repeat 1-2 times), and then
-- fill with new antifreeze
I did the fill/flush thing a couple of times, and have been running Prestone 50/50 mix (green) ever since.
(says it is good for any vehicle and compatible with any color (type?) of coolant...)
BTW, as an aside, I asked the tech at the local Kubota dealer for "diesel coolant". He laughed and said "it's over there on the shelf next to the blinker fluid". He implied that "diesel coolant" is an urban myth. I don't know nuthin' (and I can generally prove it), all I can say is that the Kubota guy recommended "normal coolant in a 50/50 mix in a Kubota motor", which, after all, is what our Universal diesels are under the gold paint.
I've since been advised that there is actually a kind of coolant made for heavy-duty/high-compression/high-temp diesels, but that it's probably not needed in our relatively low-load boat-motors.
From Wikipedia
"Propylene glycol methyl ether is used as an antifreeze in diesel engines. It is more volatile than glycol."
$.02
Bruce
- Normal antifreeze is 96% ethylene glycol, and 4% additives, used in a 50/50 mix (check label - some antifreeze is already pre-mixed)
Probably green, may be labelled "inorganic" or "conventional" (e.g., Prestone, Zertex)
- "OAT" is "organic acid technology"
Usually orange (e.g. DexCool)
- "Hybrid" = OAT plus the inhibitors from green
May come in many different colors
- RV antifreeze is propylene glycol plus inhibitors
Biodegradable, less toxic, often pink or purple
MaineSail says NOT to mix antifreeze types unless it says safe for all makes. "if it is green stay with green" and DO NOT MIX"
If you don't know what was in there before it is best to
-- drain
-- fill with distilled water
-- run to temp
-- drain
-- (repeat 1-2 times), and then
-- fill with new antifreeze
I did the fill/flush thing a couple of times, and have been running Prestone 50/50 mix (green) ever since.
(says it is good for any vehicle and compatible with any color (type?) of coolant...)
BTW, as an aside, I asked the tech at the local Kubota dealer for "diesel coolant". He laughed and said "it's over there on the shelf next to the blinker fluid". He implied that "diesel coolant" is an urban myth. I don't know nuthin' (and I can generally prove it), all I can say is that the Kubota guy recommended "normal coolant in a 50/50 mix in a Kubota motor", which, after all, is what our Universal diesels are under the gold paint.
I've since been advised that there is actually a kind of coolant made for heavy-duty/high-compression/high-temp diesels, but that it's probably not needed in our relatively low-load boat-motors.
From Wikipedia
"Propylene glycol methyl ether is used as an antifreeze in diesel engines. It is more volatile than glycol."
$.02
Bruce
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