Diesel coolant question
I have what is probably a rookie question. I have twin Cat 3208 diesels on my 20 year old boat. Getting ready to go cruising and am doing all the services necessary to keep the boat in good shape. I am getting ready to drain and replace the coolant and I remember somewhere in my aging memory that one should use "diesel" anti-freeze rather than "regular" anti-freeze that I would use in my gasoline powered Ford. I have asked around my marina and was told that I don't need to use anything special in a diesel engine. They say I can use the new orange anti freeze if I drain all the old green stuff out. Or, I can use the green stuff. I was at the auto parts store yesterday and asked the question, and one of the employees told me that he worked for Caterpiller for years maintaining Cat engines and they didn't use anything special in the anti freeze department, just regular anti freeze. What is your advice, Diesel anti freeze or the stuff made for cars? Thanks in advance for
your help.
Mike Sullivan
Irish Ayes - GS 44
Knoxville, TN
Greetings,
If I may add an additional question. Why is it required to add / have
any anti-freeze at all, if always cruising the warmer climates?
Respectfully,
Ken Williams
KK42
Continuum
----- Original Message -----
From: mike.sullivan1@us.army.mil
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 6:53 AM
Subject: T&T: Diesel coolant question
I have what is probably a rookie question. I have twin Cat 3208 diesels on
my 20 year old boat. Getting ready to go cruising and am doing all the
services necessary to keep the boat in good shape. I am getting ready to
drain and replace the coolant and I remember somewhere in my aging memory
that one should use "diesel" anti-freeze rather than "regular" anti-freeze
that I would use in my gasoline powered Ford. I have asked around my
marina and was told that I don't need to use anything special in a diesel
engine. They say I can use the new orange anti freeze if I drain all the
old green stuff out. Or, I can use the green stuff. I was at the auto
parts store yesterday and asked the question, and one of the employees told
me that he worked for Caterpiller for years maintaining Cat engines and
they didn't use anything special in the anti freeze department, just
regular anti freeze. What is your advice, Diesel anti freeze or the stuff
made for cars? Thanks in advance for
your help.
Mike Sullivan
Irish Ayes - GS 44
Knoxville, TN
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Antifreeze/coolants have an additive to keep the interior of your engine
from rusting out.
Bob Clinkenbeard
24' custom trailer trawler
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-aboardbobbinalong
Greetings,
If I may add an additional question. Why is it required to add / have
any anti-freeze at all, if always cruising the warmer climates?
Respectfully,
Ken Williams
KK42
Continuum
Greetings
here is my take.
Engines are EXPENSIVE. Antifreeze is not.
Diesel antifreeze has some "stuff" in it to help prevent corrosion
not experienced by gasoline engines.
As for no antifreeze, I would not. Antifreeze raises the boiling
point, contains anti corrosion and anti corrosive chemicals, and
helps lubricate.
Plain water, even distilled water, cannot do all of the above...
Lee
On Sep 20, 2006, at 15:36, Ken wrote:
Greetings,
If I may add an additional question. Why is it required to
add / have
any anti-freeze at all, if always cruising the warmer climates?
Respectfully,
Ken Williams
KK42
Continuum
----- Original Message -----
From: mike.sullivan1@us.army.mil
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 6:53 AM
Subject: T&T: Diesel coolant question
I have what is probably a rookie question. I have twin Cat 3208
diesels on
my 20 year old boat. Getting ready to go cruising and am doing all
the
services necessary to keep the boat in good shape. I am getting
ready to
drain and replace the coolant and I remember somewhere in my aging
memory
that one should use "diesel" anti-freeze rather than "regular" anti-
freeze
that I would use in my gasoline powered Ford. I have asked around my
marina and was told that I don't need to use anything special in a
diesel
engine. They say I can use the new orange anti freeze if I drain
all the
old green stuff out. Or, I can use the green stuff. I was at the
auto
parts store yesterday and asked the question, and one of the
employees told
me that he worked for Caterpiller for years maintaining Cat engines
and
they didn't use anything special in the anti freeze department, just
regular anti freeze. What is your advice, Diesel anti freeze or
the stuff
made for cars? Thanks in advance for
your help.
Mike Sullivan
Irish Ayes - GS 44
Knoxville, TN
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In an effort to complicate a relatively simple question and stop talking
about discharges I offer the following:
As I said before the reason antifreeze is used in automobiles is that it
significantly raises the boiling point of the coolant. If you put plain
water in a modern car it will overheat. Coolant temperatures can go to 260
degrees in normal operation.
But the other side of the coin is that plain water is more efficient at
transferring heat than a antifreeze/water combination. My experience is on
a dealership level not an engineering level. I am sure that someone on the
list can expound on the reasons for this.
Here is a website that has a lot of technical stuff to back up what I am
trying to say:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethylene-glycol-d_146.html
A Google search for "antifreeze heat transfer properties" will yield lots
of other information.
The bottom line is that water and an additive package like Nal-Cool does a
better job of cooling than antifreeze. I would not recommend just water.
Also notice that the more concentrated the antifreeze solution the less
efficient the heat transfer properties. This does not matter if you have to
have freeze protection, but if not then this is worth considering.
Frank Burrows Destiny 1979 43' Viking MY
Piney Narrows Chesapeake Bay
At 05:03 PM 9/20/2006 +0300, you wrote:
Greetings
here is my take.
Engines are EXPENSIVE. Antifreeze is not.
Mike,
The heavy duty anti-freeze used for diesels should be what you use. In
addition to anti-corrosin properties, you need to be concerned with
cavitation in the coolant, and the damage that can be done to your engine.
You can purchase coolant that is fully formulated, which means it has
everything added. You can also purchase the coolant, and put in the
additive.
Terry Etapa
On 9/20/06, mike.sullivan1@us.army.mil mike.sullivan1@us.army.mil wrote:
I have what is probably a rookie question. I have twin Cat 3208 diesels
on my 20 year old boat. Getting ready to go cruising and am doing all the
services necessary to keep the boat in good shape. I am getting ready to
drain and replace the coolant and I remember somewhere in my aging memory
that one should use "diesel" anti-freeze rather than "regular" anti-freeze
that I would use in my gasoline powered Ford. I have asked around my marina
and was told that I don't need to use anything special in a diesel
engine. They say I can use the new orange anti freeze if I drain all the
old green stuff out. Or, I can use the green stuff. I was at the auto
parts store yesterday and asked the question, and one of the employees told
me that he worked for Caterpiller for years maintaining Cat engines and they
didn't use anything special in the anti freeze department, just regular anti
freeze. What is your advice, Diesel anti freeze or the stuff made for
cars? Thanks in advance for
your help.
Mike Sullivan
Irish Ayes - GS 44
Knoxville, TN
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Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World
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--
Well mystery masked man was smart,
He got himself a Tonto,
'Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free.
But Tonto he was smarter;
One day he said, "Kemosabe:
Kiss my ass, I bought a boat, I'm going out to sea."
-Lyle Lovett, "If I Had a Boat"
What you use has something to do with wet vs. dry liners. Lehman diesels can
use regular auto antifreeze... I use the orange Dexcool with Bob Smith's
blessing. I can't speak for Cat's though.
Keith
Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Etapa" terry.etapa@gmail.com
The heavy duty anti-freeze used for diesels should be what you use. In
addition to anti-corrosin properties, you need to be concerned with
cavitation in the coolant, and the damage that can be done to your engine.
You can purchase coolant that is fully formulated, which means it has
everything added. You can also purchase the coolant, and put in the
additive.