I just rebuilt my 88 F150 with a 5.8 lightning motor. Going to try Evans in it.
Anyone have any experience with this?

Coolants » Engine Cooling Systems
Here is some from their site.
In conditions ranging from -40˚ to 375˚ F; High Performance Coolant provides cooling protection through constant liquid coolant contact with engine metals. Eliminates water-causing corrosion, electrolysis and cavitation. One successful installation provides cooling protection for the life-time of the engine, reducing maintenance time and expense.

 

So they are claiming that you wont ever have to flush the system? Great deal if it works.

 

First time i saw it was on Jay Leno FB. Then at the Simeon Museum. that's two world-class collectors so I thought I'd give it a try not that this is a collectors Truck.

 

So how much did it cost you to switch to the the EVANS flush and refill coolant?

BarnieTrk

 

I just bought 6 gallons off Amazon $40 each. Haven't poured it in yet. No need for flush as I just rebuilt the motor, drained radiator/heater core. I plan to do some towing (GN to track) and I want the peace of mind.

I wish I had heard of this last fall when I rebuilt the Buick GN's motor.
Kinda concerned with getting all the water out of it.



Supercharged Corvette kill vid, sorry GN is my passion. Not my fastest run but best video quality.

 

From just a bit of research I did about Evans Coolant its about a $500 change over, first time only though. Its effectiveness is highly dependent on the entire cooling system being free of all water, anti-freeze etc most of us run. Evans have a full program or recommended procedure using their products to clean and flush an existing system.

It's an interesting and inviting idea---not sure how much better it really is though as I don't tow anything ever.

 

That sounds about right, and another reason I'm doing it now, saves me the flush cost. No need to flush when everything is already drained and that's half the cost to convert. I even removed the heater core to drain out the contaminate (water). Pretty sure their site states 97% of you water needs to be removed.
A 16-lb. cap raises the boiling point 48 degrees higher than the normal 212 degree boiling point to 260 degree. This stuff boils at 375 degree so even if your running hot it's without the pressure. You would need a 54-lb cap to get to that boiling point with water/coolant.

 

IMHO,

1. Nothing substitutes a periodic flush of the radiator

2. When I drain the coolant, I place a doubled up paper towel over the funnel which filters to less than 3 microns (much better then any of the inline filters)- in terms of contaminants, the coolant is now as clean as when it came out of the original bottle. Provided it meets all the other test I do, it is reinstalled in the vehicle.

3. I have installed a magnesium anode in all overflows (same electrolysis protection used per code for all underground tanks)- Zinc anodes, which are preferred for aluminum radiators, are available as well (JC Whitney, etc.) specifically for automotive applications and sell for about $15- they attract all the nasty stuff that destroys radiators, pumps, hoses etc and they become the sacrificial lamb- and keeps the ph of the fluid neutral. The inside of my cooling system and related components is spotless- literally!

4. I check the ph (using a swimming pool kit) - and check the alcohol content using a conventional coolant bulb type test device ($10 at any parts store)

the results.....

1. Contaminant production is eliminated by 90%+ as a result of the neutral ph maintenance

2. Contaminants that are produced are contained outside of the system flow, in the overflow at the anode. At this point I have less contaminant in my system than if I used an inline filter because we have eliminated 90% of the production and contained the residual.

3. With the paper towel, I can actually see the residual system contaminants (which you can typically count) and by most accounts visually know if a potential problem exist by the type and color of the products. The coolant is as clean as if I had opened a fresh container.

4. The system is clean and performance level known.

My personal results...

My father (an ol salt flats racer & aerospace engineer) starting this in the 1950's and typically the conventional coolant lasts 10-20 years in the vehicle before requiring replacement. Prestone did a test for longitivity on coolant long before the extended requirement came to be.....at 13 years they stopped the test because there was no degradation.

I cannot remember repairing a radiator or heat exchanger or water pump during my 50+ years on this earth on any of my family's vehicles- (I take that back, I replaced 2 water pumps on my 1990 F150 when due to a pulley tension/alignment problem it ate two bearings/seals, my fault as I didn't check it the 1st time, but at 80,000 miles I was not too surprised to see a leak from the water pump bearing).
We typically keep our vehicles for 10+ years. Our list of vehicles includes...

1959 221 CID V8 Ranchero (1965 to 1971)
1932 Flathead V8 Ford Coupe (1960 to present)
1965 Mustang (1965 to present)
1969 F100 (1972 to 1984)
1984 F150 (1984 to 2006) (400K+ miles w2 rebuilds)
1979 Honda (1982 to 1990)
1987 Toyota Celica GT (1987 to 1997)
1990 F150 (1990 to 2006)
1997 Cougar Sport (1990 to present)
2006 Mark LT (2006 to present)
2006 F150 4x4 (2006 to present)

Evans also had a issue 20+ years ago with a chemical reaction....it was dissolving (so to speak) the radiator hoses from the inside...as a result, a couple of new GM engines (which the owners had done the coolant replacement) overheated the engines as a result of blocked coolant passages. After the second issue came to be, GM took great efforts in identifying the true issue and issued a TSB in summary, advising not to use "waterless coolant". I'm sure by now they have corrected the compatibility issue, but given the know life expectancy of "conventional coolant" to be 13+ years, well, to each their own.

 

VERY Interesting, Beechkid!

I have a question regarding your #1.
How often did you do the periodic flush...# of miles or #of years?


Another question - regarding your #4.
So, what was the range of "good pH"?
How did you correct the pH if /when it was out of the "good pH" range?

What do you mean by "alcohol content"..or do you mean Ethylene Glycol content?

BarnieTrk

 

Flush- 5 Years

PH- 7 (neutral)- if it goes to 8, its changed with fresh....but I typically get 8-15 years out of it.

"alcohol content"..or do you mean Ethylene Glycol content?- Yes

 

Beechkid, you are def more passionate about coolant than I am. I was just asking for feedback on a product I am getting ready to try. I'm just testing on the truck with plans to use on the GN.
32 Ford Coupe's are awesome!

 

Just was taught how to do maintenance by my dad...an ol salt flat racer who was pretty well known amongst the "Thunder Alley" crowd.....

The 11000 block of West Jefferson Boulevard in Culver City was known as “Thunder Alley,” as it was the home to the shops of Lance Reventlow, TRACO Engineering, Troutman and Barnes, Dick Gulstrand, and for a brief time, the home of Jim Garner’s American International Racing.... here's a couple of links that are interesting.............

» The Historic Culver City Racing Scene Culver City Historical Society

Traco Engineering and Thunder Alley | Hemmings Daily

 

The anode sounds like a good plan - water heaters have these (boilers too I bet) and need to be replaced. Dad talked about big zinc plates on boats back in the day. ... same kind of principle. Use a more reactive element as a sacrifice instead of radiators or gaskets.

Where is the anode installed? So far as recycling coolant, seems like the coolant would need to be ... filtered, as mentioned. Hm. Ok.... It's the flushing part that seems to help, and everyone's always heard that water pumps need some kind of lube more than plain H20, so a couple gallons of coolant now and then, for most backyard DIYers it's reassuring to see that bright green in the tank.

Recycling the old stuff didn't think of that. The boil point and freeze point doesn't degrade over time with glycol? Correct? So... long as the ph is good sounds reasonable, this would save a fortune for fleet owners.

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You are right on all counts (IMHO) ....I install the anode in the radiator overflow.

 

Seems to me the anode would best be inside the radiator itself to work, suspended in coolant? Heck, why not installed in the radiator cap, like a dipstick?

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