Back in 68 I got a job with the State of Ca,. The Division of Highways, later became Caltrans.
There was this grumpy old heavy equipment mechanic, that in the spring would drain the
antifreeze, and replace with water soluable oil. then in the fall go back to the regular
antifreeze. I was 24 at the time and didn`t know anything, and just out of the Navy.
Years later got to thinking, not all of either product would have been all drained out, and what
mixing would cause any problems? Only time I ever herd of anyone doing that.

Later on in Oct 81 bought a new 82 Datsun KC 5-spd with the Nissan SD-22 Diesel engine.
Drove that truck 30 years, and always used 50/50 mix and Distilled water, and on the original
Radiator. Looking at the Tubes they are still open, not as new, but not plugged up in any way.
Finally lost #2 cyl at around 480K miles, back in 2014. I still have the truck out in the shop the
past 10 years, but kind of buried with crap etc.... will be a barn find some day...LOL. "OH look"
"An old classic".
Haven`t looked at it in a long time, as I remember it is a Brass Radiator.
One time I thought I blew the seam along the front where the tank is soldered on.
Well DA here never changed the Radiator Cap, and after 27 years the the Rubber Seal was all
cracked and deteriorated.


Charlie

 

Charlie,

Thanks for sharing these stories—what a great walk down memory lane! Those "grumpy old timers" had unique ways of doing things, and their wisdom is hard to beat. Draining antifreeze for water-soluble oil is certainly unconventional, but it shows how experience often led to creative solutions.

Your 1982 Datsun is an incredible example of the payoff of good maintenance. Nearly 500K miles on the original radiator is no small feat! Sticking to a 50/50 mix and distilled water clearly worked wonders. It might be tucked away in the shop now, but maybe you’ll get it back on the road someday—or it’ll become someone’s barn find. Either way, it’s a real classic in waiting.

We’ll all be the “old timers” one day, passing on stories. Thanks for keeping the history alive!

 

10-4 Summitracing, I just turned 81 yesterday.
There is nothing we know we didn`t learn from some one else. We just try to pass knowledge on to the next person.
Some time`s what we know doesn`t jive with what some else knows.
Each generation always comes up with a new idea to change things. The older generation is the problem.
My generation wasn`t any different. I was born just before WWII ended, the adults around us at the time grew up
during the depression and saw their parents etc... loose everything. Then they came back home from war and were
trying to get their lives back together., and America was getting back up to speed and moving on.
I didn`t know at the time, but many of my teachers were Combat Veterans, you wouldn`t know it. Just wish I could have
learned from them better, and as kids then, respected our Teachers better.
Back then we didn`t have the Internet to have the instant information we have today.
We had to research through Books.

I tell younger kids to listed to older people, you might learn something.
No matter how old we get, always be in the learning mode.
Don`t ask me, Iam still learning...LOL


Charlie

 

Charlie,

Those are exactly the kinds of stories and experiences we had in mind. Thank you for sharing. That was truly well said!