Do I need anti freeze coolant?
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New User
Joined: Aug 2015
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Do I need anti freeze coolant?
I read a lot here about the best antifreeze coolant. If the truck will never, and I mean never, be exposed to freezing temperatures, do I need antifreeze? Our lowest ever temperature was 66 degrees or so.
What should we use? I have a 2004 550.
What should we use? I have a 2004 550.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 972
Likes: 224
From: Linden, Ca.
Yes, you still need antifreeze. Coolant has more than just protection from freezing. It also has lubricants for bearings and seals. And it is also good to help prevent Galvanic corrosion. Sorry. Running straight water is a bad idea. B.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
Ethylene glycol (for example) anti-freeze or "coolant" is usually mixed 50/50 with water and provides freeze protection to -34F below zero. So it's understandable someone might think they don't need it in tropical climes. It's my understanding it has some other benefits - chiefly corrosion inhibitors, water pump lubricant. It also raises the boiling point.
If you look hard enough you can probably find stand alone water pump lubricant and corrosion inhibitor additives. If it were me though I'd talk with mechanics in Anguilla and see what they say, somebody with gray hair. They may well just run a very dilute mix of say 80% water and 20% coolant as an easy and less expensive way for maintaining corrosion protection.
If you look hard enough you can probably find stand alone water pump lubricant and corrosion inhibitor additives. If it were me though I'd talk with mechanics in Anguilla and see what they say, somebody with gray hair. They may well just run a very dilute mix of say 80% water and 20% coolant as an easy and less expensive way for maintaining corrosion protection.
More Turbo
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 614
Likes: 1
Yeah, it's not just about freezing. Antifreeze also changes the boiling point of the system and has a light touch of lubricants in it for things like the water pump.
You really don't want to run with just water. It's fine to flush your system out with plain water with the engine running to help get all the old stuff out, but after this you want to make sure it's got mixed water/antifreeze in for driving around.
You really don't want to run with just water. It's fine to flush your system out with plain water with the engine running to help get all the old stuff out, but after this you want to make sure it's got mixed water/antifreeze in for driving around.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Well the boiling point deal never made much sense to me. The radiator cap means the system is under pressure, and raises the boiling point. Ok, it will cool better because of the relative temperature difference. But any engine would be scrap iron if it gets to +276F or whatever, so I don't see the advantage there particularly.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 4,392
Likes: 22
From: very South Texas
ah, yes 276 is average over the engine..
what about the water temperature at the cylinder head... at the exhaust valves... the most important part of the engine NEEDING the cooling... as the exhaust port area will reach 400 degrees "F"
and the exhaust manifold at the head can reach 700 degrees "F" going down a freeway at 60.
so IT does matter... and always spend the 10 dollars a gallon for anti-freeze.. and FOLLOW the directions on the container.
gasoline burns at 1,200 degrees and it transferred to the piston, cylinder walls, valves and cylinder head... rest the engine does not need extra cooling.
pickup the engineering book on engine design... learn ..
look at any AIR cooled engine... all the cooling fins are up cylinder wall and MOSTLY around the cylinder head..
what about the water temperature at the cylinder head... at the exhaust valves... the most important part of the engine NEEDING the cooling... as the exhaust port area will reach 400 degrees "F"
and the exhaust manifold at the head can reach 700 degrees "F" going down a freeway at 60.
so IT does matter... and always spend the 10 dollars a gallon for anti-freeze.. and FOLLOW the directions on the container.
gasoline burns at 1,200 degrees and it transferred to the piston, cylinder walls, valves and cylinder head... rest the engine does not need extra cooling.
pickup the engineering book on engine design... learn ..
look at any AIR cooled engine... all the cooling fins are up cylinder wall and MOSTLY around the cylinder head..
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New User
Joined: Aug 2015
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Thanks for the responses. I have no intention of running without antifreeze but I wanted to ask the question to gain a better understanding of the science behind antifreeze. The answers on this forum are always so intelligent and experience based.
Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,337
Likes: 346
From: Breckenridge, TX
6.0? Get a CAT EC-1 rated coolant like International uses in the VT365, don't use the "universal" spec Ford Gold.
Valvoline? ZEREX? Extended Life Antifreeze / Coolant : Product Catalog - Valvoline®
Flush with distilled water, and run it for 100k:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...nge-101-a.html
Valvoline? ZEREX? Extended Life Antifreeze / Coolant : Product Catalog - Valvoline®
Flush with distilled water, and run it for 100k:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...nge-101-a.html
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New User
Joined: Aug 2015
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I'm going to follow the flush procedure, I need to find out what suitable coolant I can obtain locally or I will have to import the best product.
Here's another question - the advice is to flush with distilled water. I have a small under sink reverse osmosis unit that produces very close to distilled water, while I wouldn't fill batteries with it I think it is probably perfect for this use. Can anyone comment on this idea?
Here's another question - the advice is to flush with distilled water. I have a small under sink reverse osmosis unit that produces very close to distilled water, while I wouldn't fill batteries with it I think it is probably perfect for this use. Can anyone comment on this idea?
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,745
Likes: 72
From: West Virginia
I'm going to follow the flush procedure, I need to find out what suitable coolant I can obtain locally or I will have to import the best product.
Here's another question - the advice is to flush with distilled water. I have a small under sink reverse osmosis unit that produces very close to distilled water, while I wouldn't fill batteries with it I think it is probably perfect for this use. Can anyone comment on this idea?
Here's another question - the advice is to flush with distilled water. I have a small under sink reverse osmosis unit that produces very close to distilled water, while I wouldn't fill batteries with it I think it is probably perfect for this use. Can anyone comment on this idea?
In your case, using water to flush will dilute whatever coolant you refill with since you can't get it all back out. Distilled (or nearly distilled) water is going to cause the least amount of harm compared to some third party flushing chemical.
So all things considered, what you propose appears to be your most practical option.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 661
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From: Ontario , Canada
You're right reverse osmosis water is very close to distilled water and would work for a flush. However at the rate an under sink unit produces R/O water and with your storage tank in that system being I think 3.5 gallons...you'd have to run the R/O system for several days to get the required amount of water needed to flush the truck. Now taking into account that in order to make 1 gallon of R/O water the unit flushes 4-5 gallons of water to the drain...it's just plain old cheaper and easier to go to the store and buy distilled water. 
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
I understand what you're saying but again, our engines will have long since siezed up tight as a drum before they get anywhere close to those temps. There's no way around this. Even at much cooler temps, once an engine "overheats", it's done for regardless whether it actually boils over or not, the piston rings will have suffered a permanent loss of tension. So while it sounds impressive in the commercials "Boilover protection to temperatures hotter than the surface of the Sun!!" there's no practical benefit that I can think of.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 6
From: Massachusetts
Yes you definitely do need it. Go and get some that's 50/50 I would use motorcraft or at least something that's compatible with your year truck.