While browsing the internet, I came upon an article concerning supplemental coolant additive. (SCA) Apparently, some diesel engines form bubbles in the coolant and these bubbles are very bad for the engine block. The SCA prevents the bubbles.
My question, are any additives needed in a Super Dexta? Or is normal ethylene glycol antifreeze enough?
Thanks, Terry
coolant additive for cavitation
coolant additive for cavitation
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1964 Fordson Super Dexta
1964 Fordson Super Dexta
There are lots of theories about cavitation and its causes. It was never a serious problem until the late 1970's as far as Ford were concerned, then things went mad and engine blocks were starting to look like Swiss Cheese.
We heard rumours that the metal used to make the block was cheapened by the addition of a higher percentage of reclaim but who knows. Some blocks were imported from Brazil under Fords "World Supply" policy and these did not seem to suffer from the problem.
I know that a local farm had 20 tractors of all Ford models built around 1979 to 1985 and they had a huge heap of engines and short block units heaped outside the workshop, that Ford had replaced under warranty and not collected.
Ford then installed water filters on the tractors and added chemicals to the water and the problem went away. They were not the only company to suffer. John Deere even supply there own coolant to be used in place of the water antifreeze mix.
Perkins engines did not seem to suffer from the problem. But then, the Dexta is not a Perkins engine and the cast work was made by Ford.
Should you use additive in our tractors? I would say not. There is an environmental aspect to this as the additives are extremely poisonous. Our engines have worked for over 50 years without it and apart from block corrosion, in the case of the Major, show little signs of porosity being a problem.
I would suggest (and use) a good quality antifreeze at a 50% solution and leave it at that.
We heard rumours that the metal used to make the block was cheapened by the addition of a higher percentage of reclaim but who knows. Some blocks were imported from Brazil under Fords "World Supply" policy and these did not seem to suffer from the problem.
I know that a local farm had 20 tractors of all Ford models built around 1979 to 1985 and they had a huge heap of engines and short block units heaped outside the workshop, that Ford had replaced under warranty and not collected.
Ford then installed water filters on the tractors and added chemicals to the water and the problem went away. They were not the only company to suffer. John Deere even supply there own coolant to be used in place of the water antifreeze mix.
Perkins engines did not seem to suffer from the problem. But then, the Dexta is not a Perkins engine and the cast work was made by Ford.
Should you use additive in our tractors? I would say not. There is an environmental aspect to this as the additives are extremely poisonous. Our engines have worked for over 50 years without it and apart from block corrosion, in the case of the Major, show little signs of porosity being a problem.
I would suggest (and use) a good quality antifreeze at a 50% solution and leave it at that.
Last edited by Brian on Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Brian
Brian