Coolant / anti freeze

[paudie]

This is a obvious but not so obvious question can anti freeze be used as a coolant and can engine coolant be used as anti freeze ? Can u mix both ?. Is there any differences ? I've asked but people' say. " there isn't much difference " which is supposed to explain it all lol .

[Timeee]

Dear Paudie

Hmmm, there is always confusion, when people use different (and sometimes inaccurate) terms for things. I am always amused when people refer to "dampers" on a vehicle's suspension system as "shock absorbers". The spring is the shock absorber, the thing that stops it going into resonance is the damper. Enough of that.

Coolant is a generic term used to describe the fluid used in an engine's cooling system to transfer heat from the engine, by passing it through the radiator (with a cooling air flow through it). The coolant also has other tasks, to lubricate the water pump, reduce corrosion in your cooling system and to be able to give protection against frost damage in Winter.

So the coolant for a Fordson Major can be water from the local brook,(if you do not mind draining it every night during Winter to avoid frost damage) or the specified mix of anti-freeze and clean (preferably pure rain) water. There are a number of products advertised as "coolants" which claim to have greater qualities of heat transfer such as Purple Ice. You do not need these expensive fluids for your 1950s design of diesel engine.

Neat anti-freeze can be used as a coolant in your Fordson, but it would be a waste of money having such a strong mixture, unless you are leaving it out in -40 degrees C in somewhere like Alberta, Canada. One should make up coolant using a good quality antifreeze, mixed with soft water in the correct ratio to give you adequate frost protection during Winter. This can stay in the cooling system for as long as recommended by the anti-freeze manufacturer. I usually check the strength of the coolant (ant-freeze and water mix) in my tractors once a year in Autumn. I should add that unlike modern engines, your Major water pump is happy to pump just clean water. Modern engines specify a coolant additive (antifreeze) to provide some lubrication for their water pumps, as they are to a slightly different design to that used in your Major engine. I hope that answers your query.

[paudie]

Well timee , that's sorts that out thanks for the help . I have a gallon of coolant in The tractor as it is ,but ill need to put more In .so instead ill just fill it up with good quality soft water,
Thanks

[Pavel]

To follow on from Timeee's post: Do not under any circumstance use only neat antifreeze. It's thermal efficiency is very low and you will cook your diesel engine.
There are 3 types of antifreeze marketed based on ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and another I remember not. The cheapest is ethylene and is the one you should use. It also has the advantage of being an added protection against cavitation damage which is a real possibility with high compression diesel engines.
The AA [Automobile Association] also has an interesting website about antifreeze and highly recommends the use of distilled water to counter the effects of calcium build-up in coolant systems.

Pavel

[AdrianNPMajor]

Not sure where you are, Paudie, but if you're in North America, looks like you need your antifreeze at the moment.
Hope everyone there is safe and warm.
Best, Adrian.

[paudie]

No Aidrian ,I'm here in Southern Ireland , we don't get too much extreme weather . I'm going shopping on Saturday for my FMD mudguards ,cables, fuel pipes ,timing cover air breather,steering wheel nut and washer , rad cap assembly and hand throttle leaver .it might even look like a tractor if I had all that back and fitted .
Paudie

[oehrick]

Paudie

Don't be tempted to buy a pressure cap for the rad, I did without thinking about it and was taken to task by our local parts supplier as pressurising coolant in an old wet liner engine such as the FMD is a recipe for pushing coolant through possibly putty like liner O rings to make a mess in the sump - the original I was replacing didn't help identification as dad had used an old fuel tank cap

[paudie]

Thanks rick re: rad cap . That's a good point , I fitted new liners and o rings but am a little bit suspicious on the condition of the o ring housing on one cylinder, So i won't put any extra pressure on it if not needed.
Thanks .
Paudie

[sky blue]

for my rad/system i catch rain water in a plastic container stright from sky
not off roof ect and mix a 50/50 with antifreze mix probley to much but
saves trying to get it right by book , i do this every two years,