No overflow tanks on 65's.
Green antifreeze or coolant as some call it.
- Thread starter Bills65Dart
- Start date
-
Then there should be a hose that carries any overflow to the ground. So everytime the engine cools down, the coolant's top surface is an inch or two below the cap. Most recent (21st century) systems are sealed so there is very little exchange of air and oxygen with the cooling system. That's part of why the new coolants work well in those systems - and last a long time.
In fact, I kept the original antifreeze in my PT cruiser for 10 years simply by adding some conditioner with water pump lube every year. No issues.
Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
Not a huge Wal-Mart fan, but you can't argue with their pricing. Get a gallon of antifreeze, and distilled water.
You do not have an overflow tank, just a tube running off the radiator to the ground. When filling your radiator, it should be about 1" below the top of the radiator. Allowing room for expansion. While you are at it, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a new Stant rad cap.
Look for 'conventional' or 'IAT' on the label. Another thing to look for is a chart that shows its spcifically for older american cars.
https://images.oreillyauto.com/uploads/pdf/ad/SD_672 AFZ Comparison Chart-1.pdf
CONVENTIONAL ANTIFREEZE | GREEN ANTIFREEZE | FULL STRENGTH
https://images.oreillyauto.com/uploads/pdf/ad/SD_672 AFZ Comparison Chart-1.pdf
CONVENTIONAL ANTIFREEZE | GREEN ANTIFREEZE | FULL STRENGTH
Now I understand what you mean, yeah, no tank outside the radiator. No no, 1965 is as far as I know long before the separate tanks came. I kind of like the old systems better, that extra tank is just a mess. Some works, some not.
Bill
A lot people add them, or at least a catch can, so thats why we asked. Race tracks often require some sort of catch can because antifreeze dumped can be slippery. Anyway thats why it was even brought up.
The problem comes in when you mix different colors. Of course, it's not just the color, it's the chemical makeup and some can have bad reactions and turn to a thick goo like gel and it almost impossible to get it all out, if you mix the wrong colors together. MY advice to all my customers was to use the store brand universal. That way, "just in case" another color or type is mixed in later on down the road, either "by accident" OR "in case that's all you can find" in an emergency kinda situation, it does not matter, because the universal will mix with it ALL. Just my 2 cents and probably worth exactly that.
I totally understand what you are saying. The reason this came up is that hopefully in not too long time I will try to connect the heater core and then need to add some fluid. Now, the car has been going in the Los Angeles are without air condition, and I was thinking maybe that was the reason it was disconnected. But it might be a leaking heater core too. And if the leak is very small, I might end up trying something like bars leak or whatever to seal it. Or get the heater core fixed. And then we'll, the system needs to be flushed and new coolant put it. However, a good flush could be a smart thing in any case. When it comes to mixing coolant types I have a "reputation" for just adding up water if I don't have the same brand that is on the car.
Bill
Walmart "Super Tech" store brand is Ethylene Glycol. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-50-50-Antifreeze-Coolant-Pre-Mix/16928010
Bill, although mine does not have A/C, it took me all of an hour to replace my heater core, including complete disassembly of the heater box, MAKING a new right hand air box door seal cleaning everything up like new, a coat of paint and reinstalling it. I've done the A/C style boxes the same way. "It ain't hard" to fix it right. Now, I will say this. When I do one, I take the front seat out. "THAT" makes it a lot easier.
I took a path to simplicity. We own a Toyota RAV4. It uses a a pretty pink Asian coolant. So back when my 96 Toyota Camry had a hose burst at its little heat exchanger at oil filter I changed it to the Asian coolant. When 67 Barracuda needed a water pump I changed it to Asian coolant.
From what I understand, it's environmentally friendly, doesn't poison pets, etc...
My main reason is about having just one partial jug of coolant sitting here that I can pour into any vehicle here.
I installed a aftermarket coolant recovery bottle to B'cuda several years ago. Similar glance at coolant level under all hoods.
From what I understand, it's environmentally friendly, doesn't poison pets, etc...
My main reason is about having just one partial jug of coolant sitting here that I can pour into any vehicle here.
I installed a aftermarket coolant recovery bottle to B'cuda several years ago. Similar glance at coolant level under all hoods.
Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
For 'pour in' repairs use the ginger root based stuff. GM used it for their fix when they had a problems. Actually looks like pellets.
Nothing wrong with using water for cooling especially if you suspect a leak. In your climate, you might be able to get by with water plus a corrossion inhibiter and water pump lubricant additive.
Of course if you forget that there's only water in there and it freezes....not that I ever did that.
It was a very cold drive home. Amazing nothing broke. Prob wasn't frozen throughout. Chevy straight 6 250 with worn bearings. Figured it might be finally done for, but it wasn't.
The block water jacket is where I've found a lot of accumulation of scale, rust, deposits. Heck some of it might be sand left over from the casting process. Anyway I replace coolant more frequently than I used to. OK. Truth be I never used to replace it as regular maintance - on an old car you wan t to keep - that's a mistake.
All coolants are either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. Without an addititve package both are pretty aggressive in eating away at some metals, especially when mixed with water.
Ethylene glycol is still the most common base. It's also the one that if ingested in even small amounts will kill a dog (or any other small animal). Propylene glycol is hands down better base in terms of toxicity. This is one of hte reasons I rarely would bring my dog to the garage and yard I rent, and always be real alert if start sniffing in the curbs or street gutters.
j par
Well-hung Member
You mean gender-neutral fluid...
Here is more or less what I found out yesterday when reading about the different coolants. It started over 100 years ago, they had only water in, and when the summer came to an end it was just a rusty mess. Then winter came and they had to drain the water after every trip and fill new water in before every trip. So, they obviously had two issues.
They fixed both, and were happy with it, the engines were cast iron, and the radiator was copper. No aluminum.
Then some started with aluminum parts, thermostat housing and water pump. And they had an issue, the aluminum corroded. Then they fixed that too.
So, then they used American coolants / antifreeze in Japan, and they got issues. Had to be investigated, and they found that the water in Japan was not like the water in America. Different soils, and different minerals.
Then European water was more like American water, but not entirely the same. So, Japan developed a coolant for their water, and Europe for their water. Half fixed, they continued and changed the aluminum alloy to fit their water and their special coolant better, and Europe did the same.
So, then Japan and Europe found out that they wanted to export their cars to the US, and now the fun starts. The US now has conventional coolant for trucks and older cars, adapted to American water. Then since they have a lot more aluminum in the engines the aluminum protection in the conventional coolant is not enough so they have made coolants for aluminum engines with American water, and then they have made coolant for Asian/Japanese cars in the US with American water, different from the coolant used in Asia and Japan, and they have done the same for European cars that is being used here in America. Some of these coolants from what I read can be mixed, others react to each other and forms a gel that in worst case is a commercial business to fix. And then they have made a coolant that is not supposed to react to any other coolants but from what some says, it is not the very best for any of the engines. It is good, and last long, but still the specified coolants seems to be better.
It has created a mess, but what I read is that if you go with the yellow modern stuff, you do not ruin anything, even if mixed with other coolants. It works fine, but there might be other alternatives that might be better.
Then you have the specific stuff where you should know what you are doing and stick to that. In other words, use it for the cars and water it was intended for, and don't use it on other cars and in other places of the world with different water. This is how I understand what I have been reading so far.
I wish life was simpler than this, and it is simple enough if you stick to modern yellow coolant. If you want to be a little more advanced, read up on the stuff and get educated and do it the right way.
I want to thank everybody for their input in this. I hope maybe someone could pick up a little useful information, as for me, I have learned a lot.
Bill
Oh and FWIW, I don't use 50/50 anything. I use 100%. No sense in paying for a half gallon of water.
Hemioutlaw
Make America Great Again!
Buy the Green Prestone Concentrate and mix it yourself w/ distilled water= Save $$$
Was in O'Reillys recently picking up a bunch of supplies and just happened to grab a couple of gallons of the Prestone Pre-Mix without thinking much about it but was then in Walmart a couple of days later standing in front of the antifreeze looking at the concentrate for like $8.80 a gallon when it dawned on me that i'd payed $12.00 a gallon for the Pre-Mix...F-That. I grabbed a couple of gallons of the concentrate and the Pre-Mix went back to O'Reillys and as I looked around at O'Reillys I didn't see hardly any of the concentrate and asked the counter guy where the Prestone concentrate was and he said they don't carry it but have a very limited quantity of the O'Reilly brand concentrate on hand because people don't want the hassle of mixing it.......All simple economic's but seriously how fking hard is it to mix a 50/50 solution and save yourself a lot of $$$.....We are Truly Doomed as a Society!
I also need to mention that the shelves at Walmart were completely empty of the Pre-Mix but they had plenty of the concentrate---Go Figure!
Was in O'Reillys recently picking up a bunch of supplies and just happened to grab a couple of gallons of the Prestone Pre-Mix without thinking much about it but was then in Walmart a couple of days later standing in front of the antifreeze looking at the concentrate for like $8.80 a gallon when it dawned on me that i'd payed $12.00 a gallon for the Pre-Mix...F-That. I grabbed a couple of gallons of the concentrate and the Pre-Mix went back to O'Reillys and as I looked around at O'Reillys I didn't see hardly any of the concentrate and asked the counter guy where the Prestone concentrate was and he said they don't carry it but have a very limited quantity of the O'Reilly brand concentrate on hand because people don't want the hassle of mixing it.......All simple economic's but seriously how fking hard is it to mix a 50/50 solution and save yourself a lot of $$$.....We are Truly Doomed as a Society!
I also need to mention that the shelves at Walmart were completely empty of the Pre-Mix but they had plenty of the concentrate---Go Figure!
Well, this might be a little confusing. The old green stuff that is called green is more like a mix of yellow and green, slime sort of ? (uff, was that bad language?) And the new yellow is more like a see through yellow, but with a green tint on it. So, it is easy to be confused. What I mean is that I would not be surprised if someone think the new yellow stuff is just a variety of the old green one.
Bill
Conventional should be pretty green when fresh. Selling stuff that is green but something else, or gold-green like old (used) anti-freeze makes it confusing for all of us.
Its why going by color alone is not a guarentee.
Lots of former industry standards are now followed only loosely. It's not just coolant manufactures.
Here's a chart that covers most of them, and what they usually are, or were supposed to be, kindof ...
Last edited:
From Motor August 2004 "Coolant Confusion: Its Not Easy being Green, or Yellow, or Orange.."
by Paul Weissler
and from p. 32
A followup article from 2010 is also available as pdf download:
"Relearning the Alphabet: Making Sense of the Cooling System Scene." also by Paul Weissler
by Paul Weissler
and from p. 32
A followup article from 2010 is also available as pdf download:
"Relearning the Alphabet: Making Sense of the Cooling System Scene." also by Paul Weissler
Last edited:
-
