engine coolant

[ronniek]

After 5-6 years,my head gasket on 7mgte is leaking.I have removed cylinder head and found metal head gasket still intact ,but the coolant passages of the exhaust side of cylinder head have been corroded to area where the cylinder compression ring of the head gasket normally sits.
I have been told that engine coolant high in silicates are best for aluminium cylinder heads.
Has any-one got experiences with various engine coolants?.
I have seen articles saying that a sacrificial anode could be used to prevent corrosion of aluminium parts.
Thanks,
Ronnie.

 

[Stretch]

Anyone will tell you, the toyota red coolant is what you should be using in your engine. They sell it at toyota.
eric

 

[SupraMario]

I use the universal stuff, they are switching over to it. soon you will just have that, because it is like biodegradeable and doesnt hurt the envirnment.

 

[smagnotta]

Use Toyota Red = $18 a bottle (factory Toyota coolant for the MK3)

plus

Redline Water Wetter = $7 a bottle (good for stopping corrosion and heat)

One of the greatest combos for the MK3.

Good luck.

 

[Shawndude]

I disagree with both Toyota red "being the best" and watter wetter being of any use at all on a street car, apart from wasting money and proving marketing could indeed sell ice to Eskimos.

Use what was specified for your car, regular high silicate "green" coolant.

 

[suprana1990]

using toyota red coolant is just a gimmick.
it prob. is better than the green stuff but for the supra, green stuff works just fine.
the red juice is more for the newer model of toyota, the red stuff is what they usually carry in the dealership so they stick to red coolant.

not too sure about water wetter, i read here and there that it works but i never tried it myself.

Shawndude is very knowledgable so what he say is fine in my book but it is just my 2cents.

 

[smagnotta]

I was told by the Toyota mechanic to use Toyota Red plus Water Wetter. Probably just said it for job security.

It does seem that $18.00 a bottle is outrageous. A car salesman I know said, "Yea and you can't even drink it - I've had bottles of wine cheaper than that...."

But I do believe that Redline Water Wetter does help...

 

[americanjebus]

didnt we have a huge argument over this a while back, i remember some people ringing other people necks over red vs green. anyway most say red, if you want go with green but it has been argued "it does not handle well in our engines from heat and water pump" we need to find that thread or ressurect it.

 

[GrimJack]

A good friend of mine is a chemist. He tells me the difference between the Toyota red and the luminescent green that you buy in stores is simply the dye they use.

Shawn is correct on the water wetter - well, at least in our climate. It might be useful in the hotter areas... but I'm not holding my breath. I use it in mine, but mine is hardly a normal streetcar any longer.

PS: Water wetter *will* find any little leaks you have and make them BIG leaks. Quickly.

 

[billspreston01]

whether it works or not, the extra money is peace of mind to some people. Red coolant, green coolant, blue orange black purple beige...who cares what coolant haha. I have def. heard a lot of good things about the water wetter though. Maybe somebody should do a test

 

[smagnotta]

There are some general tests:

http://www.water-cooling.com/articles/waterwetter/waterwetter.php

http://www55.dixiesys.com/~bunker/wetter.html

http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/redtech3.htm

I don't know if anyone tested it for the MK3.

Quote from the 2nd link:

"WaterWetter®, when used at it's recommended dose it does NOT negatively affect cooling like the glycol antifreeze does. So if you are looking for a coolant additive to help control corrosion WaterWetter® is worth a look. It'll do the job without killing water's thermal transfer properties and may actually work slightly better than water alone."

 

[DrakeMK3]

I use a 50/50 mix of the green coolant and filtered water and I don't overheat. If the coolant passages are corroded, that means non-distilled water has been used instead causing the corrosion. If you are experiencing overheating issues, something needs to be fixed....and it's not just a coolant change.

 

[85MkII89MkIIIT]

Seriously, I mean not to flame anyone or anyone's ideas, but everytime I hear that the only difference between the green and the red is the dye, I just cringe. I have even had a Toyota/GM dealership parts dept in the sticks tell me the same thing, and I actually had to explain to them (after all their only human) that Toyota red coolant does not contain the silicates that can harm water pump seals, or the borates that can cause aluminum corrosion/pitting that can commonly be found in your normal "green" ethylene glycol mix. It's right on the label. Ask yourself this question: With all the evidence you've seen, felt and witnessed firsthand of Toyotas' level of engineering and quality from owning and working on your cars, do you really think Toyota would dye it red just to be different and get us all to think we HAVE to use it? I'm not a chemist nor do I know anyhting about water wetter, just offering a humble opinion on "green vs. red". I'm also not certain on the time frame, but didn't GM follow suit w/ their "Dexcool"?

 

[Shawndude]

I can do a magic vodoo dance in my underwear inside my closet that keep the BHG demons away. Scientifically tested to work, guaranteed results!!!

Send $17.99 to.....and I will send you charts you will not understand, but probably think are super groovy and stuff.

Ok, dumb stuff aside.

Without getting into a very long explanations that only my mother would appreciate, I've spent many hours researching and testing the topic of coolants, coolant additives and cooling systems in general.

The sad truth is, we're not smarter than the guy at Toyota who designed the cooling system. And neither are the aftermarket guys whoring their products for profit.

The "new generation" coolants are great...............if you have a healthy car and your main priority is an extremely long coolant change interval, unheard of in the year 1987.

As far as the "seal longevity" BS, your car was designed for the silicates to be there. No other coolant will coat and protect exposed metal as fast or as well. The downside is, you have to change it more often, which shouldn't be a problem with anyone calling themselves an enthusiast.

 

[Justin727]

whats ur paypal i want the charts and the dancing directions?