Date:         Sat, 20 Dec 1997 11:11:07 -0600
Reply-To:     "Mark B. Magee" <condor2@FLASH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.sdsc.edu>
From:         "Mark B. Magee" <condor2@FLASH.NET>
Organization: Condor Efficiency
Subject:      Phosphate-Free Coolant: War and Peace
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Volks,
It seems the Phosphate-Free coolant issue resurfaces every 6 mos or so
on the List. In summary, my research has shown:
1) Electrolysis is the issue, it must be stopped or pitting will occur
throughout the coolant loop, primarily on the "hotspots", heads, jugs
etc.
2) Distilled water is truly important, as city water contains minerals
that will conduct "electricity" and enhance electrolysis. Distilled
water will -not- conduct electricity, it is the minerals etc. in water
that carry electricity. But even with distilled water, the coolant loop
will have copper/aluminum/iron particles sintered off into the coolant
over time, thus enabling the electrolysis process to begin.
3) In the past, with all iron engines, phosphate was the additive of
choice to inhibit electrolysis. But the old iron engines
(iron-block/iron-head/copper radiator) did not produce but a fraction of
the electrolysis produced by modern iron-block/alum heads/copper
radiators. It is the different metals that truly "charge" the coolant to
produce a small electric charge that will "supercharge" corrosion and
pitting.
4) Phosphates in coolant will exhaust themselves over time and become
"used up", up until the point at which they are expended in their
ability to inhibit electrolysis, the phosphates will do a fine job at
resisting electrolysis/corrosion. After that point, the coolant will
become a hotbed of electrolysis.
5) In the old engines with more similar metals the phosphates remained
intact for years, today, maybe a year max.
Conclusion: You can run phosphated coolant in your wasserboxer, just
make sure you change every 12 months or less. The new non-phosphated
coolants use different inhibitors that last longer in the more harsh
environment of the multi-metal engines of today, or so the mfgrs claim.
I use non-phosphated Prestone Long Life, distilled water, Red Line Water
Wetter and change all annually. I also occasionally check pH balance of
my coolant using pH test strips, the pH should always be 7 or higher in
on the pH scale (the basic range). However I have found that this method
is somehwhat unreliable (pH will be 11 or so in the bottle and
immediately falls to 7.5 or 8 in the vehicle).

Regards/Merry Christmas
Mark B. Magee
87GL
82 Diesel Westy
Kemah TX
John 14:6

                        Jesus is the Reason for the Season