Calling all Evan's Waterless Coolant users

Mike McGuire

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Fellow Mopar Enthusiasts,

Dear Chyrstine (68 Newport) runs hot. I find myself nervously watching the temp gauge when I am out for more than 10 minutes. I hate, HATE feeling that way when out for a romp. Short of a complete engine and tranny rebuild, I am considering using a Waterless Coolant along with synthetic oil, to see if I can get it running without so much worry.

I upsized the radiator last year, added a shroud, performance water pump, flushed the crap out of it, burped it, etc, etc., still runs hotter than I want it to. So switching to a waterless coolant seems like my next move. Keep in mind, I want to do this for the peace of mind, not for drag racing purposes.

I would like to hear first hand feedback about this kind of product from the Mopar brotherhood. So, if you have used a waterless coolant, please let me know how you like it or not.

Thanks,
Mike

newports2.jpg
 
ehh, no ones gonna like this thread. a mopar motor should be the 3rd coolest thing on the planet - shouldnt ever run hot. something is amiss. all that rebuild and bigger radiator and all that should have fixed it.

what degrees yer thermostat?
 
I forget... I think 180 or less.
I've run it with and without the thermostat, same result.

I think something is off, perhaps to much gunk on the heads or something else. I use 93-94 octane, and lead additive. No knocking, timing is fine, fiddled with that a bunch last year as well. Not missing at all.

So, I figured I'd try the waterless stuff as a band-aid before I rebuild the plant.
 
I use Evans in most of my vehicles now. The 65 Newport is currently drained for change to an aluminum water pump housing and Evans. Most experience is in my 80's M-B diesels. They have made it up the Tejon Pass on I-5 on hot summer days without getting too hot (~104 C, 120 C limit, 82 C thermostat) though T-stat was likely full open. Evans is to avoid corrosion, so your cooling won't degrade. You actually get the best cooling with 100% water, but of course that would soon corrode to cause worse operation. Some muscle car owners use 100% water w/ an anti-corrosion, and many tracks require that. If you do use Evans, first totally drain and dry. Remove both block plugs and blow out the heater core, then leave it open all summer to dry. Some people say you can instead use pure Sierra Coolant (propylene glycol) since that is what original Evans was (now mixture w/ ethylene glycol). Sierra costs $15/gal vs $42/gal for Evans. Ace sells Sierra.

To trouble-shoot, if it doesn't overheat on the highway and only when sitting, then air flow is your problem. Replacing the clutch-fan may fix it. Also, a shroud and rubber hood block at the top or radiator to prevent air recirculating. If it overheats at speed, then water flow or blockage is the problem. I use 1 lb citric acid (ebay) in pure water over day of hot driving to flush the system.

BTW, my 85 M-B started running hot a year ago, even in the winter, and usually when sitting long at stop lights. I have tried everything, even switching to pure water for a while and another flush, new water pump, T-stat, fan, flushed and tested radiator. No indication of a head gasket leak (no bubbles or oil in coolant). Has me stumped. My 65 Newport always had problems w/ overheating, even when I first bought it decades ago. It once boiled over after climbing a mountain to snow in the winter. Usually OK on the highway. Now have a large aluminum radiator, but haven't driven much since then. I suspect running lean was the main issue.
 
Thanks for your $0.02 Bill.

Don't think I can let it sit all summer without coolant in there, but I can spare a day.
I think you might have something on the running lean idea.
I added a HV fuel pump in case it was starving due to an old tired pump.
Perhaps I should investigate running it richer. Must be a screw or 2 on the carb to tweak.

Thanks for the tip on the propylene glycol, will save me precious beer money during this experiment.

It generally overheats no matter what I am doing, but least resistant to overheating (takes longer) if I just start it and let it sit.

Mike
 
Waterless coolant is pure unadulterated boolchit.
Absolutely garbage. Tiger piss. Snake oil.
If you think its a magic bullet, then just send me the money and I'll pee into your radiator. Same thing.
I guess you now know how I feel about that crap.
 
Waterless coolant is pure unadulterated boolchit.
Absolutely garbage. Tiger piss. Snake oil.
If you think its a magic bullet, then just send me the money and I'll pee into your radiator. Same thing.
I guess you now know how I feel about that crap.
Did you ever use it?
 
Redline water wetter helps somewhat, reduces surface tension of the water to combat forming steam bubbles like around exhaust ports. Sounds like a lean condition or not enough vacuum advance. Stock/correct carb? Distributor advance working properly?
I am not a fan of waterless, nothing relieves you of proper maintenance intervals. What gauge are you using, factory, mechanical, infrared laser.
 
Is your radiator a 22" or a 26"? Usually, a/c cars have the 26", non a/c cars the 22". If you put in an aftermarket radiator, even if it is larger than the original one, chances are the fin density of the new radiator will be a lot less (worse) than factory stock cores, so the replacement will likely cool worse than factory. The only way to go is to take your original radiator and have a new high efficiency core installed in it with 3 rows of tubes. The reason most poeple don't do this is the cost, as a recored radiator of this type (26") will set you back about $500 out the door. 22" radiators are borderline from the factory and I would never use one in any of my Mopars - I would change the radiator support to 26" and upgrade the radiator to match.

The other option people take is to try an aluminum radiator, but cost equals performance with those as well. If you get a cheap one with small tubes, they won't do any better than stock - you have to get the better ones that cost a lot more and then they don't look original and usually don't mount right up or accept factory shrouds.

If your ambient temperatures are below 90F and your coolant temperature is more than 200, there is a problem, and when everything else is tried, it usually ends up being the condition of the core or density of the fin spacing of the cores. Even the high efficiency radiators (26") will go up to about 205F on a day above 100F ambient in traffic with the a/c on, which is probably acceptable performance. I personally liked the GM cross - flow radiators back in those days since they were much wider and would tolerate higher temperatures better than the Chrysler radiators in those days, but that is not really an easy option to pursue for our cars.
 
The factory gauge is nothing to rely on mine is usually just below the H on a 90+ day and the radiator temp at the top inlet was only 216 with a laser infrared temp gun
 
Having used Evans in my Goldwing for close to 10 years now I can say that it has saved my bacon on the bike many times when we have gotten caught in sweltering heat in the summer.
I considered going with Evans for the Polara but when I discovered that it was an 18qt capacity I changed my mind:rolleyes:.

Locally here it runs for $17cdn/liter which is equal to the US quart so the math would be$17 x 18= $306 a whole lot of $$$
I couldn't justify that at this time when I was bleeding $$$ in the budget.
I'm happy i went with regular coolant mix at the time as the block was a bit rusty and the new coolant helped flush it out.
I have since bartered my way into a 3 core rad, a clutch fan and a 7 blade aluminum hemi fan a much desired setup that has the engine running at a constant temp in all conditions.

I was told that all liquid cooled aircraft must run Evans since there is no H2O to freeze up plus it transfers heat at a much better rate than a 50/50 mix of glycol and water
 
I have the original radiator in my 78 NYB with a 400. I have replaced the water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, all the hoses and belts. I have installed a 440 Source billet aluminum thermostat housing. 50/50 mix of Prestone antifreeze. I replaced those components because I drive from the east coast to Green Bay, Wisconsin several times every year and it gives me peace of mind having replaced all of those parts. There has been several Carlisle shows where the ambient temps were 104-107 degrees and I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. With the A/C on the temp gauge was right on the money even in that brutal heat. I also have all of the shroud and other rubber dams that are all over those Formal engine bays. I was just tickled with the cooling performance of my Formal!

Saying all that....you have something wrong with your cooling system. Maybe it's your radiator.
 
Evan's is all that it's cracker up to be, but is expensive.
I doubt it will cure your problem.
Check your fan,.... is it turning the right way....? Blowing in, not out.
 
Fellow Mopar Enthusiasts,

Dear Chyrstine (68 Newport) runs hot. I find myself nervously watching the temp gauge when I am out for more than 10 minutes. I hate, HATE feeling that way when out for a romp. Short of a complete engine and tranny rebuild, I am considering using a Waterless Coolant along with synthetic oil, to see if I can get it running without so much worry.

I upsized the radiator last year, added a shroud, performance water pump, flushed the crap out of it, burped it, etc, etc., still runs hotter than I want it to. So switching to a waterless coolant seems like my next move. Keep in mind, I want to do this for the peace of mind, not for drag racing purposes.

I would like to hear first hand feedback about this kind of product from the Mopar brotherhood. So, if you have used a waterless coolant, please let me know how you like it or not.

Thanks,
Mike

Have you pressure tested your cooling system? I bet you got a leak somewhere.
 
That stuff is too expensive to be experimenting with.

The corrosion claim I can understand. Only crack in that is you connot eliminate all the oxygen in a non recovery system, so you need to modify your old car to see the full benefit of corrosion. The other problem is the high boiling point
1 if your engine is boiling over rumbling radiator and completely maxed cooling system, you have a problem.
2 At 16 psi cooling system pressure the boiling point is like 250+ not the 226 they claim. Again if you car is running at 250+ degrees you have a problem.
3 Theirs stays liquid to 375. Your engine oil and trans fluid have begun to degrade by then so what good is that doing unless of course you are escaping from brain starved zombies maybe you want to keep running it for awhile.
 
Is your radiator a 22" or a 26"? Usually, a/c cars have the 26", non a/c cars the 22". If you put in an aftermarket radiator, even if it is larger than the original one, chances are the fin density of the new radiator will be a lot less (worse) than factory stock cores, so the replacement will likely cool worse than factory. The only way to go is to take your original radiator and have a new high efficiency core installed in it with 3 rows of tubes. The reason most poeple don't do this is the cost, as a recored radiator of this type (26") will set you back about $500 out the door. 22" radiators are borderline from the factory and I would never use one in any of my Mopars - I would change the radiator support to 26" and upgrade the radiator to match.

The other option people take is to try an aluminum radiator, but cost equals performance with those as well. If you get a cheap one with small tubes, they won't do any better than stock - you have to get the better ones that cost a lot more and then they don't look original and usually don't mount right up or accept factory shrouds.

If your ambient temperatures are below 90F and your coolant temperature is more than 200, there is a problem, and when everything else is tried, it usually ends up being the condition of the core or density of the fin spacing of the cores. Even the high efficiency radiators (26") will go up to about 205F on a day above 100F ambient in traffic with the a/c on, which is probably acceptable performance. I personally liked the GM cross - flow radiators back in those days since they were much wider and would tolerate higher temperatures better than the Chrysler radiators in those days, but that is not really an easy option to pursue for our cars.

I've experimented with a cleaned out 26" from another newport, as well as an aftermarket 26" smaller cored version. Both overheat.
 
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