Coolent type, '89 6.2L rebuild

[Mikey von]

I am finally getting ready to fire this thing you (hopefully this weekend). It is a fresh 6.2L in a '89 Suburban.

What type (color) coolent is best? 25 or so quarts?

 

[dyeager535]

My *opinion* is that if you are doing an initial firing up, I'd run straight water. If anything goes wrong/leaks, you aren't spending X$ a gallon to replace it, and when everything checks out, you just dump it on the ground and refill.

Not opinion, water is a superior *coolant* to any antifreeze mix, your radiator cap is what does the majority of the work to increase boiling point.

Personally, the antifreeze market has gotten too confusing for me to mess with anything other than the green stuff. If they somehow manage to standardize coolant and it's all interchangeable and backwards compatible, I'd change my thinking, but I don't think it's going that way.

FWIW, you can recharge green coolant, it never truly wears out, but that's another topic.

 

[454Sub]

Agree with above, use water for initial fire up, then switch to standard green and run it.

 

[Mikey von]

Sounds smart. Straight water does scare me freezing wise. When I first moved up to the mountains, I purchased a k5 in the valley. I drove it home that night and woke up to a frozen and cracked block . I will just have to not forget to drain water.

 

[454Sub]

Well what I always did when faced with that was fire it up, warm it all the way up, check for leaks, do the valve adjustments and blah blah whatever needs done, then before it cools all the way down to be in danger of freezing I swap in antifreeze, making it a one time, one day thing.

 

[dyeager535]

Just for however long you need to break it in, make sure there are no leaks, etc. Not familiar with diesels, assuming it's anything like gas, just break the motor in, drive it around a bit, then dump it out all the same day and replace with antifreeze mix.

FWIW, the straight antifreeze is cheaper than pre-mixed. Buy multiple bottles, dump one jug in radiator, fill empty jug with water, dump that in radiator, then use empty bottle to mix remainder up 50/50 until it is topped off. That way you end up with sealed jugs if you bought more than necessary, and whatever is already mixed you know what it is. I write on my bottles with a sharpie if it's 50/50, used, etc.

I save the bottles for when I need to crack the cooling system open, so I have something decent to store the coolant in.

 

[Mikey von]

Just for however long you need to break it in, make sure there are no leaks, etc. Not familiar with diesels, assuming it's anything like gas, just break the motor in, drive it around a bit, then dump it out all the same day and replace with antifreeze mix.

FWIW, the straight antifreeze is cheaper than pre-mixed. Buy multiple bottles, dump one jug in radiator, fill empty jug with water, dump that in radiator, then use empty bottle to mix remainder up 50/50 until it is topped off. That way you end up with sealed jugs if you bought more than necessary, and whatever is already mixed you know what it is. I write on my bottles with a sharpie if it's 50/50, used, etc.

I save the bottles for when I need to crack the cooling system open, so I have something decent to store the coolant in.

Good tips, Thanks!

 

[Stomis]

My *opinion* is that if you are doing an initial firing up, I'd run straight water. If anything goes wrong/leaks, you aren't spending X$ a gallon to replace it, and when everything checks out, you just dump it on the ground and refill.

Not opinion, water is a superior *coolant* to any antifreeze mix, your radiator cap is what does the majority of the work to increase boiling point.

Personally, the antifreeze market has gotten too confusing for me to mess with anything other than the green stuff. If they somehow manage to standardize coolant and it's all interchangeable and backwards compatible, I'd change my thinking, but I don't think it's going that way.

FWIW, you can recharge green coolant, it never truly wears out, but that's another topic.

Dont drink the coolaid man! Antifreeze is ****ing antifreeze. It stops water from freezing in your engine thats it! GM jumped up and down about dexcool this and that for years and how you HAD to have it. Guess what, years later they said "yeah oops it promotes electrolysis more, our bad just use that green stuff"

 

[blazinzuk]

I too when firing a motor in the cold do it on straight water do my break in on it and then drain the radiator. I keep track of how much water I put in previously and how much drains out. Usually enough drains out of the radiator that you can refill with straight antifreeze and get close the the right mix. If not enough drains out then the lower rad hose usually has enough.

One thing I do is loop the heater hoses. During initial start up and break in, don't know why I do it but it always seemed like a good idea to me.

But yes get antifreeze in it ASAP if you start on straight water

Is this that way modded diesel you bought forever ago?

 

[dyeager535]

Dont drink the coolaid man! Antifreeze is ****ing antifreeze. It stops water from freezing in your engine thats it! GM jumped up and down about dexcool this and that for years and how you HAD to have it. Guess what, years later they said "yeah oops it promotes electrolysis more, our bad just use that green stuff"

Well, it does prevent corrosion, that's where all the problems started, trying to make coolant "long life".

Realistically the only reason for many to run 50/50 antifreeze is JUST for the corrosion protection. Outside of that, the lowest percentage of antifreeze you can get away with, the better.

Obviously freezing weather is a serious concern with straight water as a coolant, outside of freezing weather the major concern is corrosion.

 

[Mikey von]

Is this that way modded diesel you bought forever ago?

Yes sir! We still only need 1 car in our house, but my wife upgraded to a nice '05 suburban. I am forbidden to drive that one in the woods, so I figure I better get mine going before hunting season. Getting excited now that it is so close.

 

[Stomis]

Well, it does prevent corrosion, that's where all the problems started, trying to make coolant "long life".

Realistically the only reason for many to run 50/50 antifreeze is JUST for the corrosion protection. Outside of that, the lowest percentage of antifreeze you can get away with, the better.

Obviously freezing weather is a serious concern with straight water as a coolant, outside of freezing weather the major concern is corrosion.

Right it prevented corrosion on one hand until they realized that it actually enhanced electrolysis corrosion on the other hand. Except it was 15 years later and many a ruined part afterwards.