Hey Avery,
Congrats on getting the rig back and runnin' cool. Glad everything worked out for ya? Did he say what happened with your old one? I'd find out to see if it was a build failure or a maintenance issue. This way, not to point fingers, you know if you need to be more pro-active with the fluid/flush.
Yes, I said distilled water because regular tap/city water is full of minerals that when subjected to the heat of the motor will separate and will deposit sediments. This will clog the radiator and restrict the flow in engine blocks and heater cores. Wasn't trying to be a smartass....
Manny