Technical Hotshot's secret antifreeze

Anybody using Hotshot's secret antifreeze? This seems like a good deal for 5 gallons, thanks!

 

@ 50/50 mix = you get 2 &1/2 gallons of anti-freeze

 

But it is mixed in the proper ratio, with the correct water (deionized), not tap. In most areas of the world the ground water, or tap water, is too hard to use as coolant. So to mix it correctly you need to locate deionized, or distilled, or reverse osmosis water. For many people the cost and hassle of that makes premixed coolant a good deal.

 

Easy to find here.

 

I save the headache of mixing it anymore. Plus as far as cost, how often do you change it?

 

And EVERY grocery store in the country. Whoever came up with the 50/50 deal is a marketing genius

 

Just bought a gallon of 100% for the Wife's daily=$23. The same coolant 50/50 is $20 almost double the amount. I add distilled water and I have 2 gallons of 50/50 for $25 instead of 2 gallons of premixed 50/50 for $40. I'll do the mixing. For my old beater I mix 60/40.

 

Honest confession.

I just changed my 2002 Ford F150 when I had to put a heater core in it. First time ever. Now before everyone jumps on the "hard on parts" bandwagon.

It's never overheated, never changed the water pump or the thermostat. Original radiator. Oroginal radiator cap.

Granted it smelled like a dead animal and I am sure the new stuff is probably more efficient, but I'm not buying into the change it all the time theory. It lasted 20 years and 138,000 miles pulling race car trailers.

I know I am a terrible owner..........oh well.

 

If you think you're a "terrible owner" you SURE don't want to know the story on oil changes on my OT Tahoe......now at just under 400K miles with no engine problems.

Lynn

 

Terrible owner here, too.

I've never used anything but water from the hose. Copper radiator, aluminum radiator, old, new, no difference. Only buy premix when I can't get full strength antifreeze, or when I just want to top off one that loses a bit regularly. Never any problems with excessive rust or scale. Lucky? Maybe, maybe not.

Oil changes? Wife's gets it every 3000 miles or so. My stuff, once a year usually, but I don't drive them much, less that 3,000 miles a year. Semi does get it at around 50,000, per Detroit recommendations.
Must be doing something right, her car just turned over 210,000, my pickup is around 180,000.

 

It sounds like you guys have been lucky. One of the reasons to change coolant regularly is to cut down on electrolysis. On the heavy duty side, we regularly test the SCA (supplemental coolant additives) on PM services. If it’s a little off, we put additive in the coolant, or change the coolant filter. If the SCA level is off enough, we change coolant.

 

You’re supposed to change coolant? I keep adding if it leaks and figure it eventually is changed.

 

I use water from my dehumidifier, free "distilled" water.

 

So....what is supposed to be so special about this "secret" coolant, VS the regular prestone at the local parts store?

I am all about using good quality stuff, but what's the sales pitch here? Any evidence it actually does something better?

 

I get this shipped up from Florida. The odometers in my cars now rotate backwards and the tires seem to be growing tread.

 

Got a buddy who runs a one man auto repair shop. I haven’t bought antifreeze from a store in years. I get what I need from him when he does a coolant swap.
Yep. I use recycled antifreeze. Never had a issue and that includes winter beaters here in Minnesota

 

There have been studies done by coolant manufacturers on fleets of trucks and heavy equipment, and it is more common to find coolant mixes out of balance than within specs. This is in fleets taken care of by professional mechanics that like to think pretty highly of themselves. Also within these same fleets coolant problems are common every day problems, the people tend to think that is normal. The same attitudes I see in comments here in this thread. "Oh hell, why would I buy premix coolant, the biggest rip off in the business". "Nope, we never have any problems". "You don't? Than what's that pump doing in the scrap metal bin?" "How come the radiators out of that truck over there?" That's just normal stuff, they don't think about it. Pumps and radiators fail, it's part of doing business. Yeah, right.....

https://fleetwatch.co.za/up-to-40-o...to-problems-from-cooling-system-says-cummins/

 

Interesting...

Since "antifreeze" does NOT...aid in the cooling of an engine, why use it ?

Why not a mixture that will still protect the insides of your engine, but let a little more...water...do IT's job of helping to keep the engine cool.
I've been using about a 25% antifreeze / 75% water, in both my cars and motorcycles since the early 80's. I haven't had a corrosion problem, I've had no cooling problems, as long as one radiator didn't split a solder seam open ! No other cooling problems in either the cars or my bikes.

I'll continue to buy the full load bottle of antifreeze, and mix it myself. I'll stick with the 25% / 75% mixture.

Mike

 

I’m sure there is value in it. I’m not negating that point. I’m just lazy.

 

Diesel truck engines are different than our gas engines. Diesels have the problem of electrolysis where tiny bubbles act like sledgehammers against cylinder liners, eventually putting pit holes through them. Gas engines don't suffer this as much, if any. It's combatted by adding special additives, BTA is one brand IIRC, and also by using an antifreeze formulated for diesels. Most older trucks used a cartridge filter that released small amounts of chemicals to keep the balance right, but it still had to be checked often, usually at oil changes. Most modern diesels have done away with the filters and use the formulated antifreeze which doesn't need the additives. I use Final Charge brand, it's premixed so the mixture is correct. I'm more particular with my truck engine since it's my money maker.

 

LOL

Ben

 

Electrolysis is actually the process where stray electrical currents damage the coolant and render it ineffective at preventing corrosion. It is cavitation erosion where small air bubbles in the coolant implode against the cylinder liners causing pitting of the liners. But the same thing happens to water pump impellors, of all water cooled internal combustion engines, regardless of fuel type. The corrosion that occurs, and scale formation, affect both diesel and gasoline engines. Additives in the coolant protect against corrosion, and using the right water protects against scale.

 

This is a pretty simplified perspective. Maybe you mean antifreeze doesn't have as great of heat transfer properties as water? It's a good idea to use it to prevent rust and corrosion of the cooling system, all of the wetted parts of the engine. You know, those vintage collectible (and expensive) aluminum intake manifolds for instance. Not to mention all of the internal passages of the block & heads, the radiator, etc.

 

Guys, I know nothing about the product mentioned in the OP of this thread. I'm just talking about the attitudes I'm seeing here where a lot of you don't see any value in using a properly mixed coolant using good quality water. Being in the equipment repair business for going on 4 decades I'm telling you I see the same attitudes out there a lot, and the costs involved in unplanned and unnecessary failures is astronomical. But people just want to go on believing and rationalizing what they've always thought rather than learn something new, and improve the reliability of the equipment. This is true whether we're talking trucks or classic cars. Sometimes the hardest thing to change is your mind.

 

That tiny bubble problem is cavitation. It occurs on the major thrust side of the cylinder liner, also a bit on the minor thrust side. Also, heavy truck engines run well over 500,000 miles with a constant load (if the trucker is making money). Quite a bit different than passenger cars.

 

I used to see these on the bigger diesel trucks back when I was a kid.
Perry Filters for the coolant. Not sure if they are still in use today.

 

How many of you got dragged around with dad or gramps with the little antifreeze "tester" with the little plastic balls each fall to see what temperature it was "safe" to? No thought to mix ratio, just the magic balls

 

I chuckle when I see these places saying coolant needs changing so often. Did engines change, or did coolant change in recent years? I recall my dad using his antifreeze tester to check the coolant and ensure it would protect the car through winter. But can't recall him every changing antifreeze.
I usually change antifreeze if I need to do something that involves draining it, like engine repairs, hoses, etc. Other than that I've never worried about it.

 

Slap me upside the head , I used the wrong word! Thanks for the correction.

 

Gene said magic balls