Anti freeze in vintage Austins

[Jboy964]

I have had Fernox Alphi 11 recommended as a more environmentally friendly anti freeze for use in my 1928 chummy. I don’t plan to use the car while we have frost and salt on the roads but it is always useful to be able to move it without having to refill and then drain down again. Any other members have experience of using Alphi 11?

Thanks, John

[Ben Wall]

I have been using it for a couple of years since replacing the water pump backplate in a 1925 Twenty/4 and have had no problems, gland packing remains good and no leaks developed. Coolant has stayed clear so I presume that the inhibitors in it are working. As far as its environmental credentials are concerned, I really dont have the faintest idea, but I feel that the impact of a gallon or so of anti freeze,responsibly disposed of, every four or five years is hardly likely to tilt the planet off its axis.

[Fabric16Six]

I can endorse the use of Alphi 11. Used it in all my vehicles with no problems. Always haggle with my local Travis Perkins and get it for about £20 for 5 litres. Believe a 50/50 mix is recommended for full protection.

[alvisspeed20]

I have used Fernox Alpha 2 for over 10 years in multitude of cars of different makes. No problems ever. Always use 50/50 mix

Happy and healthy New Year to everybody

Mike Wheadon

[chris]

I work on a ship with a few experienced classic car enthusiasts / engineers.

They swear by this stuff. Water-less coolant.

Water less coolant is a glycol-based liquid substance that does not contain water. Its boiling point of 375 degrees F is higher than that of water-based coolants and it resists the formation of corrosion.[1] The substance was invented to circumvent the problems of vaporizing water. When water vaporizes, it retains only 4% of its thermal conductivity.[2] So, water-based coolants are safe at temperatures below the boiling point of water to maintain the pressure of the system. Waterless coolant has environmental benefits, including reducing the use of cooling fans and therefore improving fuel economy. The coolant does not generally need changing, reducing the hazardous waste following repeated coolant flushes.[3] ( Wiki )

http://www.evanscoolants.co.uk/

He also recommends replacing rubber hoses with silicon based ones as they don't degrade.

Cheers

Chris

[Jboy964]

As this post has been resurrected after 12 months I might also add that Alphi 11 has been in my car for all of that time, with no problems. I used roughly a 1/3 Alphi to 2/3rds water mix and have not yet needed to top it up. No leaks, all going well, my philosophy is leave well enough alone!

Cheers, John