Snake Oil or Good Stuff

[Rick_L]

Did some googling, came up with a bunch of tidbits.

Evans coolant is indeed propylene glycol. Evans actually sells 3 different formulations. One is primarily propylene glycol, and the other two are mixes of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

I saw on one site that says Evans recommends that if you have computer controlled electric fans, to raise the fan on temperature to 230° F., otherwise the fans will run all the time. RED FLAG for most of us!

I couldn't find anything to dispute Cnut's listing of the properties of both. One thing I didn't find is the thermal conductivity of a ethylene glycol/water mix. Assume it's somewhere between that of each individual part and dependent on mix ratio.

You can't run pure ethylene glycol as antifreeze, it freezes at 10°F. But a 60/40 mix of ethylene glycol and water freezes at -49°F. So that's why it's mixed.

Propylene glycol is also the basis for the "non-toxic" antifreezes on the market, including Dexcool.

You must never have an air pocket in the cooling system with propylene glycol, because the area that's not covered by it will corrode rapidly. (I think this is the basis for Dexcool horror stories.) So there is a catch to the no-corrosion claims.

I could have provided links to some of my google sources, but that would have been tedious because there were several, and this is not a term paper, LOL. Suggest you do your own googling if you want to know more.

Anyway, I now know enough to stick with traditional ethylene glycol antifreeze.

[markm]

Unfortunately the lack of global worming made it impossible to tell if this stuff changed anything when the guy picked his car up. I think a 50/3- mix of water and antifreeze and a good shroud would have been a better plan.

[chasracer]

One of the issues with Propylene glycol is that as the temperature drops, it actually turns to a gel. Some of the guys around here will switch to it for the racecar downtime to keep something in the system and reduce corrosion but don't want to put regular anti-freeze in the system as it is difficult to flush out and it's a bad deal if it gets underneath a set of racing slicks. My oldest boy did this last year but without understanding what it does in cold temperature, tried to fire up the car and managed to fry the wiring to the electric water pump - the electric motor couldn't push the gel and over-heated. Not sure why anyone says it's expensive though, around here it runs about $5 a gallon.

[Rick_L]

Race cars just need to have the cooling system drained when you leave the track - anytime. Just put some ball valves on the block drains. Use a hose if needed for easy access. Then just use water.

At least that's the way I did it. Also I never thought twice about dumping water in the pits at the track, and no one else does either. But at the shop you may not want to do that, easier to do at the track.

Also propylene glycol is just as bad to clean up as ethylene glycol if you spill some on the racing surface. Another reason not to use it, and as already mentioned, some tracks are adamant about not using it. As they should be.

[chevynut]

S0 let me get this straight....since it has inferior heat transfer properties, they tell you to run your engine at 230F? That's kinda crazy imo. I guess I don't see the advantages of it for anything. Antifreeze has corrosion inhibitors and I've never seen corrosion to be that big of a deal.

I don't know where you can get it for $5 a gallon. Here's where I found PG for $35 a gallon....even a 55 gallon drum is $33 a gallon. The "good stuff" (higher temp) is over $46 a gallon:

https://www.grainger.com/product/20L...180330022004:s

[Florida 57]

Ever wonder why it`s become difficult now to poison or murder someone with antifreeze?

To help prevent ethylene glycol poisonings, some states require that ingredients be added to antifreeze to make it bitter-tasting and unpalatable. Last year a number of antifreeze and automotive coolant makers agreed to voluntarily add bittering agents to their products even where not required by law. Once the new, grosser products hit the shelves, would-be murderers will have to go back to the drawing board and find another yummy poison (unless they can get pure ethylene glycol, often used in labs like Gonzalez-Angulo’s)

[NickP]

Ever wonder why it`s become difficult now to poison or murder someone with antifreeze?

I can't say I ever have.............................................. .................................................. ...........................................

[markm]

Both of my drag Camaros have anti freeze, not very popular with the NHRA but I don't typically run their tracks.