Hi everyone - new here (been only on the other site till Chris told me this one existed).....

I have refreshed by old mans engine - new core plugs, seals, filters, gaskets (apart from HG), flex plate (lucky as it had 4 cracks in it!), and cleaned all the casing, wiring and connectors. As I was doing it, which was the first time I touched an engine since my 1967 Mini 850, I noticed the waterways all had a light coating of rust deposit. Not thick but a dusting almost. I also have an MGTF and the way we clean our colling systems in those is with a crushed up dishwasher tablet dissolved and then run for a few hours. Do you think that woudl be OK in the P38? I mean both are alloy engines, and it's amazing the crap it takes out I tell you! Even after a horrible oil/water head gasket failure the K series waterways come up like new with it. Anyway I just wanted to aks as it present he is just full of water as it was the first fill to check everything was OK. I will give him proper OAT once I know what to clean it all with internally.

Thanks,
Adam

Hi Adam, been following your rebuild on the dark side (in fact, I think I contributed until they banned me?), sounds like you've done a decent job too. I've heard of a few different ways of cleaning cooling systems out but a dishwasher tablet is a new one on me. However, I can't see it doing any harm and if it works on a K series, it should work OK on an engine designed many years previously. Not sure about OAT personally. There's certain things it isn't compatible with so I've always stuck with good old blue Ethylene Glycol like what RAVE says to use but I know a few people have the red coolant and not had any leaks appear yet.

I wouldn't use dishwasher tabs in that way although have been known to use in dishwasher as a parts cleaner! <br>
Apart from the galvanic corrosion issues, there's loads of salt in dishwasher tabs. In addition, the caustics really won't like seals etc. <br>
Stick to a good ally safe coolant system flush would be my advice. <br>
I'm with Gilbertd on the good old blue coolant. Use it in mine (the classic cars as well) and no adverse effects apart from the need to change it every couple of years.

Thanks.

You know what I didn't even bother to check if OAT was OK! I just assumed as it's an alloy engine like the K-series it would be.... I better do a bit more digging methinks as I haven't ventured and bought it yet.

I've got some new front drop links and lower balljoints for him too, as the last 4 MOTs I think mentioned them as minor advisories. Mind you he's only done about 3k miles in the last 4 years, so I am not surpised they haven't gotten any worse! I also got a gearbox filter kit, which I'll do before winter. I bought Dextron III type fluid as it seems that is what we put in them now II is no more!

It'll be nice to have the old boy on the road again. Inheritied him from my Dad when he died more than 10 years ago, and if I have spent more than £50 a year maintenance on him I'd be surprised. He's been a reliable old boat, and the water loss (which has been happening since my Dad got him - I presume that actually made things worse as the coolant strength would go up and down between services as it was topped up with water no doubt) hadn't got suddenly worse I woudln't have been spurred into sorting him. I am glad I have though as I am sure he has another 160K miles in him now at least!

Orangebean wrote:

I wouldn't use dishwasher tabs in that way although have been known to use in dishwasher as a parts cleaner! <br>
Apart from the galvanic corrosion issues, there's loads of salt in dishwasher tabs. In addition, the caustics really won't like seals etc. <br>
Stick to a good ally safe coolant system flush would be my advice. <br>
I'm with Gilbertd on the good old blue coolant. Use it in mine (the classic cars as well) and no adverse effects apart from the need to change it every couple of years.

OKie dokie - will go good old ethylene glycol - it's cheaper too! Also I'll go find a coolant flush for alloy engines. Thanks.

The yanks (well some of them) swear by washing powder (laundry detergent not dishwasher stuff) in the cooling system, but the engine they were discussing was the Jeep 4.0 six which is all iron. I don't know how alloy would take it.

I'm sure the pink OAT stuff is OK to use as coolant... in fact there is a label band around the neck of my coolant tank that has OAT + H2O printed on it..

I don't know if it's just the later ones (Mine's an '01) but I don't think it should be a problem - as long as the Glycol based and OAT based coolants aren't mixed.

You're spot on for the later ones Marty. Owners handbook (2000-2001)says: <br>
_Engine cooling system (petrol and diesel models)
Use carboxylate formula/organic acid technology (OAT) based coolant. This is an
extended life ethylene glycol based coolant containing no phosphates, silicates,
borates, nitrates, amines or methanol._ <br>
For the earlier ones: <br>
_Engine cooling system (petrol and diesel models)
Ethylene Glycol based anti-freeze (containing no Methanol) with non-phosphate
corrosion inhibitors suitable for use in aluminium engines._ <br>
Reason I use Blue is that I've got gallons of the stuff kicking around the workshop. <br>
As Marty says though, don't mix them and flush thoroughly before changing types. They can turn into a nasty paste if mixed!

I used Wynns engine cooling system flush.. it certainly cleaned things out! Plenty of orange water out first time. Then after 3 flushes with clean water it was lovely and clean. Then I filled with blue antifreeze and water at about 50%.

Bleed the system to within an inch of its life. Avoid short cuts!

After a day it settled and now has not moved in the expansion tank for nearly a week....