Coolant questions

JFENG

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(1) what do y'all do with old coolant? My local recycling center doesn't take coolant, and I think I have 14 gallons of used coolant stockpiled in my garage. With the old green stuff, the 2-3 year change really generates a lot of waste liquid.

(2) what would you use to try to flush out an old aluminum head iron block motor with lots of crud in the water jacket? I've read some horror stories about acidic flushes eating away aluminum inside of the motor (water pump impellers, head passages, etc), and don't want to screw things up worse than they already are.

(3) what do most of you use for coolant these days (old green, new OAT)?

(4) how often do you change your coolant?

John
 

JFENG

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Great tip: I looked it up and my town does this once a year. Great because I have a bunch of old race gas to get rid of too. I can't wait to find out how much it costs...
 

mulberryworks

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Our hazardous waste depot in Austin takes it all for free. They blend the latex paint into a few standard hues and give it out free in 3 gallon pails.

I take old gas and burn it, bit by bit in the daily driver Toyota van. Haven't had any issues, but I filter it on the way into the tank and don't pour in the last little bit to avoid any water that might be there.

Ian
 

JFENG

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Ok so which coolant, old green and change every two years or new OAT and leave it for five?
 

bavbob

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Ethylene glycol is soluble in water, aldehydes, ketones and alcohol. I would think a continuous slow flush with water would do well with the block.

I use BMW blue , cannot get any other equivalent locally unless you know otherwise.
 

Nicad

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Drop it off at the local hazardous waste facility. They really don't know what you are dropping off. Normally change coolant in my vehicles every two years.
 
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