Just wondering if anyone uses coolant containing 2-ethyl hexanoate (2-EHA). A miata guy asked about my rebuild and what type coolant do I use, and I just mentioned I use Prestone. He said check the label and see if it contains 2-EHA because it attacks seals like Dexcool does. I looked and the Prestone label indeed it shows 2-EHA. Anyone use any other type of coolant?

 

Issue Many Are Ignoring: Most Coolants Contain 2-EHA (which 'eats' silicone) - RX8Club.com

i avoid long life coolant and products similar to DEX-cool like the plague. even when i worked for GM we took that **** out and put convention ethylene glycol coolant in. that crap would eat intake gaskets and water pumps for dinner. i have even seen it in some 7's and guess what? they exhibited signs of coolant seal failure.

 

I just use water from my hose. I live in Miami and have zero problems

 

^ corrosion problems no?

And i use prestone too i believe. I run it straight, not mixed 50/50. Am im going to have problems in the future? If so i will flush that **** asap.

 

Antifreeze is also anti-boil. If you run straight non-diluted. You run a high probability of overheating. Run it 50/50 or if your wallet is thick flush the system and make sure you don't have any leaks and run Evans NPG-R. That is what we solely put in customers cars at pineapple.

 

Stay away from OAT coolants that use 2-EHA.

Best bet would be to use Zerex G-05, which is a HOAT and does not contain 2-EHA, along with distilled water.

http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/zerex_g05.pdf

 

mineral rich tap water is even more harsh on your cooling system than these LL coolants... fix it or you will wind up learning the hard way.

 

Wow, this is valuable info. From what I read I think the order of precedence would be (if you can afford it):

1) Mazda F-22
2) Motorcraft Specialty Green
3) Beck Arnley
4) Zerex Asian (im not totally sure on this one - anyone?)

I think I'll try to look for the Mazda brand since I just rebuilt my engine.

So to adequately flush how does this sound?
1) Drain the Prestone
2) Fill with distilled water and allow to circlulate
3) Repeat with distilled water until green trace is gone

 

It sure is considering I blew my coolant seal(s) after 6 years/25k miles on my rebuilt engine.

I was using tap water and wasn't using any specific coolant, just pretty much anything I came across that was cheap.

Lesson learned.

1) use only distilled water
2) use only the proper coolant

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Rotary >Pistons

 

Good to know. I will flush mine this weekend i guess.

 

if your coolant is green it likely is purely or at least mainly ethylene glycol, if it is orange or has an orange tinge to it use it for a driveway de-icer.

 

This is what the Mazda FL22 looks like at $21.60 per gallon. Anyone have recommendations of how to get all the existing coolant out? I thought about draining old Prestone, put in distilled water only and drain. Repeat a couple times. I'm not sure I need to put in any flushing agent?

 

You can tell hard water(tap) is bad for metal just washing your pots/pans, especially cast iron.

After its dried off you'll see marks on it after.

Rotary >Pistons

 

I'm in the process of flushing my coolant and had a question. With thermostat removed and radiator cap off, will water spew out because of the water pump free flow path without the cap on?? It's a 90'. Right now I'm doing this:

Opened heater on logicon control. Drained the Prestone and removed the thermostat and put only distilled water in and put the radiator cap back on. Started car and let it run 1 minute or so, drained and repeated now 3 times. There is still a green tint so I need to do it a few more times. Problem is with the cap on when I remove the radiator drain it makes a mess because of the pressure built up. I know with the thermostat installed I can run it with the cap off, like when bleeding the system, but I never tried it with the thermostat out??

 

So I just go two jugs of this coolant for my t2, it wasn't cheap is this stuff the best stuff to use?

Mazda fl22 that is. It comes pre-diluted 55%coolant, 45% water.

 

That is stupid.

Anything that use dissimilar metals adjoined together and is in contact with water, will have electrochemical process. The purpose for coolant is for that.
I can't imagine what your housings look like.

 

What about the Regular Evans waterless coolant?

 

While on the coolant subject, anyone know how to flush the heater core with the engine out of.the car?

 

I can second this after my last rebuild plus my piston motor that rusted out.

 

Yeah, I'm using the Mazda fl22 coolant, all the newer Mazda use it including the rx8. The price is expensive though, two one gallon jugs coated me $52

 

Just to revive this for a sec. I use The blue stuff, glycol based. So, im safe?
Or is there an other coolant i should use?

 

Since it has been revived, you can buy the Mazda FL-22 non-diluted for less. There is also a Ford P/N for the same stuff and I think it might be cheaper, or maybe it's the Ford that you can buy non-diluted. Either way it is usually more cost effective to mix it yourself.

 

But it has to be distilled water, don't drop tap water in there!

 

great post !!!