Evans Waterless Coolant

[TexRiv_63]

Has anyone had recent experience with using this propylene glycol coolant in older (20s / 30s) cars? It sounds like this would be an advantage in these unpressured systems but I'd like to know if anyone has personal knowledge they could share.

[Restorer32]

I have a customer with a '21 Rolls Silver Ghost. Car was never prone to overheating but he likes to experiment with new products and installed the Evans System, which is expensive, as you know. Total disaster! We hauled the car out here to use in my Son's wedding in June. After the wedding the owner left for the drive back to Philadelphia, about 100 miles. Overheated badly within the first 25 miles and repeatedly thereafter, making what is normally a 2 hour trip a 5 hour nightmare. Drained the Evans System, refilled with the normal 50/50 antifreeze/water mix and has had no problems since. Evans' claim to fame is a boiling point abore 500 degrees but apparently it is less efficient at removing heat at lower temperatures. Just our experience, yours may vary.

[De Soto Frank]

Don't know about "propylene glycol" coolant, but I was surprised to find ethylene-glycol "permanent anti-freeze" mentioned in the original owner's handbook for my Dad's 1930 Chevrolet.

So, "Prestone" -type "permanent" antifreezes have been around since at least 1930; non-pressurized cooling systems hung-around until at least 1948 or so in MoPar land...

I use 50/50 ethylene-glycol (the green stuff) in my non-pressurized '41 De Soto and it's been fine.


I think its the folks with thermo-syphon cooling systems that find plain water with a rust-inhibitor works better for their vehicles... (?)

Stay away from the orange coolants - it does nasty things to older cooling systems and head gaskets.

[rbl2]

I also use ethylene-glycol "permanent anti-freeze" in my 26 Chevy. It is also mentioned in the manual as is wood alcohol.

[Jay Wolf]

Does a 21 RR have a water pump?
My 1916 Elgin was what is referred to as a percolator.
No pump it circulated the water by the water boiling.
no boiling no circulation. Anything but straight water would cause it to overheat. I used to use and anti-rust, anti-scale product I bought at Hershey one year. it work fine, but is was like 8oz in the 3 gal system.

[Fr Mike]

TexRiv_63,

I have been using propylene glycol, mixing it 50/50 with distilled water, year-around, in my 1931 8 cyl. Buick, my 1936 6cyl. Plymouth, and my 2001 V6 Buick LeSabre. The results have been excellent. All three cars hold at the manual-specified temperature even on 90+ degree days. I used to use ethylene glycol in them, and see no observable difference in cooling between the two.

My main reason for change? Environmental concern. Why use toxic ethylene glycol when something else is readily available (NAPA etc.) that basically works as well but doesn't add to the many ways our planet is being defiled?