I haven't see anything to indicate really, that the official phosphate free
is any better than the mix I use, is why.

plus it's   ( convenient and sometimes less  expensive ) to use conventional
high quality anti-frz .

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: stainless steel coolant pipes

> Why not just use a phosphate-free antifreeze as recommended?  Both Zerex
> and Prestone long-life antifreezes are now phosphate-free, as is the
> original VW stuff if one wants to pay for it.  Corrosion problems seem,
> from all I've read and heard, to be attributed specifically to phosphate
> in the formulation.  VW is certainly not the only multi-metal system on
> the road, either.  DMc
>
> ---- Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> This issue keeps coming up - - why not just install a coolant filter
>> as used on commercial and industrial engines, they contain a
>> sacrificial anode (magnesium, I think). Can't hurt, might give a
>> feeling of reassurance to those who imagine their coolant passages,
>> radiators, etc., rotting away mile by mile. :^)
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> >
>> > Date:    Thu, 6 May 2010 06:08:21 -0700
>> > From:    Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
>> > Subject: Re: stainless steel coolant pipes
>> >
>> > On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 4:35 AM, Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 11:25 PM, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > OK, let's think about this in a logical manner.  The original 1.9l
>> >> Vanagons
>> >> > had plain steel pipes.  The piston liners inside the engine are cast
>> >> > iron
>> >> > with steel studs holding the heads on.  Any way you look at it the
>> >> > van
>> >> > is
>> >> a
>> >> > multi-metal soup.
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> ...hence the head-corrosion problem?
>> >>
>> >> I guess it doesn't really make any difference which antifreeze you
>> >> use, so
>> >> long as you actually use the stuff.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Regards
>> >> Andrew Grebneff
>> >>
>> >
>> > That is exactly why the heads do leak on this era German water-pumper
>> > engines..  Heat+ dissimilar metals+a conductive solution to connect it
>> > all
>> > together=a recipe for corrosion.  The 993 Porsche motors have the same
>> > problems as a WBX.  Change away with your antifreeze/coolant mix...your
>> > motor is still attacking itself.still it is probably the best thing to
>> > keep
>> > the fresh coolant in there.
>> >
>> >   I wonder if anyone has ever experimented with installing  sacrificial
>> > anodes like are used in the marine world?  A couple of small bits of
>> > zinc
>> > somewhere accessible in the coolant circulation system might mitigate
>> > the
>> > corrosion problems you WBX owners encounter in the head area?
>> >
>> >   Don Hanson
>> >
>> > ------------------------------
>
> --
> David McNeely