On May 6, 2010, at 3:17 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:

> Scott, what do you use?  The Zerex and Prestone long life stuff
> costs about $12/gallon hereabouts.  A gallon of distilled water is
> less than a buck.  I have seen cheaper (maybe $10/gallon), but only
> Peak and various house brands, none of which list whether or not
> they are phosphate free.

I have seen Peak 50/50 phosphate free at about $7-8/gallon at a FLAPS.

YMMV,

Mr. BZ

>  How is whatever you are using more convenient?  Now, Prestone sells
> premix at about $10, but then one is paying for half water, which
> seems foolish just to avoid mixing it oneself.  Thanks for all you
> do on the list.  DMc
>
> ---- Scott Daniel  - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> 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
>>
>
> --
> David McNeely