Coolant?

Brian: I think I have said this before, but Applied Specialty Chemicals (No-Rosion) makes the additives for most of the "name" brand aftermarket oil, cooling and fuel system products. They also provide the additive package for one of the MAJOR race fuel companies. They have non-disclosure agreements with most of these companies forbidding Applied Specialty Chemical from telling people about this. Many years ago, they started selling the best products through their own line (No-Rosion), but only do it internally and do not sell at retail in stores.

 

I also have some concern about liner cavitation when John C was reporting problems in his maranello motor and there was one other case of it on Fchat both around 2015 time frame. I have heard of no others since but I'm not a pro and therefore have few datapoints. Cavitation has been an issue in diesels forever and they handle the issue with coolant additives like "Supplemental coolant additive". https://puredieselpower.com/products/fuel-additives-and-lubricants/dca4-supplemental-coolant-additive-engine-block-cavitation-preventive-1-gallon.html

SCA is added and tested with test strips to get in the right range of additive. Too little gets you no cavitation protection and too much creates abrasive precipitates that can damage waterpumps. Times get easier at the consumer level and most guys just follow OEM coolant recs and change intervals. An example is using Zerex G05 as RD stated. G05 has the additive in it already to prevent liner cavitation. I see no reason why we should not use it in our cars. Maybe RD has seen cavitation in ferrari motors prevented by it. For me g05 is same cost as any other. I own a Ram diesel and using G05 for everything allows me to stock just one fluid. In fact I'm changing fluid out today.

There are 3 primary classes of coolant IAT, OAT, and 3 kinds of HOAT. Do not mix them. Some combos will precipitate out form sludge.

The reason just water and no-rosion cools best is that water has spec gravity of 1 and the system is filled 99% water. IAT, OAT, HOAT coolant systems are 50% water/50% coolant. Plain water cools the best but has no additives to help the cooling system. For racing for example we use straight water because it cools the best and isn't slippery if we have an on-track failure but we add "water wetter" so the pump stays lubed.

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GO5 is fine but the anti cavitation additive is at best good for 2 years. Shell Rotella ELC NF and Caterpillar coolant has a different additive and is good for 5 years. It is a recent development.

 

In diesel world we use Supplemental coolant additives (SCA's). One of the most widely known, respected, and obtainable everywhere is Fleetgard DCA4. SOP with people who care about their diesels is to test coolant every 6 months to a year and add DCA4 to a specific unit level/gallon level. Too little gives no cavitation protection and too much leads to abrasive precipitates that can damage water pumps and clog small passages like heater cores. The additives, like nitrates, deplete in any coolant and need to be recharged and hence the DCA4 additive. We just don't get the cavitation level in ferraris as is known in diesels that require this protection. We are most likely OK with just G05 or other coolant like those you mention without going to the extreme of using DCA4 or more aggressive fluid change. But if someone really wants cavitation protection in their Ferrari motor I would be using a diesel coolant like G05 and DCA4 because Fleetgard specifically says DCA4 is compatible with everything and specifically says compatible with G05 and the two coolants RD listed above.

FWIW since we are on the topic of diesel coolants what about diesel motor oil? The wrong additives in oil wreck cat converters like too much phosphorus. Zinc in oil lubes motors better giving high pressure wear. Diesels want more zinc and their oils have more zinc. Racing oils are another example of high zinc oils. A lot of race oil voodoo = high cost/qt. For some reason diesel oil is cheaper than car oil. Car oils have SN rating today and backwardly compatible to the SH/CD rating required by my 550 maranello. So I'll use diesel oil with multi-fleet SN rating like Rotella T6. An API rating S means spark ignition motors and C means compression like diesel. I'll save money, use a full synthetic oil, lower motor wear, and keep my cats alive. Racing since 2005 on my 2 corvette C5 racecars and mustang Gt racecar I used any diesel oil I want because I have no cats. Oil tests tell my this is OK.

As a side note my 550 maranello manual says API SH/CD oil. The CD was the diesel oil rating of 2001. Today the diesel oil is API CK-4 and backwardly compatible to CD. So I guess I could just use any diesel oil some significantly cheaper than Rotella T6.

OK your mileage may vary on my oil thread drift....Do your own research but I've been running diesel oil in cars for 20+ years.

 

I have run Evans NPG in everything I have. Motocross bikes, Ducati Corsa race bikes with magnesium water pump cases. My BB512, Countaches, my Testarossa. No issues, no corrosion, lack of water pressure means an easier life for the seals and hoses.

 

I had not heard of the expansion issue. I have put a hole in my radiator on my motocross bike while racing. While hot, the coolant dribbled out, at the same rate as if the bike was cold. I even finished my race.

I also once drove my Countach a good distance on a warm day without a rad cap. No fluid was lost. Car never overheated either. I am happy with the stuff, mainly as it needs far less frequent replacement and it does not corrode steel or magnesium bits.