Antifreeze for Marine Diesel Engines

[shaun1]

We are travelling to New York from Florida and will be there for the beginning of winter.
Are all the anti freeze's out there much the same or are some better than others for the weather we will be in.

Thanks as always for your feedback.

[sabray]

You will want to use the antifreeze recommended by the manufacturer. There are differences for diesel, aluminum transfer cores etc.....

[Irish rambler]

Hi Shaun,
All anti-freeze does the same job but many have different additives. personally my advice would be to drain down your system, refill with a propietary make as these conform to set standards and contain anti-rust plus a lubricant for the water pump bearing. I thoroughly recommend keeping anti-freeze in all year round as it keeps the water galleries clean and aids heats diisipation.
I always carry a spare can and if winterising a boat I close the cooling water">engine cooling water intake valve, open the filter head,start the engine on tickover only, pour a gallon of mix into the inlet filter head, then stop the engine immediately. This will ensure there are no pockets of plain water in your raw water cooling circuit and prevents any frost damage to the engine.
Hope this helps.

[Chuteman]

Originally Posted by sabray

You will want to use the antifreeze recommended by the manufacturer. There are differences for diesel, aluminum transfer cores etc.....

Pull out your Engine Manual(s) - It will tell You exactly the type & will probably suggest a brand too - best to follow their specs

It will also tell You how often the anti-freeze should be changed - months / engine hours

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Chuteman

Pull out your Engine Manual(s) - It will tell You exactly the type & will probably suggest a brand too - best to follow their specs

It will also tell You how often the anti-freeze should be changed - months / engine hours

Unless it is an 08 Westerbeke 30 - B - Three.

It even names a brand but guess what? The brand makes three different types.

I called the distributer and more than one installer of that motor and got all different answers. And they all said they knew they were right! I even tried Mitsubishi who makes the motor (L3E) and they would not tell me. They said call Westerbeke. I know it makes a difference these days with all the different additives but they don't seem to know that.

I hope the OP has a better manual or more informed distributer or installers than Westerbeke.

Plus the manual said it is good for 5 years. At three it changed color gradually (no, no leaks etc.) so I changed it.

[lancelot9898]

I've been using the Prestone green anti freeze in my Perkins 4-108 for close to 20 years without any problems. I usually change it out every 4 years or so, but his last time a diesel mechanic told me that most of the truckers use the heavy duty stuff since it contains more anti corrosion additives. So I replaced the green Prestone with the red being careful to clean the system prior to replacing. Later on I found out that the heavy dury stuff is recommended for wet cylinder sleeves whereas the Perkings has dry. So changing out was really not necessary, but I don't believe any harm will come since having more additives should be benefical.

[Chuteman]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Unless it is an 08 Westerbeke 30 - B - Three.

It even names a brand but guess what? The brand makes three different types.

I called the distributer and more than one installer of that motor and got all different answers. And they all said they knew they were right! I even tried Mitsubishi who makes the motor (L3E) and they would not tell me. They said call Westerbeke. I know it makes a difference these days with all the different additives but they don't seem to know that.

I hope the OP has a better manual or more informed distributer or installers than Westerbeke.

Plus the manual said it is good for 5 years. At three it changed color gradually (no, no leaks etc.) so I changed it.

Uh Oh, a classic case........
Wow, 5 yrs sounds real high.....
Long shot question = 3 types, any similarities? i.e.; color or std, extended, pre-mixed vs base (that needs to be mixed with deionized water)

Agree - that in practice there is lots of conflicting info -

[tartansail]

It's not clear from your post whether you will be in New York for the winter or just won't leave until early in the winter. For the closed component of the cooling system, I agree with the other posters that you should use the manufacturer's recommendation for type of antifreeze and change interval. If the boat is in the water, you're not leaving it for weeks at a time, and you're not upstate where the weather is severe, you shouldn't have to winterize the raw water circuit. If you decide to haul or to winter over, you should use the pink environmentally friendly stuff for marine and RV use to prevent freezing in the raw water circuit. It's easy enough to put a gallon or two of antifreeze in a bucket, pull the hose off the (closed) raw water through hull and use the hose to pull the antifreeze out of the bucket and through the raw water circuit. If circumstances require that, you should also be draining your fresh water system and your hot water tank. A royal PITA that is part of the joy of living in the North.

[Chuteman]

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[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Chuteman

Uh Oh, a classic case........
Wow, 5 yrs sounds real high.....
Long shot question = 3 types, any similarities? i.e.; color or std, extended, pre-mixed vs base (that needs to be mixed with deionized water)

Agree - that in practice there is lots of conflicting info -

I was surprised to read 5 yrs myself. Dumb if you ask me.

Today there are baxically 3 types. Offered by different manufacturers too. It is not whether it is premixed or not etc.

I got a full education on coolant when I started this thread. But I had to do it myself. I have forgotten a lot of it. Stress and brain fatigue etc.

Westerbeke 30 B Three - Question