Colorado David
Explorer
Has anyone ever used Evans NPG+ in their Disco coolant? I asked a friend of mine, who happens to be an A&P mechanic, what he knew about Water Wetter and he suggested I try the Evans NPG+ instead.
I am in process of evalutaing the Evans product for use in my FIL's Cobra which seems to ride the ragged edge, small radiator due to vehicle size and hot big block with alloy heads.
I'm leaning twords the waterless as it's a lifetime coolant, no water, no corrosion no sludge that mandates the changes. Ethylene glycol isn't free and you've spent that money in a change or two anyway, if you need not change and build no sludge, it's a cost savings.
The science is sound and well proven if the liquid does not boil it carries away heat much better. There are even diesels out there with oil filled coolant systems to prevent boil off.
Given a known crappy and tempermental cooling system the possible benefits are even greater than normally would be the case.
Were it me I'd flush the system and fill with the Evans NPG+. The FAA has found such coolants to be airworthy and no one over tests stuff like the FAA.
me on DWEB said:If I may; I am also an A&P, but that certianly doesn't mean i am any smarter than any of these other fine folks on the discoweb, and this is certianly not meant to take anything away from your friend, who I am sure has nothing but the best of intentions.
Here is what I think is going on, you let me know if I am off here.
back in '07 the European aviation authority began noticing small planes with rotax engines falling out of the sky after the engine siezed so they issued AD 2007-0155 which stated that they had to use a waterless coolant in accordance with this rotax bulletin. http://www.rotax-aircraft-engines.co...kus/d04432.pdf
Then in september last year the FAA issued a special airworthiness information bulletin http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...less coolant i am guessing that this is where all this comes from.
notice the rotax bulletin is revision 2. in revision 1 they have you change the radiator cap to one with a higher pressure, this is because at altitude the water in the coolant will boil at a much lower temp, robbing you of overheating protection. This is generally not a concern in your rover.
Also please note in the rotax bulletin i referenced, scroll down to section 4 (coolant). it says that waterless coolant is actually worse at removing heat from the engine. this is the opposite of what you want in a rover engine. (in fact 100% water is better at remvoing heat from the engine than a 50/50 mix, but offers no freeze protection or corrosion inhibitors) Speaking of freeze protection,in section 4.3 rotax cautions you not to use evans NPGR at or below -10 degF. as it does not behave like normal water based coolant. I dont know if it gets that cold where you are but something to consider.
Now I have never personally work on any engine stuff on small airplanes powered by rotax, but the water cooled engines I have worked on used a 50/50 mix of dexcool and water. that engine was installed on this type of airplane. http://www.controller.com/listingsde...AM/1145079.htm i cant find any pics of the particular aircraft I worked on but its the same type, cessna 414A with Ram liquid cooled TSIOL-550 engines. the owner brought in antifreeze from the saturn dealer in town by the case.
At any rate sorry for the long winded post. short answer is no reason to switch to waterless coolant. rovers have enough cooling system woes, none of which will be solved with this stuff.
I
7) It is not a problem to run a cast iron engine with a cast iron head at temperatures of 250 degrees as long as you don't have areas of spot boiling.
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the OP has an alum block and alum heads
I do know the biggest problem with those kind of temperatures are the rates of expansion between different metals so perhaps having both an aluminum block and heads negates that. Again, I can't be sure.