Are coolant acids a threat to vehicles?

Question:

When checking the coolant in my 1962 Chevy, the floating balls in my $1.99 tester indicate the coolant is good to —10 degrees F. This seems pretty good for my area. Do I also need to be concerned about acidity? I replaced a radiator in my 1975 Chevy 350 in the 1980s due to acid eating it up. Should my antifreeze be changed on a regular schedule?

Answer:

It sounds like you won't have any problem with your engine or radiator freezing up in view of the fact that you live in San Louis Obispo, but if you lived in International Falls, Minnesota, or Buffalo, New York, you might want to add a bit more coolant to the mix of water and coolant in your car.

As for how often to change coolant and Slush the system, a good rule of thumb is every two years or every 40-60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Coolant keeps rust from developing in your engine, but as time goes by it gradually loses its alcohol and thus its cooling abilities. Also, acids form from the breakdown of the coolant and can damage the cooling system.

In the coolants made in the U.S. a phosphate inhibitor is included in most of them to provide several important functions: To begin with, they protect aluminum engine components by reducing cavitation during high-speed driving. They also provide rust protection for ferrous metals, and they act as a buffer to keep the antifreeze mixture in the alkaline range. This helps prevent the acid build-up to which you refer. Phosphate softens water, though, by forming solids of calcium or magnesium salts that can drop out of solution, so there is a potential for cooling system blockage over time. If you change coolant at home, be very careful to keep what you drain out of the system away from kids and pets because it is toxic and sweet to the taste. Flush the system with water or use one of the off-the shelf auto supply compounds to get rid of deposits, and then replace the coolant and water with the proper mixture of the two as stated in your shop or owner's manual. Dispose of the old coolant according to local environmental regulations.

To keep things in good running order, remember to change the engine coolant on a regular basis.

A lot can be done with an inline six In reference to the November issue of Auto Restorer, | found Mr. Samuelson’s inquiry about installing a 292-cubic-inch six in his 1954 Chevrolet pickup interesting and the response most informative. My interest is based as follows: For close to 60 years I have worked on V-8 engines including flathead Fords, Y-blocks, Dodge Hemis, Ford Windsors, etc., but I have always wanted to modify an inline six. Therefore, my latest project is installing a 300-cubic-inch inline six from a Ford pickup into a 1974 Ford Maverick.

T had already installed a Lincoln transmission behind the original 250-cubic-inch six. This involved making a new cross member, shortening the driveline and reworking the shift linkage. These tasks were easy. It only took patience, correct measurements, and a little cutting and welding.

Because the 300-cubic-inch engine is a truck motor, compression will be increased to 9.5:1 and an aftermarket cam will be installed to move the torque curve up toward the mid-rpm range. Also, a three two-barrel progressive carburetor set-up will be added to improve the fuel system.

The reason I am working on this project is to do something different. This gets back to Carl Samuelson’s questions. What does he really want to do? I say, whatever, go for it! Don’t be scared off by a little fabrication, welding, etc. That is what makes this hobby so much fun! For anyone interested in inliners, I would suggest joining Inliners International. This organization is a great source of information, especially on GM products.

Answer:

That 300-cubic-inch Ford truck motor can be built to produce awesome performance! I once got a ride in a ’50s-era pickup with one of those in it. The old Ford was Clifford-equipped to the hilt, and it was very impressive, indeed. I applaud your choice of engines (https://cliffordperformance.net/)

The only inliner that might beat your Maverick would be an Australian-built 1970s Chrysler Charger which was a smaller version of the Dodge Charger but came with a big truck six with three Weber two-barrels right from the factory. It was raced in the Australian V-8 super car events and ate V-8s alive on the short tracks. The V-8s could overpower them on the tracks with long straightaways, but they still were hair-raising quick.

Mr. Samuelson asked if it was difficult to make the switch from a 235 Blue Flame six to a later 292, and what changes would be required, leading me to believe that he was looking for something that would bolt in without much trouble. I pointed out that: No, a 292 won't just bolt in and that modifications would be required, including obtaining a new bell housing. Though it is certainly not beyond the capabilities of someone who can weld and fabricate, it is not a switch that can be made in an afternoon.

I also pointed out that, though the 292 is a later, larger engine with a lot more potential for hot rodding, in stock form it only makes five more horsepower than what he already has. I also pointed out that 220 horsepower could fairly easily and dependably be obtained from his Blue Flame with no engine switch or fabrication at all. Two hundred and twenty horsepower will take a 1954 Chevrolet pickup into the 120-plus mph range with the right gearing. And that is about 40 miles an hour faster than any sane person would want to go in an otherwise stock 1954 Chevy pickup.

Itoo am a member of Inliners International, last time I checked, and you are quite right. They are a wonderful organization for anyone who wants to play around with inliners. Thank you for mentioning them. They are a good source of information, and a good bunch of guys. If you want to see what can be done with an inline six, attend one of their meets. You'll be blown away by the sound and fury.

You can reach them at: Inliners International, https://inlinersinternational.org/