Coolant

[30931]

I have had my Stag for just over 6 months and absolutely love it. Had it serviced at the wonderful Faversham Classics but someone advised me to keep coolant topped up. This is where I get confused as I love cars but know little( nothing)about engines. It has green coolant in at the moment, would Evans classic 180 waterless coolant be ok, if so does the old need draining or can I just top up?

[gbb483]

Daily maintenance on old cars is very easy. But if you've never done it before (lets face it, modern cars can go between services without lifting the bonnet) then your best bet is to find someone to show you the way around an engine bay.

[DJT]

Check with Favershams and use the same stuff. Trevor knows Stag engines as well as anyone, and better than most. Do not mix coolant types, and there is much debate about the suitability of Evans coolant in Stag engines.

[KOY 23]

Welcome to the forum and the great new world of Stag ownership.
As Dave says there has been a lot of discussion about waterless coolant, this link https://www.norosion.com/evanstest.htm explains it all, although from a competitor, I believe it to damming enough never to let it near a Stag engine.


p.s. Don’t be sucked in by the overheating paranoia, a good Stag will not overheat, so no need for expensive shiny bits which can be counterproductive. However a supplementary electric fan, although rarely needed, will give peace of mind in heavy summer jams.

[NeilR]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money with that waterless coolant.
Nothing at all wrong with a water / glycol antifreeze mix that's changed every two years.

[022Dave]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money with that waterless coolant.
Nothing at all wrong with a water / glycol antifreeze mix that's changed every two years.

+1. Regular draining and flushing is the key to having an efficient cooling system, and that involves removing the two engine block drain plugs to remove sludge, scale, casting sand etc.

Also, do a search on here for routine topping up of the overflow bottle. I believe it shouldn’t be more than 1/3 full to work effectively. It’s tempting to add too much!

Dave

[Goldstar]

I doubt Faversham will have put Evans waterless in but best to check.

[Richard G]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money with that waterless coolant.
Nothing at all wrong with a water / glycol antifreeze mix that's changed every two years.

I used Evans Waterless for several years, decided it was not necessary or any benefits so I now use antifreeze mix perfectly good.

I do have a quantity of Evans left over if anybody wants to try it!

RG

[jbuckl]

Glycol based with water used here in a stag for 30+ years.
Research surrounding waterless will save wasting money.
There are few if any upsides & quite a few downsides to waterless coolants.

[paul jorgensen]

I use 50% antifreeze mixed with 50% deionised water In my cars.

[paul jorgensen]

Deionised water is £1.50 for 2.5 ltrs in Tesco. Halfords was £5 for 5 ltrs.

[Robin Searle]

Not sure where you live, but here in North America, especially where I live in Canada, Evans is the way to go as our winter temperatures can reach down to minus 40 I know that most if all Stags are put away for the winter months, but Evans never ever freezes., and in the summer months with high temperatures EVANS never boils over. A few years ago, I led 40 MGs and Triumphs around Lake Erie, there was a line-up at the US/Canada border on a hot day, my car, a Stag was the only vehicle not to overheat. Another plus, it never has to be changed.

[Goldstar]

My ethylene glycol mix has never boiled over Robin and 50% ehene glycol protects down to -42 according to the ROM. To be fair you have to warm the car up a little before driving it.

I’m not sure that Evans is any better than traditional anti freeze a or worth the effort and $$££. or €€ but each to their own.

[SaintGeorge]

Hi all, while on the subject, ive previously used conventional coolant in the stag,but it now needs renewing. I was going to use Prestone antifreeze/coolant which is yellow and doesnt need watering down ! Has anyone used it and is it suitable? It says on the bottle its good for all engines.

[022Dave]

Hi all, while on the subject, ive previously used conventional coolant in the stag,but it now needs renewing. I was going to use Prestone antifreeze/coolant which is yellow and doesnt need watering down ! Has anyone used it and is it suitable? It says on the bottle its good for all engines.

I’ve used Prestone concentrate for many years, and have had no problems. I use 30% concentration; 50% is only good at offering freezing protection in very cold climates, but the lesser concentration gives better cooling in the UK summer months, as glycol isn’t as good as water for dissipating heat. I flush the system every two years, and it always comes out nice & clean.

Dave