Coolant additive in diesel generaters?

[Gary Miller]

Hi Jim,

The way I understand it, all water/antifreeze is corrosive at
operating temps in a deisel engine. Maintaining the proper pH is
essential to long life of the coolant system and engine components.
Additionally, around the extreme heat area at the top of the cylinder
walls, unconditioned coolant can boil and cause pinholes in the
cylinder wall. This damage will show up as glycol in the oil
samples, and should obviously be repaired ASAP before a costly
roadside breakdown occurs.

I use Caterpillar pH test strips and dip them in the coolant, then
match the color to the color chart on the bottle to determine how
much SCA (Supplemental Coolant Additive) to use. Long life
antifreeze has the SCA pre-mixed but I understand that all antifreeze
is subject to breakdown and needs to be checked regularly and added
to. Too much SCA is bad also.

In my '83, I also have a PowerTech deisel with the Kubota engine. I
have found PowerTech to be helpful, but they know little about the
engine. I would call a Kubota dealer with your question. I've been
told in the past by Kubota that whatever I do with the CAT engine
(fluid types and additives) will be fine for the Kubota, which seems
like just a blanket statement. I'd be interested in what you find
out. My thought was that the Kubota isn't working very hard as a
generator to cause extreme heat situations. Don't know, but I keep
the antifreeze fresh since there's relatively little in there
compared to the CAT, which would be costly to replenish regularly.

Regarding gasoline engines, I don't think they reach the extreme heat
levels in the cylinder walls as a diesel, but these days, maybe they
do. I would think a name-brand type antifreeze would be pre-mixed
with additives to handle the realm of a gasoline engine, but
everything breaks down with age, couldn't hurt to add to or refresh
the fluids.

Gary Miller
83 FC 33
Wauwatosa, WI

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "scoggins_jim"
<scoggins.j@a...> wrote:
> Diesel engines require a coolant additive in the anti-freeze. I had
a
> Detroit 8V92 and now this Cummins 8.9. In both cases, and in my Ford
> F350 Diesel, the instructions are clear about using an additive. My
> previous coach had a Yanmar powered Kohler for the generator and
this
> coach has the Power Tech diesel generator.
>
> I have never seen a cautionary note about being sure the generator
> engines had the coolant additive. For the heck of it I put it in the
> Yanmar cause I thought it made sense to do so. Further, I have a
small
> Kubota farm tractor with a relatively small engine (23 HP) and it's
> manual had no reference to using an additive. I put it in cause I
> thought it made sense to do so.
>
> I think I understand the necessity behind using an additive so I
think
> the compression ratios of the diesel generators and the small farm
> tractor would dictate their use.
>
> Taking it one step further, although a gas engine does not have the
> higher compression ratios that would dictate additive usage it seems
> they would benefit nevertheless with a neutral PH in the coolant
system.
>
> Accordingly, what is the group wisdom on:
> Q1. Should one put the coolant additive in the coolant for the
diesel
> generators.
> Q2. Would their be some benefit to putting it in the coolant system
of
> a gas engine.
>
> Yeah, I know, I'll call Powertech tomorrow but I wanted to know the
> groupthink before I talked to them.