dseg

The ford manal recommends the coolant below:
Genuine Ford Fluid VC-3DIL-B Orange Pre-Diluted

After some reseach, I do not believe this is the best coolant to be putting in my '14 GT (manual). Any recommendations or should I be using this stuff?

cruisin5268d

Why do you think Ford is recommending improper / insufficient coolant? What is this magical coolant that you think is better?

dlazrael

One of the things I go to Ford to pick up. I use OEM coolant, distilled water and redline water wetter in both the radiator system and my intercooler system

Art161

I suggest the undiluted Motorcraft VC-3-B. Pick up some distilled water at the drug store and mix your own. I think distilled water will cost you $2-$3 dollars per gallon. If you use the Motorcraft VC-3DIL-B, you are paying about $12.50 per half gallon of purified water!

Do the mixing when you are ready to use the product. The shelf life for concentrated antifreeze is longer than for diluted antifreeze.

From what I have read on the Internet, for whatever that is worth, it's probably best to stay with the Motorcraft. Don't use Dex-Cool labeled antifreeze even if the bottle states it conforms to Ford specifications.

jz78817

what do you believe to be wrong with it?

look, plain water (with a tiny bit of surfactant like Water Wetter) is the best coolant possible. we use antifreeze blends for two reasons; 1) for freeze protection, and 2) for its anticorrosion properties. #1 is taken care of by the ethylene glycol in the antifreeze, and #2 is taken care of by the organic acid additive package.

so tell us what you think is wrong with the factory coolant fill.

dseg

When did I say there was something wrong with the factory coolant??

There are many threads on coolants being the "better." Not sure how or why but there threads are out there.
No sure why everyone is getting so defensive.

jz78817

you're asking about changing the coolant on a brand new car.

it's not "defensive," you just clearly don't know what it is you're asking for. people say any damn fool thing on the internet. there's nothing wrong with the factory coolant. leave it be until it's due to be changed.

Derf00

Yeah, OEM knows nothing about what it's new car requires... Water makes the best lubricant so the oil should be promptly drained and filled with Perrier Water, Tranny fluid should be flushed with Coca-Cola and coolant? To heck with that... Air makes the best heat conductor....

jz78817

my point is this: plain water is the best possible coolant you could use. It has an incredibly high specific heat capacity (meaning it can absorb a lot of heat energy for a relatively small temperature rise.) Race cars tend to use plain distilled water with a small amount of surfactant (Water Wetter) to improve its "wetting" ability.

The problem with plain water is that 1) it freezes at 0°C/32°F, and 2) it contacts several different metals in the cooling circuit which leads to rapid corrosion.

so the only things that the stuff you buy in gallon jugs (antifreeze) does is 1) lower the freeze point of the mix and 2) inhibit galvanic corrosion. It does not improve cooling performance. It can't, ethylene or propylene glycol have poorer specific heat capacity and poorer thermal conductivity (about half that of water.) The only things you need to worry about with antifreeze is to make sure it has the correct corrosion inhibitor- i.e. don't use silicate-based antifreeze (the green stuff) in a modern car, and that it's mixed properly in proportion to water. And changed no later than when the manufacturer says to.

Derf00

Sorry, that post was not directed to you. It was directed to the op I should've quoted him and not your quote of him which didn't come across as I expected.

I've known about just plain old water and water wetter for a couple of decades, just don't recommend it for DD because it does not do well for anticorrosion. Your comments are accurate and why they also do not recommend using more than a 70/30 (antifreeze/water) mix. Antifreeze is a horrible heat conductor. Works great for ANTI freezing though and anti corrosion.

Carry on!