The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk cutting fluid in cooling system

Has anyone heard of running water based cutting oil/fluid in a cooling system? I was at a show and a guy with a '50 D*dge said he was running 50% cutting fluid. He said if it lubes machines and prevents rust, it should do the same in an engine.

It's an old time solution, but the fact is that modern anti-freeze protects better, gives your cooling fluid a higher boiling point, and doesn't heat as quickly as oil based fluids.

PoorOldSod,

Mixing Soluble oil with coolant was very common years ago. It supposedly kept the water pump lubricated and who knows what else. Maybe it raised the freezing temperature of the water too!

Stuart

My dad always used soluble oil in his cars, he was a petroleum industry employee and the engineers told him it was beneficial. Possibly later discoveries have come up with some superior products, but something in the water seems to be a good idea. I use anti freeze these days, since I ran out of dad's soluble oil.

Thanks. And here I thought this was some brand new breakthrough solution to keeping on old six going.

Hey, Stuart, don't you mean LOWER the freezing point?!?
I don't know about adding any oil to the cooling system like that. It might be good for the pump, but what does it do to the rubber components? Most oils will attack rubber and soften and/or destroy it.
I'd stick with antifreeze, about a 50/50 mix, maybe with a bottle of Redlines Water Wetter or Royal Purples Purple Ice. I've used Water Wetter and it does work. And stay with the green stuff, Dex-Cool isn't compatible with the older pumps and the "non-toxic" stuff isn't as efficient.

Bill,

Sheesh..I guess that's what I meant...I'm losing my mind!

Stuart

Cutzal 50-50 (if I remember correctly) is a typical mineral oil based coolant. We used to have that in some old multi-spindle bar machines at work. It was milky looking, I never did care for the stuff. It used to breed bacteria, unless we aerated the coolant tanks. I wouldn't put that in any of my engines. We eventually switched most of our machines to a full synthetic product.
For my trucks, I'll stick with a good antifreeze.

John

Yesterday’s soluble oils are nothing like today’s coolants. Some, especially synthetics can attack o-rings or seals on machine tools and even gum them up. Most machine tool coolants are mixed 20 to 1 or about 5% and drums of used coolant will split if left outside in winter. Not worth the risk I think.

Curt B.

i would stick with now day's coolants, much better than the older stuff

WATER WETNERS? We use water wetners every day, at least I hope we all do. Soap is a water wetner, just don't put too much in your radiator.