Plan to change antifreeze, but first wanted to ask if Zerex concentrate made by Valvoline is the correct antifreeze to use. It is green in color like the antifreeze in tractor now. All help appreciated.
Antifreeze
- Thread starter Beaux
- Start date
Zerex and many others make coolants that meet ASTM 3306 standards. Check your owners manual to be sure that your tractor requires that standard. Always buy the concentrated and mix it with distilled water, you will save nearly half. Years ago people were smart enough to not buy watered down product
Last time I checked on this at my local dealer he noted the stuff they use is Asian type coolant. Parts guy noticed me driving aa Toyota. He said what you use in that is what Kubota uses. Sure enough I did use Toyota Pink because dealer was out of stock. Sure enough last visit to dealer what is sitting in Kubota jugs? Yep pink coolant just like in my Yota. Now recently I wanted to change coolant again and THOUGHT I was out of Toyota pick so I installed this PEAK® Fleet Charge 50/50 Antifreeze/Coolant - 1 Gallon at Menards® Since it had same overall spec as Toyota Pink. So far so good with it.
Color cannot be relied upon to determine what is “correct”…. as there is no actual industry standard followed.
The best resource is your owners manual. Unless recent changes have occurred…. ordinary Ethylene Glycol is what Kubota has recommended for many years. ( Prestone is the Ol’ Reliable…and hard to beat.)
The best resource is your owners manual. Unless recent changes have occurred…. ordinary Ethylene Glycol is what Kubota has recommended for many years. ( Prestone is the Ol’ Reliable…and hard to beat.)
Careful when adding coolant. Some are not compatible and then everything turns to jelly. If you are not sure what was in it flush several times with water.
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Your operators manual specifies use of a "permanent type" antifreeze - e.g. a long life coolant (LLC) using some form of organic acid technology - OAT, HOAT, PHOAT. Kubota long life coolant is a PHOAT formulation typical of many Asian vehicles. These coolants are ethylene glycol based and come in a rainbow of different colors including green.
Kubota is silent on the use of a propylene glycol based coolant so its neither recommended or forbidden.
The manual tells you NOT to use an old school inorganic acid formulation which is always green.
So read the label on the jug and use anything EXCEPT the old school IAT stuff.
Dan
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jyoutz
Well-known member
Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
This^^^^. Coolant compatibility has become so complex in recent years and you can do damage by mixing incompatible coolants.
Yes, not going by color. When I mentioned the color I saw at the dealership (pink in Kubota labeled jugs), I simply was noting the slight irony of originally the dealership rep telling me the Kubota coolant was same spec as my Toyota. I guess even right down to the color 
I bought the Peak (pick product) not because of the color but because it was the same "spec" re silicates and what not. In all honesty had I not cleaned out my garage last week I would never have known I still had actual Toyota jugs here and would have not bothered buying the one I listed.
I tend to "over buy" stuff, then squirrel it away, forget I bought it then when need arises to use it, find myself buying yet again.
I bought the Peak (pick product) not because of the color but because it was the same "spec" re silicates and what not. In all honesty had I not cleaned out my garage last week I would never have known I still had actual Toyota jugs here and would have not bothered buying the one I listed. I tend to "over buy" stuff, then squirrel it away, forget I bought it then when need arises to use it, find myself buying yet again.
I would say just the opposite.
Mixing IAT and xxOAT formulations MAY generate sludge that can damage a cooling system.
Mixing different PHOAT, HOAT, and OAT formulations is discouraged because it may degrade the performance of the coolants.
Dan
jyoutz
Well-known member
Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
True. But in the olden days that was never a concern because everything was ethylene glycol.
Antifreeze is still ethylene glycol. The additive packages are what has changed. Dont mix old school IAT coolant with modern OAT coolants and you will be fine.
Dan
Mixing G48 and G12 leads to jelly blocking all the coolant channels. If you have that you can take your engine apart. If you run it it will overheat very quickly with all the consequences.
Whats your source for that. Zerex doesnt think so:
"Cooolant Concentrate G12, G12+ is fully miscible with other coolants and can be safely mixed with them."
G12 is a phosphate, nitrite, amine, and silicate free OAT formulation. Pretty vanilla.
G48 is a phosphate, nitrite, amine free low silicate (HOAT) formulation (Europe) and I use it in both my daily drivers.
I am sure I can mix up a test blend with what I have in the shop.
Dan
whitetiger
Moderator
Staff member
Equipment
Kubota tech..BX2370, RCK60, B7100HST, RTV900 w plow, Ford 1100 FWA