Would a coolant filter make a difference to a UCA?

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If a coolant filter is a good idea, tell me why!

Brands to use/stay away from?
Spin on vs. Inline?
Only with certain types of coolant?

I want to know if I should retrofit a system like this to my scirocco.

Thanks,
 
I many cases I think a coolant filters is a product in search of a problem. Especially with new coolants. When you read about them people are often using them in classic cars. The ones I was considering go in a heater hose not the main hose.

Were I you I would run G-05 in your vehicle and forget about a coolant filter.
 
As you put it like that...errrmm...I guess most OEMs make a trade off between vehicle cost and expected lifespan. Nobody who built my car in 1982 would have expected it to be on the road as a daily driver in 2013 on the original radiator and waterpump.

I drain/fill/flush 3 times over every year to make sure my cooling system is clean and effective, but when I bought the car back in 2006 the first flush of the radiator showed dark brown fluid with lots of particles.
Nowadays it comes out crystal clear and blue same as it went in, but I'd rather be over cautios and minimise the possibility of problems in the future by doing everything I can do to maintain all of the vehicle systems in A1 condition.

It can't do any harm, I was just wondering about the potential help it may offer - I'm starting to think I'd like to see if the original radiator can get to 50 years
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You flush your system so often that it's not going to make a difference. Nobody flushes their cooling system every four months, that's completely overboard if you ask me, but whatever makes you sleep at night. Nothing dangerous is going to build up and amount to anything during that short of a coolant change interval. No need for a filter.
 
Not every four months, once a year.
What I meant is, on an annual basis I flush/fill/flush/fill/flush/fill. I do that all in one go, on one day. takes about an hour or so.

In my particular circumstance the filter wouldn't catch much, but it certainly wouldn't do any harm..can we have a discussion of benefits?
 
Cheesepuffs, I feel like you're trying to mug me off.

If "Error 404: Benefits not found" is true, why do coolant filters exist? And why do people on this forum use them?
There must be benefits, otherwise nobody would invent/market/sell/buy/use such a filter.

So, please can we have a discussion around the benefits of coolant filters?

I'm interested to find out if any brand or style is held in higher or lesser regard than any other?

Can adequate filtration allow extended CCIs?

Are coolant filters generally regarded to be more/less suited toward Ethylene Glycol/O.A.T.?

I look forward to reading some more technical, less opinionated responses
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Originally Posted By: Olas
Cheesepuffs, I feel like you're trying to mug me off.

If "Error 404: Benefits not found" is true, why do coolant filters exist? And why do people on this forum use them?
There must be benefits, otherwise nobody would invent/market/sell/buy/use such a filter.


This is my last post in this thread, and I mean no disrespect here, but that's an awfully nieve mindset.

You ever hear of Tornados? Those air inlet inserts? Those exist. And yet they are snakeoil and do not increase power or fuel economy whatsoever, it's all a gimmick. I can buy octane booster off a shelf too that claims to make my vehicle run better! But does it? Nope! It's snakeoil and is a gimmick that sucks people in that don't know any better, like the Tornado. What about oil additives like Slick 50 and Z-Max that are pretty costly, feature bold claims written on the box, and yet don't improve your oil or engine life in the slightest? Surely they MUST improve SOMETHING! They exist!!

Such is not the case my friend. Just people you can buy a coolant filter does not mean it will improve anything. So what if some small amount of people use them. Some small amount of people buy shake-weights and think they are going to build muscle mass too... There's a sucker born everyday though, right? I'm posting in this thread to tell you not to be one of those suckers.

By the way as far as extending your drain interval goes, you don't need a filter for that. You should be doing that anyway. The anti-corrosion quality of coolant lasts for five years which means that your current one year interval is wasting five times as much coolant and five times as much money as necessary. What you're doing with coolant is like somebody changing their motor oil every 1,000 miles. Which would be ridiculous and just plain wasteful.

Again, not trying to be rude, but my goodness your practices and filter idea are overkill. Do you replace your tires after they wear down to 75% of their tread depth too? I bet you don't, because it just doesn't make sense to.
 
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I'd never heard of a tornado (aside from the weather phenomena) but I take your point, there are lots of products on the market that people buy just because they saw an advert on TV or their friend told them about certain 'benefits'.. I didn't think coolant filters fell into that category?

BTW, in the UK Ethylene Glycol (blue) coolant is said to have a two year lifespan, see link
here http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-ac...p;0&cc5_865

And I change my tyres annually, winters go in when it gets cold and all seasons go on when it warms up again - I run them down to the minimum allowable 1.6mm tread depth as prescribed under UK law..

I appreciate your trying to highlight how ineffective they are and trying to communicate how I should not waste my money on such a filter. As it stands, I probably won't. One question though, is your opinion based on experience? Or assumptions?
 
Originally Posted By: Olas
One question though, is your opinion based on experience? Or assumptions?


Experience. The experience that I've serviced all kinds of cars from all different makes and types and yet none of them have had coolant filter. And knowing many mechanics, both professional and amateur alike and yet nobody ever says, "Man, that water pump would have lasted a lot longer if only the owner had considered a coolant filter!".

The reason why you have an oil filter is because the internal combustion process is dirty and creates a lot of carbon and by-products that could sludge the oil and block oil passages as it accumulates or have iron fragments (from normal wear) continuously circulate and be fed through the bearings and damage them. The reason why you have a fuel filter is to prevent dirt or other particles from clogging the very fine nozzles of your injectors (or jets in the case of a carb).

The reason why no cars come from the factory with coolant filters is because there is no dirty combustion process to quickly contaminate your anti-freeze. You are not constantly opening your cooling system like you do your gas cap so you won't be regularly potentially adding any contaminants to it. You don't consume coolant and then re-fill it with more coolant that came from a refinery, was transferred to a potentially dirty tanker truck, then pumped into a potentially dirty underground holding tank, which from there is then pumped into your cooling system through a potentially dirty nozzle. It's different.

Cooling systems are much cleaner overall than, say, your engine internals. Regular cooling system flushes (especially as many as you do) are more than enough to keep your cooling system clean. Anti-freeze is anti-corrosive during it's rated service life so you're not going to have flakes of metal or anything chipping off of your water pump impeller or iron fragments coming off of your water jackets. The reason why your very first coolant flush was so dirty was because your car was neglected. The anti-freeze lost it's anti-corrosive characteristics as it was used well beyond it's rated service life. I feel like it's made you paranoid though and I'm telling you you're putting way too much thought into it. Keep up with regular coolant changes and absolutely no damage will be incurred from not having a filter. Any super small amount of insoluble particles floating around your coolant will cause no harm whatsoever. This is the accepted way of doing things by every car manufacturer and all mechanics across the globe. "Don't fix if it ain't broke" my friend. You're digging for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
 
Originally Posted By: Olas
Understood
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Thanks dude, great explanation. Thats why I keep coming back to Bitog!


Anytime man. And I wasn't trying to be rude earlier on, so sorry if it came across that way. Glad I was able to expand on my feelings here and paint a better picture for you. Sounds like you have a passion for your car and take great care of it so keep up the good work and enjoy it.
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Anytime you have questions feel free to send me a message if you'd like.
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Coolant filters DO provide valuable protection in applications requiring them, personally I don't think the OP's engine "needs" a coolant filter.

A filter won't do your engine any harm if plumbed properly.

Most applications for coolant filters are large to medium diesels, or an engine family known to have casting sand issues, or a engine taking out a water pump prematurely.
 
I dont think casting sand will be a problem 3 decades later, it *must* have been flushed out by now.

Waterpump protection sounds attractive but what am I protecting it from if there's nothing but coolant and distilled water in the system?
 
If you have junk in your cooling system, and can't get it out any other way, a coolant filter will get it out. Otherwise it's not needed. Good example is the 6.2 diesel in my sig-it's a lot easier to throw on a coolant filter, even temporarily, than it is to lift the engine & pull BOTH motor mounts to get at the block drain plugs!
 
I have a 1982 Silverado, radiator says it was manufactured in 81.

Original water pump, radiator, and honestly, the hoses look to be from then to.

We owned the truck since 84.and the PO was a co worker of my dads...

He changed the coolant, 3times maybe?, and the radiator is clean, hoses are clean...


AAANNNDDD,i like in an area where it gets 120°heat plus, not counting the heat coming off the road... and we've never had overheating issues with anything we own...

I did wanna put a filter on my desert truck, but just to say I had one, but that costs $ that I could use for gas =)
 
The most important thing is not an filter, it is chosing a good coolant. A good coolant offer a good protection against corrosion, especialy aluminium corrosion.

For a 1982 VW Scirocco, just stay on G11 (=Glysantin G 05) from VW for 5 years CI, or change for new G12++ (=Glysantin G 40) for 5 years CI also. Both are good and cheap.

You can use Volvo coolant, a kind of G11, cheap and good too.

Avoid low priced, no name coolant: only frost protection is ok, but their corrosion protection is very low...

Here are some test results for BASF Glysantin == VW Coolants:

- = gain of weight , + = loss of weight

G05:

130326114143909785.png


G48:

130326114224578423.png


G30:

130326114301232462.png


G34

130326114345715471.png
 
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The advantages of a coolant filter....and I use spin on's is:

Depending on the brand, a spin on will provide particle filtration, electrolysis prevention, and keep the coolant charged for a longer period of time. Thus, saves water pump issues, will keep coolant charged, and rid the engine of electrolysis.

Bit of a hassle, but if you like bypass oil filtration, a coolant filter will provide some of the same qualities for the coolant.
 
Every water pump problem I ever had stemmed from a worn out bearing. I don't think the coolant has a lot of effect on bearing wear.
 
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