Volvo MD2020 Coolant Change

No, not really.
For a start it's ready diluted, so a waste of money, you are paying for a least half of the contents being water.
Secondly, it's red. You need blue stuff for our old-fashioned MD2020.
Go to a motor factors, there's at least one in every town, and get the blue concentrate.
You would be correct in diluting that 50:50 with water.
 
Cantata is right, you need to use traditional glycol stuff from any motorfactor not the red OAT type.
Colour varies but blue is common. The original dominant brand back in the days of my Grandad's running a garage was Bluecol (geddit?) and I think everyone copied it.
Genuine VP stuff is probably green to charge more because it's different!
Alternatively if it was done in Portugal or further south, is it just corrosion inhibitor not antifreeze?
 
As far as I'm aware, there's no problem using red OAT antifreeze, indeed it has better corrosion protection and lasts longer. However, you need to flush the old coolant out first ideally.
 
Thanks, no the boats not in Portugal.

Will get some of the blue stuff from a Motor shop.

The old coolant is already out.
 
As has been said it is ready mixed to the right concentration to use straight from the can.

There is some merit in using ready mixed antifreeze.
You will find some info in the Volvo manuals on acceptable water composition for diluting antifreeze. Basically unless your tap water is relatively soft and low in dissolved solid it is recommended that you use distilled water for dilution.
Using the ready diluted stuff avoids that complication.

I agree with PVB . I am not aware of any reason why the modern long life OAT (Organic acid technology) type of antifreeze ia unsuitable although the old low silicate, or " inorganic acid technology" type is suitable for that engine.

You must not, however, mix the old and new types, although a universal top up mixture is available

Its all glycol based
 
Last edited:
pvb said:
As far as I'm aware, there's no problem using red OAT antifreeze, indeed it has better corrosion protection and lasts longer. However, you need to flush the old coolant out first ideally.
Click to expand...

I understand some of the OAT ones should not be used with copper.
The 2020 has a copper/brass heat exchanger.
VP's own type 90 antifreeze (which is green!) that is specified is glycol IAT.
I shall stick to glycol IAT in my 2020!
Big article about the a/freeze types here http://www.taligentx.com/passat/info/fluids/Motor_Magazine-Keeping_It_Cool.pdf
 
Cantata said:
No, not really.
For a start it's ready diluted, so a waste of money, you are paying for a least half of the contents being water.
Secondly, it's red. You need blue stuff for our old-fashioned MD2020.
Go to a motor factors, there's at least one in every town, and get the blue concentrate.
You would be correct in diluting that 50:50 with water.
Click to expand...

The correct Volvo stuff is pea green so I dont think that colour really matters. The key thing is corrosion inhibiting properties in an engine with mixed ally and iron. My guess is that most good car antifreeze will work OK since cars are mixed metal engines too.

Incidentally, the 2020 isnt that old fashioned. Its a Jap engine assembled over here by Perkins and sold under the Volvo name.
 
wotayottie said:
Incidentally, the 2020 isnt that old fashioned. Its a Jap engine assembled over here by Perkins and sold under the Volvo name.
Click to expand...
I assume you mean japanese as opposed to J A Preswick
The block has the name Perkins cast in it
I always thought that Perkins were part of Hawker Sidley, along with Lister etc, although i confess that have no idea who owns them now
I thought Perkins blocks were cast in Uk & certainly not in Japan
Is that no longer the case?
 
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