My 2005 Roadster came with coolant which was a purple/blue colour. This was Ford Premium antifreeze, and I used that for a number of years. When I changed it last year I got the same antifreeze, but now it has a pink tint rather than purple.
Later Morgans appear to use Morris Lubricants anti-freeze which is a pinky orange.
Two things I discovered while looking at this. The colour is not an indicator of whether the coolant is OAT or not.
The second thing is that the content description can be confusing.
So I mixed some in a container and left it a few days to make sure it was compatible.
What follows is an extract from my Concours Spot in Miscellany from January 2018.
The modern term for anti-freeze is “Coolant”, and there are two types, which must not be mixed. The old fashioned ethylene glycol anti-freeze is often blue (Bluecol was one trade name). However you will also find ethylene glycol coolants in yellow or green. These were the standard until the mid 1990's.
When replacing the coolant, give the system a good flush through. Some Morgan radiators will have a drain tap at the bottom, but removing the bottom hose is quicker and easier. There are “filled for life” waterless coolants on the market which some owners have chosen. If you go down this route, you need to purge as much of the old coolant as possible from the system, and carry a top up with you, because water will dilute the product and it shouldn't be mixed with anti-freeze.
The Ford 'Super Plus Premium' antifreeze which was in my Roadster has a pale purple tint to it, but is clearly at the blue end of the spectrum. This product contains “Ethenodiol” - which is “a clear colourless syrupy soluble liquid substance, used as an antifreeze and solvent. Formula: CH 2 OHCH 2 OH Also called glycol, ethylene glycol”. Initially I assumed that this was a simple ethylene glycol anto-freeze, but later discovered that it is not.
Organic Acid Technology coolant was late to the party but is now in common use. OAT antifreeze is often dyed orange or an orange/pink colour. I have this coolant in my 2016 Plus 4, and it was also in my 2012 4/4 Anniversary. Morgan use Morris Lubricants, and Morris supply an “Ultralife Red Organic Acid Technology antifreeze”, and so it seems reasonable to suppose that more modern Morgans will use this product. From the technical specification on the Morris website: “This Ethylene Glycol based antifreeze, which uses Organic Acid Technology, is free from nitrites, amines, phosphates, borates and silicates. When used at the correct concentration, coolants based on Organic Acid Technology are capable of providing extended operation compared to conventional antifreeze. This can be for up to 5 years or 250,000km in passenger cars”.
There is one more thing to consider when looking to top-up or replace OAT coolant. Although the common colour is orange-pink, some manufacturers use their own formulas, and greens, yellows & blues are also out there. And so don't make assumptions based purely on the colour. If in doubt, mix a small amount of coolant from your car with the top up coolant on the bench and leave it a few days to see what happens. Or alternatively speak to your Morgan dealer. The Ford Super Plus Premium I use in my Roadster has now changed from pale purple to vivid orange-pink, and although the technical specification on the containers is the same. I have a small container on the bench with a mix. It appears to be OK!!
Where Glycol based anti-freeze is mixed with OAT anti-freeze, the result can be that solids crystallise out of the liquid, and clog up the water pump and water galleries. Search for images on-line to see how bad this might be. For normal cars, I would be inclined to stick with the manufacturer's brand of coolant, which will avoid any unexpected consequences of mixing!
If you have any doubts -talk to your dealer. Your coolant may have already been changed!!!!
