Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Anti Freeze for 2007 Roadster

Can someone please tell me which anti-freeze/coolant I should use for my 2007 Roadster with 6cyl 3.0 Ford engine?
It is a simple question but I have not found a convincing answer yet. Should it be IAT or OAT and what brand and how much of it should I use? Thanks in advance.
You guys came to my rescue when I could not start the car in Northern Spain about 4 years ago, turned out to be the chip had fallen out of the ignition key and someone kindly thought of that. I would probably still be there but for your help. I have since shipped the car to Tasmania and I need your help again.

Mine has the Pink coolant which is the OAT type, I believe it takes around 11 litres, but I'd allow wiggle room for the long bonnet and therefore hoses of the Mog.


But it depends on what is in yours already.

For starters what colour is it?

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!!!!

Yes particularly as some folks favour the waterless coolant (Maybe a worthwhile option in Oz to consider?)

I do use Evans Waterless coolant in the Plus 4 but there are swings and roundabouts. On the plus side it has a very low vapour pressure so is unlikely to blow hoses off. It's also there for life and, since it is actually a kind of oil, it lubricates the water pump nicely. The downside is it's very expensive and (apart from in new/dry systems) a hydroscopic prep fluid has to be used to get all the water out of the system. Note bene: it is not permitted for racing since if it spills on the track it's as slippery as oil and does not evaporate.

With regard to "how much", it depends on your temperature operating range.

Anti-freeze is not a very good heat exchanging fluid, Distilled water is much better at taking the heat away so in hot climates you will get better heat transfer with a leaner mix.

However, as well as providing low temperature protection, anti-freeze also raises the boiling point of the fluid so if your engine is prone to boiling a richer mix can be useful.

As you can see these 2 sort of work against each other in hot climates.

At the other end of the spectrum, the mix needs to be richer to protect the engine from freezing.

At very cold temperatures (-30 celsius) 50% is the norm although you can go up to 60% at a push.

In warmer climes, as low as 30% is better but remember that the anti-freeze is also a lubricant so don't go much below this.

BTW, always use distilled (de-ionised) water in the mix.

I never would like to use such a liquid which can rise a danger in some circumstances. What can happen on a trac day can also happen on a normal road. The liquid must not be the culprid but a broken hose or a broken clamp can do so at every time.

I used it in the Roadster when Williams changed the radiator....on their suggestion. It seemed to make sense. However when I replaced the header tank and a small amount leaked out I realised just how slippery it is. Oily and not easy to clean up.

Dave.....thanks for all that information. I hadn’t really considered the anti freeze differences before....apart from my experience with Evans.

I think with my next car to replace Nero, I’ll fully drain down and replace the antifreeze so I know exactly what is in there!

Yeah thanks John. It was only when I wanted to change my Roadster coolant and started poking around that I discovered just how confusing this is.