I have a 1966 4020 diesel that I am going to flush the coolant system and replace the coolant in when it warms up. A while back I replaced the temperature guage sender, and drained just enough coolant to get the job done, and the coolant was some nasty rusty coolant. I got enough coolant from napa to fill it back up for the winter so I could atleast push snow. When it warms up in the next few months, I am going to flush the system and replace the coolant. I am wondering if anyone has went with the john deere cool gard coolant, if it is worth the extra money? I see it has the additives in it and a higher service life. Or if I just go with a napa coolant and run an additive in it? Just curious to see what other guys have done and looking for some input. Thanks

Just bite the bullet and put the right stuff in it ...:-)

I would use the Napa brand coolant and the additive.

I would imagine whatever you buy is more advanced than what was in it for most of its life. Id get the cheaper stuff

I use the "John Deere Cool Gard Coolant", in bot of mine.
No problems -- been using it for 22 years now.

The only thing different with the JD coolant is the high price.

IMO, there are SOME applications that are worth spending extra money for good stuff. Motor oil and lubricants, for example, or bearings and other moving parts. Coolant? It just transfers heat. It could be water for goodness sake, if you weren't in freezing climate. In that case it's just water and an anti-freeze. What magic ingredient could JD possibly be putting in it?
Unless you have significant problems with overheating, I would run the cheap stuff and use additives if necessary.

I believe newer coolant has electrolytes in it to help slow down the corrosion process. Or something like that. Someone more knowledgeable than me might know more about it. I'd drain the old stuff immediately and flush the system, then replace with new.

I'd have to agree with Gary, I run the JD coolant, in my work boat, I have a Newer 9 liter 6090 John Deere. I do notice it is a much cleaner coolant as far as any film or crust build up around the neck and cap That I use to get on my old motor and different coolant.

I used to think antifreeze was antifreeze until I did some research . Now I use extended life prediluted antifreeze . It has anti corrosion and antielectrollisis properties . The tight butt in me dosnt like the idea of buying prediluted but I know how much calcium and iron is in my water and that the PH is off from day to day depending what the county is doing with the system .
I don't use the manufacturers brand normally but I will not use anything but EXTENDED LIFE PREDILLUTED

If you decide to NOT use pre-diluted coolant you can balance the mix with distilled water after flushing well. No minerals in distilled water.

ours is Grandpa's '60 1010, check your PM's

Use the John Deere coolant, it has conditioners that keep the o-rings on the sleeves soft to help them seal. It also helps prevent cavitation of the cylinder liners.

Flush with water only, or you may end up dislodging some of the crud on the o-rings above the weep holes in the block.

I know this from 20 years as a JD tech in a prior life.

Go with the John Deere coolant

All coolant is not the same. If it was a new car I would tell you to use whatever your car manual says to use. I sat in a siminar once and heard a lady from Ford tell us how many warranty claims they reject b/c people using cheap autozone antifreeze and not the Motorcraft standard that is outlined in the manual. FYI she talked another while over these drive through car washes not using the soap in the proper amounts / ratio and over concentrated soap getting on the outside of your radiator and it causing problems. Antifreeze is the same way, from the inside, and all bottles of antifreeze is not the same recipe. Use what your manual says.

Now... what do you properly use for a 1966 Deere? I have no idea. But for example something like that probably even has copper, not aluminum. Saying that it may matter if components were replaced in say 1990... to where the fluid you want to use is for that and not what the 1966 manual would say or what they used in 1966.

Anyway thats the theory of it.

As far as old tractors? This is what google says: "what antifreeze to use in old tractors"
To simplify your choice of antifreeze, follow this general rule of thumb: For antique tractor engines, use green IAT coolants rated for light-duty or universal use. When it comes to high-power modern tractors as well as today's cars and trucks, go with the manufacturer's coolant recommendation.Apr 27, 2016

It took 14 years for the green coolant to corrode the cylinder walls of my 2001 7.3 powerstroke. His tractor is probably a late 60’s early 70’s model. I don’t think putting the expensive antifreeze in it at this point is going to save it. There is probably not anything wrong with it. I would lean more toward distilled water with water lever anitifreeze he wants. A good additive will help. I think vehicle manufacturers today are not making there blocks with a hood ratio of precious metals. Ford/international wouldn’t cover any of the blocks that were junk because of the coolant cavatation. They blamed it on not using the correct antifreeze. How come no other manufacture put out a statement about using a certain kind of antifreeze in a motor. At that time there was no other manufacture of a Diesel engine that required a certain antifreeze. Ford/international knew they put out a inferior block they just wasn’t going to foot the bill for it.

Use the JD. It is not that much total dollar difference to keep the old ones running.

Some of you make stuff way harder than it has to be. Pick a good quality coolant and just use it. There is absolutely nothing special about Deere branded coolant other than the name and price.

Because the lady at the conference doing the study worked at Ford. Not at the other manufacturers. And the issue wasn't with cylinder walls. The issue was with alum radiators and using the wrong coolant causing leaks.

P.S. - The John Deere guys on here saying to use John Deere coolant are saying the same thing that I am. All coolant isn't the same.

Wharton nailed it. I worked as a Deere tech years ago. Without an electrolytic neutralizer in the coolant, static electricity makes tiny bubbles that land on the outside of cylinder sleeves and pop. Over time, it will make a crater, and pierce the liner, putting water into the crankcase. You can use the Deere, or NAPA makes a product called NAPA kool. On case ih we plumb them for a coolant conditioning filter. If you have a wet sleeve diesel (you do) doing none of the above is begging for an engine overhaul. 25 yrs farming-diesel mechanic, trust me