I've got my 144 pretty much sorted out except for the lazy
temperature gauge. I'm about ready to dump the water that's
in the motor and put in new water (just to clean out whatever
grunge is in there at the moment and because water is cheap).

I'm not comfortable with using pure water since it will
eventually rust the motor. I also am not comfortable with
using coolant just because the swtuff is pretty toxic. If I
can I'd rather use something else.

A friend who has had old volvos for the past 30 years said
that he used water soluble oil from machine shops in his and
never had problems. I found this link:

http://library.cbest.chevron.com/lubes/compprd9.nsf/c88c682625e06af6882568db00737ce8/dceed45bf569c97988256b68001fb226?OpenDocument

which says, among other things:
Texaco Soluble Oil D is suitable for use in automotive cooling
systems to prevent rust and corrosion. A mixture of forty to
one is most often used. However, always follow engine
manufacturers' recommendations. It is preferable to mix radiator
water and oil in a separate container. Additions to the radiator
should be made from this container. As with any other "additives",
the radiator should be drained and flushed occasionally, since
evaporation and leakage cause proportions to change.



It seems like a good idea. What's the catch? I live in a
climate where there is almost never frost on the ground, let
alone hard freezes but I may go into the mountains where it
does get to be below freezing.
chris