Bought new hoses etc. for the cooling system in my recently acquired -84 SD, but realized that I cannot justify spending $29.95/gallon at the dealership for the Mercedes Benz coolant (I am aiming for 45% of 12 quarts (55% water), so I would need to purchase two gallons to make that happen). So the green stuff it is going to be, and I'll be sure to check past posts for people's recommendations for the right brand.
I've read from Pindelski (I think), that phosphate free (which forms, anybody???) is the major advantage of the MB coolant (presumably won't attack the parts of the coolant system). Being a bit of a skeptic, I don't fully buy into MB coolant being all that (with that pricetag, there better be gold particles causing the color!

). So why should I invest in MB coolant?
Beyond checking that my coolant is pretty neutral in pH, is there anything else I could do for the system's future well-being? Just trying to be 'preventive' here. Thanks.