Worried!

[Tom Cavallaro]

I am worried about the A in my garage, I have a wyfi thermometer on the engine and a drop light with a 100w bulb and I'm reading 27 degrees. Last year I flushed the system but didn't realize I purchased 50% antifreeze. I know it only a three gallon system, but is this enough to keep the block from freezing? Right now I go out and start it up and run it for ten minutes, every two days then close it up with a blanket to keep the heat of the bulb in.
What do you guys think.
Thanks, Tom

[oldwoodsman]

get yourself an antifreeze tester at the auto parts store, it will tell you what you are protected to.

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Did you add extra water to the 50% antifreeze or just use it the way it came? If you used it the way it came, it'll be fine. If you further diluted it, it could be a problem, although not at 27 degrees. Draining it out till spring would set your mind at ease - just a few more weeks! It's cold here in Wisconsin too.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by oldwoodsman

get yourself an antifreeze tester at the auto parts store, it will tell you what you are protected to.

x2,,

[Barry B./ Ma.]

I top mine off with 100% antifreeze out of the bottle. That should test out at -35 F. The inside of the garage with the heat off doesn't get much lower than +20.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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I use 1 1/2 gallons of pure antifreeze and 1 gallon of water, then run it until it's thoroughly mixed, at least 30 minutes. Then I have no worries about rust or freezing.

Running an engine for 10 minutes is doing the engine harm. You're filling the engine and exhaust with condensation. That's exactly how I locked up two engines back in the 70's. That was a costly lesson.

[George Miller]

Right now I go out and start it up and run it for ten minutes, every two days
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is hard on a engine. You should run it tell it evaporates all the water out of the oil. What you are doing is putting water in the oil. All the frost on the inside of the block turns to water in the oil. Plus the products of combustion.

[31 Model A]

From reading above, I guess letting your A sit in a cold garage and then warming the garage up to do work, creating condensation on the engine and almost everything else is not good either. I have wondered about this when I would heat up the garage to do some things.

[Tom Cavallaro]

Thank you, I will stop running it! Yes I did add water....I figured one gallon of antifeeze and two gallons of water......should be fine. I later realized it was 50 percent.....I don't ever remember it being sold watered down before??? I will purchase that tester....because these engines don't have freeze out plugs.
Thanks gentlemen,
Tom

[SeaSlugs]

its been sold premixed for at least 10+ years around here

but yea running any engine for 10 min is doing way more harm than any good. most of your engine wear is the first few minutes after startup especially when cold, not to mention builds up acids in the oil that would normally burn off once it got up to temp.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Tom Cavallaro

Thank you, I will stop running it! Yes I did add water....I figured one gallon of antifeeze and two gallons of water......should be fine. I later realized it was 50 percent.....I don't ever remember it being sold watered down before??? I will purchase that tester....because these engines don't have freeze out plugs.
Thanks gentlemen,
Tom

Core plugs won't do anything to prevent blocks from cracking due to people using only water. They are only there to plug the holes used to hold the cores in place during the casting process.

[JonC]

If you can drain out a gallon and put in one gallon of pure prestone or whatever you use, that should fix it but, buy the tester as everyone has said.

[Mitch//pa]

a T stat helps heat the motor up quicker... i run them in my units

[2manycars]

Why has nobody suggested just draining the cooling system dry? It cant freeze if there is no coolant. Drain it out and leave it dry until you are ready to use the car, then go buy some straight antifreeze, and mix 50-50 with water and use that.

[mass A man]

I don't drain out the cars anymore for years now. I feel that can lead to rusting the insides of the block. Who knows for sure? I just use half water-half Sierra antifreeze.

[TDO]

When using a anti- freeze tester, be sure to use the right one. The new anti-freeze that is environmentally safe has propylene glycol. And the old anti-freeze has ethylene glycol. if you use the wrong tester it will give you a false reading. I found this out when I switched over to Sierra anti-freeze. No matter how I mixed it it kept giving me the same reading. So I called the 800# on the Sierra anti=freeze, And the technician told me you have to use a tester for propylene glycol. No parts store around here had one so I found it on Amazon.

[mshmodela]

I'd just go out and drop what your car has and fill it with new for peace of mind. Don't buy 50/50 premixed.. Buy 100% Antifreeze... A 30 min or less job... and keep any lights or things electrical that gets hot away from the car...

[Mitch//pa]

i always use pre mixed 50/50...

[Fred]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

I'd just go out and drop what your car has and fill it with new for peace of mind. Don't buy 50/50 premixed.. Buy 100% Antifreeze... A 30 min or less job... and keep any lights or things electrical that gets hot away from the car...

There is nothing wrong with using 50/50, same thing as 1+1/2 water to 1+1/2 antifreeze ??.. NEVER 100% Straight Antifreeze !!..

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

i always use pre mixed 50/50...

Me too and besides I now live in Georgia and never gets below 70

[Willie Krash]

2 qts in a 12 qt system should be OK to 19°.
My T is in an unheated shop and the antifreeze is in a bucket. It's 70° in Southern Oregon today.

If you added 50/50, a gal should have 2 qts antifreeze. If you've only dropped to 27° you should be OK.

https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...f/ethylene.pdf
Now you can get a good nights sleep.

[Archie Cheda]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

. . . Running an engine for 10 minutes is doing the engine harm. You're filling the engine and exhaust with condensation. That's exactly how I locked up two engines back in the 70's. That was a costly lesson.

If you want to avoid the problem Tom describes, put a tablespoon of oil down each spark plug hole (now) and turn the engine over a few times with the hand crank, spreading the oil over the cylinder walls. Instead of starting the engine, just turn it over a few times with the hand crank. If you trickle charge the battery, you could use the electric starter.

I say "now" above, because some of the moisture that condensed in the engine from your short runnings is working to rust the rings to the cylinder walls. The last thing you want three months from now is a stuck engine.

Archie

[Synchro909]

Fascinating post! Nobody here uses antifreeze, only a little soluble oil for the sake of the water pump maybe. Thank goodness I don't live in such a hostile environment.

[Tom Cavallaro]

Ok, thanks....I never noticed the 50-50 before, I always bought the regular and put the gallon in and add the rest with water....I paid 23.00 dollars for it so I assumed it was what I used to buy.....never thinking it was watered down! Now you guys don't like the light bulb in there either?

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by 31 Model A

From reading above, I guess letting your A sit in a cold garage and then warming the garage up to do work, creating condensation on the engine and almost everything else is not good either. I have wondered about this when I would heat up the garage to do some things.

If you warm the garage up without introducing moisture by use of a vented heater, by heating the air you're reducing the relative humidity in the garage. And decreasing the possibility of condensation.

If it wasn't condensing before heating the air, then it won't be condensing once the air is warm.

If you use an unvented heater, such as many gas radiant or portable kero units, part of the combustion products of these is water vapor which MAY create an issue of condensation on cold metal parts.

No, correction WILL create an issue of condensation. You'll notice it first on those parts farthest from the heater which remain cold, but are exposed to the warm and humid air.

Of course by the presence of you yourself in the garage, you're introducing moisture through transpiration from your moist little body. However, the decrease in relative humidity by heating the air probably far exceeds your puny transpiration.

Joe K

[Fred]

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Originally Posted by Tom Cavallaro

Ok, thanks....I never noticed the 50-50 before, I always bought the regular and put the gallon in and add the rest with water....I paid 23.00 dollars for it so I assumed it was what I used to buy.....never thinking it was watered down! Now you guys don't like the light bulb in there either?

50/50 Is so they can charge you more for water and save you the time of making it 50/50...

[Mitch//pa]

no i dont like the light bulb... what if fuel started leaking one drop will cause an explosion. the bulb wont stop the motor from freezing...

[31 Model A]

Originally Posted by Joe K

you're introducing moisture through transpiration from your moist little body. However, the decrease in relative humidity by heating the air probably far exceeds your puny transpiration.

Joe K

No problem there, I use deodorant..........

[billwill]

Tom is right you or doing more harm than go good luck

[mshmodela]

Originally Posted by Fred

50/50 Is so they can charge you more for water and save you the time of making it 50/50...

True, but if you do the math, you'll see 100% pure is much cheaper --your dime.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

True, but if you do the math, you'll see 100% pure is much cheaper --your dime.

What ??

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've seen some high priced antifreeze, but nowhere near $23.00 for 2 quarts of it and 2 quarts of water.

[CarlG]

Last time I priced it at NAPA, 50/50 was right at half the price of 100%, so it was/is really just a convenience thing.

Having said that, NAPA isn't the place to buy the stuff anyway. If you are looking for "cheap", WalMart or even Krogers have the same name brands for quite a bit less money.

[1931 flamingo]

Dusty: Are you sure??
Paul

[Gold Digger]

I may mix my antifreeze a little strong, 2 gallons of 100% Preston and the rest water in all my "A's". Never look back or worry. They run cool, never lime up, or freeze. I remember my Dad always worrying and fretting about whether he had enough antifreeze in the vehicle to keep it from freezing. I remember his old Chevy froze up and busted the head once, and he was always having the radiator freeze up while driving down the road because he never got the freezing point below the coldest the thermometers read in our area. When he was good for -10* and it was probable -5* the fan drawing cold air through the radiator it must have been -30* and always froze up and blew all the water out. I never did get it across to him what was happening. That's why I always go strong on antifreeze and save on heads and blocks and troubles on the road.

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by Fred

What ??

The 100% is priced a dollar below the 50/50 mix per gallon around here. 50/50 mix is half water. So, you are paying twice the money for the antifreeze.

Or put another way, buy a gallon of 100% antifreeze, cut it in half with a gallon of distilled water, and you have two gallons for what you paid for one gallon of 50/50. The math 'don't' lie.

[edmondclinton]

Ethylene Glycol anti-freeze, traditional Prestone, recommends a 50/50 mix for all but the coldest conditions possible. The 50/50 mix however is good for -34 F.

Consequently, they sell the 50/50 premix because it is what they recommend and it also makes it easy for the modern day imbecile to use, assuming of course that no water has been added to their radiator and it was previously mixed at 50/50.

[clo2jim]

Take it from somebody that lives in Northern Ontario and had already experienced -30°F weather this winter already and -61° F in the winter of 1982, and using the chart below - you will have no problems with a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze to water. In the winter of 1982 when I experience -62°F (-52°C) I was using a mixture of 60-65% antifreeze to water and had no issues.

In fact a mixture of 70% antifreeze to 30% water will protect down to -72°F.

On the other hand, a 100 percent antifreeze solution (no water mixed in) has a freezing point of only 10 degrees F. above ZERO, it could turn to pure slush when outdoor temperatures drop lower than that.

So it is always better to mix water with the antifreeze - use the guidelines in the table below -a 50/50 mixtures is probably the best to use - This will also increase the boiling point of the solution and you will have less likelihood of boiling over in the summer especially in the south. In fact any new car purchased will come with an antifreeze/water mixture which is optimum to the car. Just refer to your owners manual with your modern vehicle.

FREEZING POINTS FOR SOLUTIONS OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL

GLYCOL % BY VOLUME Freezing Point °F °C

12.5% 25°F -4°C
17% 20°F -7°C

25% 10°F -12°C
32.5% 0°F -18°C
38.5% -10°F -23°C
44% -20°F -29°C
49% -30°F -34°C
52.5% -40°F -40°C
70% -72°F -58°C

[clo2jim]

Back in 1982 when I experienced -62°F or -52°C, I had no difficulty starting my car. Of course it was equipped with a block heater and battery blanket. It was one of the few vehicles that started in my town of 2500 people. The car was just very stiff to get moving and very hard to shift the manual transmission - I was driving a 1974 AMC Hornet at the time

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Tom Cavallaro

....I paid 23.00 dollars for it so I assumed it was what I used to buy.....

Wow, really?? I just bought a gallon of Peak at O'Reilly's for 12.99.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...ord=antifreeze

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Wow, really?? I just bought a gallon of Peak at O'Reilly's for 12.99.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...ord=antifreeze

LOL i thought the same thing, its been like $10-$13 for years it seems i think the concentrate stuff is $1 cheaper actually...

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

Dusty: Are you sure??
Paul

Absolutely......

[Tom Cavallaro]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd say it was priced wrong! Because I don't work on my own cars since the late seventies, (when children came) except for the model A. The garages always took care of the antifeeze. I like keeping the stuff in to keep the rust out. I remember always using one gallon to the rest water, I was always good in the -30s. To purchase it 50-50 seems ludicuis unless your buying two gallons....just my opinion.

[oldwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Tom Cavallaro

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd say it was priced wrong! Because I don't work on my own cars since the late seventies, (when children came) except for the model A. The garages always took care of the antifeeze. I like keeping the stuff in to keep the rust out. I remember always using one gallon to the rest water, I was always good in the -30s. To purchase it 50-50 seems ludicuis unless your buying two gallons....just my opinion.

Tom..... Just curious here. Did you get the tester and if so what were the results?

[jimalabam]

Dusty" Hey guy you are pulling the other members legs.. It is +27 here in Phenix City, AL and yes, I do know where Lincolnton is. Hi today 46 here today. hee... hee...

[Dusty]

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Originally Posted by Jim/Alabam

Dusty" Hey guy you are pulling the other members legs.. It is +27 here in Phenix City, AL and yes, I do know where Lincolnton is. Hi today 46 here today. hee... hee...

Come on Jim it's in the low 70s right now.........in my living room.

[Slotblog]

Is that going to be true tonight and tomorrow night, Dusty? LOL!

Here in Norcross, we'll be seeing 11 and 12 degree lows for the next two days.

It's so easy to drain my A, that's what I do...

[Dusty]

Well to be honest I was out feeding the horses and about froze my a$$ off. Over all though it's been nice compared to WV.

[29Cabriolet]

I have about 3 gallons of Prestone 50-50 straight out of the container and 0 water in the Cab. Label says 50-50 good to -34.

What, me worry?

[31 Model A]

Originally Posted by 29Cabriolet

I have about 3 gallons of Prestone 50-50 straight out of the container and 0 water in the Cab. Label says 50-50 good to -34.

What, me worry?

Here tomorrow morning, -5 natural temp with a windchill of -20 to -22. I have about a 60/40 mixture, 40 being the water.

[Tom Cavallaro]

oldwoodsman, I bought the tester, says danger of freezing .....drained thre quarters of a gallon out and replaced it with straight stuff....also showed them the receipt, and the gave me a gallon of the peak! Now that's an apology !!!

[bikejunk]

do an experiment put some 50/50 in a bucket -and even add some water put it in an unheated place and watch what happens

[ModelAMike1930]

I get my antifreeze from Menards when its on sale. I think my last purchase of 50/50 cost me $6.00.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by bikejunk

do an experiment put some 50/50 in a bucket -and even add some water put it in an unheated place and watch what happens

I have a bucket of "50/50 antifreeze" sitting in my driveway (outside). It has obviously been watered down 'cause it will get slushy on top when it reaches minus 5°

[mshmodela]

Got up to 4F today

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Got up to 4F today

a heat wave

[Rowdy]

It was 35 here today. Supposed to be 50 here tomorrow. I am sure cold and snow will return soon so enjoying it while I can. Rod