Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

[bowler]

After winterising this year I filled the block and manifold with 50/50 antifreeze. Anti corrosion and all that... That gives me protection down to about -15C (5F). Problem is they are forecasting record lows of -20C in parts of Northern Ireland. Possibly not where I am but who wants to take the chance?



I read online that diluting antifreeze would result on a lower freezing point that neat but that makes no sense to me:


"A mixture of 50% anti-freeze and 50% water is usually used, resulting in a freezing point of approximately −40 ?F."

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/193890#ixzz180ql1nQM

Sounds bogus, so to save any fretting I'm going to end up draining the 50/50 out of the engine anyways. I didn't have enough antifreeze to fill without dilution it first time round. Problem is the boat is 60 miles away! Think I'll be leaving it full of air instead next year.

D.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Think I'll be leaving it full of air instead next year.

I don't have to deal with that thankfully... but in the words of Bond-o: "Air don't freeze."

 

[bowler]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Well,

As usual I appear to be wrong. 50/50 antifreeze and water provides protection down to -35C/F.

My bad!

http://www.waynesgarage.com/docs/engine_coolant.htm

 

[Bondo]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Think I'll be leaving it full of air instead next year.

Ayuh,... That's how I've been winterizin' for nearly 40 years...

 

[davj]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

50/50 is the normal mix in a european car engine and as you realise should give to plenty of protection in any - temp that we should get in the uk.

None of my engines have every frozen up and even that -35C doesn't mean it goes solid it just slushes.

My mate on the Isle e of Man uses 50/50 mix.

davj

 

[Lou C]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

AS long as you can test the strength of the AF solution, if you have 50/50 then no worries....that's -35F...I use the RV/Marine -100 stuff, which doesn't start to solidify until about -50 or so, the idea being, if there was some water that didn't drain, you'd be more than fine....I do it for the corrosion protection issue, cast iron exposed to damp air all winter will rust a lot faster. And I have to say, the inside of the engine, of what I can see (inside of intake manifold, visible when changing thermostats, thermostat housing, water passages in the heads seen when changing the front water pump), all have no flaking rust. This is a salt water engine and to me that says a lot....

 

[bowler]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Not sure why I had it in my head that undiluted was -30ishC. Anyways, crisis over! Roll on spring so i can get some water back in round it again...

D.

 

[boat127]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

why not just drain and not worry about usin the goddamn antifreeze

 

[bowler]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

I did last year. My insurance covers me for frost damage etc as long as it's winterised with AF so that's what I did. Like my girlfriend will tell you, i'm good at doing what I'm told...

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Why would you dilute the anti-freeze? Why not just drain it then fill it with pure antifreeze?

 

[Lou C]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

pure antifreeze not at all mixed with water will actually freeze up at a higher temp than AF mixed to the correct proportion with water. The best way of doing the AF thing is to use the pre mixed marine stuff. I used to mix up propylene glycol af with water but found it easier to use the pre mixed stuff...much more convenient.

 

[bowler]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

pure antifreeze not at all mixed with water will actually freeze up at a higher temp than AF mixed to the correct proportion with water.

I read that as well. Who would have thought...

 

[ChrisCraftJohnny]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Just a quick point on automobile/closed cooling on boats:

Glycol antifreeze that is used in cars should not be mixed 50/50.
In other words, if your system is 10 quarts. Don't try to pour 5 quarts of antifreeze and then 5 quarts of water into the radiator. For one you can't remove all the coolant out of an engine so you will never get 10 full quarts back in. Second, guess what glycol antifreeze's base is????
WATER! Hence that is why you do not use a literal 50/50 mix. You need to follow the chart on the back of the antifreeze bottle. After draining, pour in the amount of antifreeze into the radiator. Then top off with water. Run engine with cap off until OT is reached. (purges air) Then tighten the cap and your good for what ever strength +/-10 deg you mixed it for follwing the chart on the bottle.

This is the correct way. Ask my brother in law who insisted that the 50% water to 50% antifreeze was the right way when his block froze in 0deg. F. weather.

CCJ

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

This is not an exact science. I have seen may engines survive with one gallon of anti-freeze in a 4 gallon system. This mixture will allow the system to rust faster but it still protected to 15 below. That is a 1/4 mix 50/50 is just fine.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Honestly I have never had a problem winterizing an engine by fully draining it and filling with Antifreeze. I used to mix up the full strength PG stuff and use a PG hydrometer to measure the strength of the mixture, but then switched to using the pre-mixed -100 stuff. I start with a drained engine and manifolds, so no big deal with water that is left in there, and even if a bit is left there, -100 is more than enough to protect it from freezing. It definitely has reduced the amount of rust that would be in this engine, I was happy to see no flaking rust in the inside of the intake manifold or the inside of water passages in the heads when I pulled off the original water pump this fall.

 

[artificialreef]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Just before we got our first freeze here in middle fla. i bought a cheapo (5 bucks) glycol tester from the autopepzone. I have a beater truck, 2 beater cars, 1 decent car, a boat w/twins and a beater jetski. The tester has floating balls that depending on how many float you crossreference with the diagram on the pocket protector carrying case. All the unmolested carbon units tested good to well below freezing. The 2 vehicles i had the heads off of were good to +20f (not good). I think the dang thing works pretty good. I know thats too little too late but next year if you need to know how good your stuff is?? For Cr#ps and giggles I will test a 50/50 mixture and tell you what it reads even though you allready have the answer.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

You guys are not talking about regular prestone right? When you start up the boat in the spring you can pollute and kill all the little animals. If you are talking about RV antifreeze or the pink stuff it says right on the bottle not to dilute the mixture.

 

[Outsider]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

Ask my brother in law who insisted that the 50% water to 50% antifreeze was the right way when his block froze in 0deg. F. weather.

First off, one should read and understand the directions. To achieve the rated protections, the coolant (in it's entirety) should be a 50-50 mix. To be there with a system that hasn't been completely drained, all coolant added should be a 50-50 mix. Not mixed in the radiator/cooling system, but mixed before it's added. If making those calculations becomes taxing, one can purchase coolant that is already mixed 50-50. It ain't rocket science ...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

You should NEVER under any circumstances use automotive antifreeze to winterize your boat engine. Use non-toxic pink RV antifreeze. Dumping auto antifreeze into the lake or onto your driveway in the spring is unwise and most likely illegal. Better yet listen to what the heck bond-o says and just drain it. Another thing is this corrosion protection thing. Any decent RV antifreeze has corrosion inhibitors in it, and if you drain and put the plugs back in, I would like someone to explain to me just where the OXYGEN needed for rust formation comes from. This should be so simple, makes my head hurt. Sorry feeling a little cranky this morning.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Winterising - 50/50 antifreeze PITA

I use auto antifreeze, drain it out, catch it, and put it back in the jug.