straight anti-freeze

[4poco]

My question is, will straight anti-freeze Freeze?<br />winterized engine and used straight dex-cool(the orange stuff) Will it gel? Never myself ever seen straight anti-freeze gel or freeze. Has anyone else? Thanks for your reply...............

 

[6 balls]

Re: straight anti-freeze

Yes straght anti-freeze will gel up i used to work in an oil change shop when i was in highschool and they kept the anti-freeze in a 55 gal drum outside and on the real real cold days when it came out of the pump it looked like a bright green Icee!! (didnt taste like one) lol

 

[whblaylock]

Re: straight anti-freeze

believe it or not antifreeze needs to be mixed with water to achieve its lowest freezing temp and highest boiling temp. Most gals have a chart on the back that gives you the freezing temps based on the ratio of water to antifreeze. wh

 

[4poco]

Re: straight anti-freeze

I will mix some with water and re-do my winterizing. Glad i asked before it got real cold........ Thank you again for your input

 

[KRS]

Re: straight anti-freeze

Just buy the Pre-mixed ready to use... and don't worry about it.

 

[brother chris]

Re: straight anti-freeze

I heard that using 100% antifreeze, without adding water, is not good for your vehicle.<br /> http://www.eetcorp.com/antifreeze/antifreeze-faq.htm <br />That website says it all...check it out.

 

[BillP]

Re: straight anti-freeze

Here's the freeze point chart from that web site.<br /><br /> http://www.eetcorp.com/antifreeze/freeze_points.gif

 

[4poco]

Re: straight anti-freeze

Well i took advise of others, mixed anti-freeze and checked -40. Took off hoses fron water pump and back-filled. This time just left it in block and exhaust manifold. Should be good for winter providing this dex-cool ( orange stuff ) is corrosion protectant.<br />Thanks guys for setting me straight.The boat and I thank you!

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: straight anti-freeze

I have always used pure Ethylene Glycol only in every car for +130,000 miles in each. No failures EVER!! A lot of people and so called experts do not know what they are talking about. I have lived in New Jersey for 68 years.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: straight anti-freeze

"A lot of people and so called experts do not know what they are talking about." This made me chuckle when I read this.<br /><br />Here's a few quotes from some "so-called experts."<br /><br />From Prestone's website:<br />"Q: What is the best antifreeze/coolant concentration for a vehicle? Can I use 100% antifreeze? <br />A: We recommend that you use between a 50% and 70% concentration of antifreeze. At least 50% is necessary to give the adequate amount of corrosion protection, as well as freeze/boilover protection. However, we do not recommend more than 70% antifreeze. This would cause restriction of the heat transfer capabilities, corrosion protection, and freeze protection. The concentration of freeze/boilover protection of the antifreeze mixture can be checked using a Prestone® Antifreeze Coolant Tester."<br /><br />Here's the similar quote from EET, another large antifreeze manufacturer that was pointed out by our good friend Brother Chris:<br />"What happens if I use too much antifreeze or water? <br /><br />Using too much antifreeze or water in your engine coolant can harm your vehicle. Antifreeze concentrations higher than recommended levels can cause problems including corrosion, water pump failure, and increased engine wear. Increasing the concentration of ethylene glycol above 60% actually hurts the engine’s freezing and overheating protection. More is not always better! <br /><br />Adding too much water to the cooling system lowers the concentration of corrosion inhibitor and antifreeze and results in decreased protection against corrosion and freezing."<br /><br /><br />Also, a bottle of Proline (generic) Ethelyne Glycol I have here at my home says right on it "Do not exceed 70% antifreeze" as does the GM service manual for my old Chevy pickup truck. <br /><br />In fact, I've never seen anyone from any source recommend a 100% mixture before today.<br /><br />I'm sorry, but I put much more credence in the recommendations of antifreeze manufactures and General Motors than I do in Mr. Cyclops long and apparently lucky run of pure glycol. I might also mention that a 100% mixture costs twice as much money than diluting with free water. A 100% mix is simply senseless and has some potential to damage your engine.

 

[phantoms]

Re: straight anti-freeze

I would run green antifreeze instead of dexcool. Dexcool has a tendency to crystallize when it sits undisturbed for long periods in contact with air. In a pressurized cooling system such as a car, this is not as likely (but I've seen my share of cars with this problem), but as a winterizing for a boat, sitting with contact to air is more likely.

 

[rwidman]

Re: straight anti-freeze

If you're winterizing a boat, be sure to use non-toxic antifreeze unless you have a way of recovering and properly disposing of it in the spring.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: straight anti-freeze

Cyclops, I can't imagine how that is working for you. It is the water that is removing the heat from the engine. All the antifreeze is doing is lowering the freezing point and raising the boiling point, it does nothing for actual cooling. Every single bit of data details exactly why you should never use straight antifreeze. I can't even count how many times I have diagnosed overheating vehicles just to find out the owner has staight antifreeze in it. Do what you want, but it is not the correct way to use the product.

 

[trog100]

Re: straight anti-freeze

anti-freeze dosnt cool as well as water.. useing straight anti-freeze simply means u have a less efficient cooling system..<br /><br />if u aint bothered about efficient cooling.. just winterizing pouring it in neat is okay.. but as jasonj says running all year round with straight antifreeze is not the way it should be done..<br /><br />trog

 

[BillP]

Re: straight anti-freeze

I ran straight antifreeze for years here in Florida and never had a cooling problem. I was too lazy to keep enough distilled water around and didn't want to use "city" water. I knew it didn't cool as well but that never showed up and freezing isn't a problem here. The radiators never plugged up from the minerals you get from water either. Long term corrosion, etc...never saw it and I keep cars at least 200k miles. I use it with water now but full strength antifreeze never made problems. I would run it straight before using ditch water for sure.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: straight anti-freeze

One of the reasons alluded to in the quotes from the antifreeze manufacturers is that water actually can absorb and transfer more heat than ethylene glycol. The reason we don't use plain water is that A. it freezes in cold weather, and B. it will boil away in warm weather. Ethylene glycol lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of the coolant. However, a too concentrated (>70%) mix reduces the ability of the coolant to absorb and transfer heat. If everthing is working perfectly it may suffice, but if the cooling system has a hiccup you want the maximum cooling capacity. Besides 50% is cheaper than 100%. The world is full of people who think that if a little of something is good more is better. Not a good motto to live by.

 

[BillP]

Re: straight anti-freeze

The interesting part to me is antifreeze "freezes" at a lower temp when mixed with water. I thought adding water would make it freeze at higher temps...the chart shows different.

 

[trog100]

Re: straight anti-freeze

100% seems about the same as 30% with the ethylene stuff with a 70% solution being the most effective.. anything more and it seems to go in reverse.. he he<br /><br />the other type (propylene) follws a logical pattern thow.. 100% isnt much better than 70% but it isnt worse..<br /><br />assuming i read the chart right.. he he<br /><br />trog