do you change your antifreeze?

[Paul_NJ]

Reading the post from Mike below regarding choice and concentration of antifreeze got me to think about something I've wondered about for awhile. When I was a kid I recall my Father changed the coolant in our car religiously each Fall, flushing out the cooling system. Seems to me I read somewhere that the additives in the antifreeze deteriorated, became acidic, hence corrosive.

When I worked for Union Carbide (Prestone) the chemists in the Prestone group used to say that you don't need to change the newer types of antifreeze (Prestone II) because the additives are much more stable. Needless to say, it's an easy thing not to do, and I haven't for years on any of my vehicles ('87 car/'02 truck) . Maybe I should be . . .

Question: do you guys change antifreeze with any regularity on your cars/trucks/cubs? What is your experience?

Thanks

Paul

[Rick Prentice]

I'm not the expert on this, but for me, I bought one of those inexpensive testers and just check each season. I haven't had any problem, YET

[Paul_NJ]

My understanding is that the antifreeze itself never deteriorates and loses it's efficiency as an antifreeze (lowers the freezing point of the coolant). All brands of antifreeze are the same basic chemical (ethylene glycol) but what differentiates them are the additves that prevent corrosion. The hand testers indicate the specific gravity of the coolant which in turns tells you the mix of water/glycol. That in turn tells you the freezing point of the coolant.

It's whether those additives hold up and don't suddenly become corrosive that determines whether you need to change the antifreeze or not. I don't think there's any way to measure that.

[Rick Prentice]

Yikes, maybe I should be changing mine. There might be some original 1948 brand in there, for all I know Thanks for the interesting topic, Rick

[Buzzard Wing]

Anybody that has pulled the radiator off knows about the scary looking swill in the bottom of the bolster.

I changed the coolant because I had the radiator off and it just seems to be the right thing to do. I still haven't gotten the remnants of the drilled out plug out of there.... guess I should shoot it with Kroil again. That may be a clue about how long the old stuff was in there!

[beaconlight]

Talking about when I was a kid and dad changing anitfreeze can mean different things to different people. When I was a kid Noah hadn't built the boat yet and dad used alchol, that was before Ethlyne what ever had been invented or no longer as labortory curiosity.

Bill

[Dan England]

Bill: Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that alcohol tended to evaporate pretty quickly and would have to be added several time during the winter to maintain proper protection. Dan

[Paul_NJ]

Did they used to use alcohol? You reminded me of something I hadn't thought of for many years - I remember my Dad had a gallon jug of purple colored methanol in the garage and that he told me he used to put that in the radiator before the glycol. Is that what they used to use? That must have been really volatile stuff when it was hot.

[George Willer]

Did they used to use alcohol? You reminded me of something I hadn't thought of for many years - I remember my Dad had a gallon jug of purple colored methanol in the garage and that he told me he used to put that in the radiator before the glycol. Is that what they used to use? That must have been really volatile stuff when it was hot.

I used it in my first car. The thermostat had to be removed, or at least a lower temperature one used to slow (but not stop) evaporation. Us guys were tough in those days... it didn't matter much that the heaters didn't work. Then, along in the early 50's we learned how to make the heaters work by changing anti-freeze and thermostats and the girls would ride with us!!

[Dan England]

George: While thinking of by-gone days, my friend while in high school had a Model A Ford. I believe the only heater was air which was pulled across the motor. You closed off a flap in the floor board in the summer, opened it up in the winter to let hot air enter the cab. Dan

[allenlook]

Hot, in that case, being a relative term?

[Dan England]

Yes, but better than no heater at all. I hope someone who is familiar with the model A will explain how it worked. Too many years ago for my simple mind to recall details. Maybe Country will explain. Dan

[allenlook]

By the way, to answer the original question - my antifreeze gets changed by leaking out and being refilled.

[George Willer]

Yes, but better than no heater at all. I hope someone who is familiar with the model A will explain how it worked. Too many years ago for my simple mind to recall details. Maybe Country will explain. Dan

I was hoping John Niecamp would join this thread... I think he has one or more original model A's. Country may answer as well, but his A is a Corvette in disguise. My recollection is that the heater was a muff around the exhaust manifold and a much too small flexible duct.

[John Niekamp]

Yes, but better than no heater at all. I hope someone who is familiar with the model A will explain how it worked. Too many years ago for my simple mind to recall details. Maybe Country will explain. Dan

I was hoping John Niecamp would join this thread... I think he has one or more original model A's. Country may answer as well, but his A is a Corvette in disguise. My recollection is that the heater was a muff around the exhaust manifold and a much too small flexible duct.

Yes George is correct. The "Model A Ford" used the heat off of the exhaust manifold and was brought into the car from the air off of the cooling fan. There were several after market makers of these exhaust manifold heaters the common one was made by Auto-Lite I found these two on Ebay, since I could not locate my own pictures. The poor mans heater for the "A" was just take some sheet metal bent up and ducted into the body. This one here is actaully made of cast iron and is bolted onto the Auto-lite manifold, not the original manifold.


The other I remember was from GLADIATOR HEATER COMPANY (like I had for my 30 Coupe)


AH everyone remembers the old COLD air-cooled Volkswagon Beetles, they too were exhaust heated (if that's what you want to call it) more like asphyxiation, when gaskets and manifolds leaked. The other car that comes to mind is the Corviar, but I beleive the heat came off of the cyclinder jugs, instead of the exhaust.

I usually "try" not to let anything of mine go more than three year, before I change the antifreeze, may make it more often on then cub in hopes to prevent all the sludge buildup in the bolster.

John