Coolant flush question

[firewoodcutter]

I don't think I got all of the water out of my block when I did a flush, I filled the radiator up with coolant and ran ot up to operating temp. I then let it cool off and the coolant test at -43 degrees on an antifreeze tester at the top of the radiator. My question is the coolant and water should have gotten all mixed when the tractor got o operating temp shouldn't it? Should I be worried about the block freezing?

 

[5030]

Get yourself a Brix Refractometer and test the coolant with that. Float type coolant checkers are woefully inaccurate and Brix refractometers are cheap (on Amazon). Far as having water in the system after flushing, you'll never get it all out which is why I never use 50-50 premix AF, always straight and mix it myself and always lean on a heavier concentration to offset any residual water in the block. Fill and test and then add distilled water to bring it to 50%. Always use distilled water with any AF, not tap water and no exceptions to that rule.

 

[firewoodcutter]

Get yourself a Brix Refractometer and test the coolant with that. Float type coolant checkers are woefully inaccurate and Brix refractometers are cheap (on Amazon). Far as having water in the system after flushing, you'll never get it all out which is why I never use 50-50 premix AF, always straight and mix it myself and always lean on a heavier concentration to offset any residual water in the block. Fill and test and then add distilled water to bring it to 50%. Always use distilled water with any AF, not tap water and no exceptions to that rule.

Luckily I was smart enough to use distilled water, I just wasn't smart enough to measure what came out/went in, now I'm stressing myself out lol

 

[4570Man]

I’d just dump in an extra quart of straight antifreeze then add the remaining volume at 50/50. And yes the coolant would have been rapidly mixed once the thermostat opened.

 

[RjCorazza]

The water in the block will be thoroughly mixed after a couple of thermostat cycles. At -43f you're slightly above a 50% concentration, which is fine by most standards.
I also use a refractometer to get accurate coolant measurements, and they work very well.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I pour a gallon of Coolant (concentrate, not premix) and a gallon of distilled water into a 5 gallon bucket. Then using a funnel pour back into the jugs or directly into the vehicle I'm servicing. Any left over goes into the coolant jug and I mark it so I know it's mixed.

 

[JJT]

I simply use a 60% concentrate to compensate for what's left in the block. After it gets to operating temperature it's thoroughly mixed. A double check with a coolant tester shows I'm good to -50.

 

[jonsstihl]

more is not always better when it comes to coolant concentration. I have heard that a 70% coolant to 30% water actually cools worse than 50-50 mix so it is a balance between freeze protection and overheat protection. besides a 50-50 mix is good for all but the most extreme climates. plus one on the distilled water. and I don't trust the pre mix manufacturers to use distilled water. they probably just use tap water from the factory. I always mix my own.

 

[Williy]

You could not fill to full and run tractor to mix the new with the old then
test to see what level your at then add accordingly to get what level you
want easy way to get a 50.50 mix

willy

 

[newbury]

I don't think I got all of the water out of my block when I did a flush, I filled the radiator up with coolant and ran ot up to operating temp. I then let it cool off and the coolant test at -43 degrees on an antifreeze tester at the top of the radiator. My question is the coolant and water should have gotten all mixed when the tractor got o operating temp shouldn't it? Should I be worried about the block freezing?

Without knowing your location it's hard to tell.
At my land in Mississippi the temp RARELY gets much below freezing. At my land in Northern Vermont winter temperatures routinely dip down to 40 below.