Antifreeze

[Soundguy]

i speak both f and C maybee even kelvin ( 221.888K )

i guess it's the engineer in me.

 

[fieldserviceengineer]

I looked in the rad today on my Case Sc. The antifreeze I put in the other day was going slushy. It is mixed at 60 Antifreeze/40 Water. It was only -5 degrees Celsius out today. When I put the antifreeze in I checked it with the antifreeze tester it read that the freezing point was about -40 degrees. I've never seen antifreeze do this.

There is nothing wrong with your coolant mixture. Engine manufacturers state that coolant solutions must be at a minimum of 40% antifreeze / 60% water. This is to prevent the process of expansion freezing. Glycol water coolants can become slushy but will not result in water crystals linking up (hard freezing). The standard coolant solution is 50/50 which is -34F (-37C). How is that temperature rating determined?....A sample of the coolant is observed in a laboratory where the coolant is subjected to a slow decline in temperature. When the lab technician observes the first ice crystal, that is the freeze point. Notice that it IS an ice crystal. Continue to subject 50/50 to the same -37C for 48 hours and you will have a whole engine full of colored slush but it is still very fluid and the glycol portion will have increased viscosity just like oil. Start the engine. As the coolant warms, the slush will disappear. When you mix a rich solution like you have the glycol portion will experience a greater degree of viscosity increase resulting in a more 'slugging' movement of the coolant. You could subject the same coolant to an even lower temperature like -40F (almost the same for C) and you will find the coolant still has not formed hard ice but is quite slushy plus the glycol protion will have even more drastic increase in viscosity.

For coolants that are mixed at less than 37% glycol / 63% water, you will get the rude surprise of expansion freezing.....broken block, heads, water lines and burst radiator.

 

[fieldserviceengineer]

Full strength antifreeze freezes at about 12F where as 70/30 mix antifreeze/water is good to -51F. Mix higher ration of antifreeze and the freeze point starts to rise. 60/40 mix that you have is supposed to be good to -45F. You DO need to run you machine for several minutes after the thermostat opens to make sure it is well mixed.

Actually, 60% EG will product -64F freeze point. Most hydrometers are not capable of accurately determining that. Neither will the use of refractometer tell that as they commonly can only measure freeze readings down to -60F.

 

[number two]

fieldserviceengineer-nice to hear your informative posts again.Please don't stay away so long!Merry Christmas!

 

[edlegault]

The only real science fact I remember is that -40F = -40C. Do the math.

 

[BoFuller]

Most hydrometers are not capable of accurately determining that.

I was testing my antifreeze a few weeks ago and was getting terrible readings. Then after closer examination I realized I had grabbed the battery tester instead of the hydrometer.

Once I found the right tool, it turned out to be fine!

 

[fieldserviceengineer]

Boy! I need to proof read my writing. DUH!:laughing:

I see where my fingers made some spelling errors but my mind made some grammatical errors. Oh well, I'm an engineer not an English teacher.

Merry Christmas and God's Blessings to all on these forums.

FieldServiceEngineer

 

[Avis85]

When I use antifreeze I felt an awful chemical smell that made me feel bad....Is it always like that.


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[fieldserviceengineer]

When I use antifreeze I felt an awful chemical smell that made me feel bad....Is it always like that.


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New antifreeze has little odor but some from the copper/brass corrosion inhibitor MBT or TT. Used engine coolant odor is generally attributed to coolant hose lining material that is releasing hose additives into the coolant. That is why the used coolants typically smell 'sour'.

Gary

 

[JJZ 109]

Is it also possible that the block wasn't drained and by just adding coolant to the radiator, a weak solution of the leftover coolant in the block could be diluting the new stuff?