antifreeze for winter months

I am supposed to be using propylene glycol because I have babbitt bearings
Now I am Getting Scared, I want to make sure I am Not destroying my car with the wrong antifreeze.
 
FrankWest said:
Does this product really cost 100$ a gallon? that must be for 6 gallons, right?
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Prestone now makes propylene glycol anti-freeze. It's called LowTox

prestone_low_tox_antifreeze_coolant.png


It's sold in all the usual antifreeze sources. Cheaper than Sierra and more readily available.
 
Old Henry said:
Prestone now makes propylene glycol anti-freeze. It's called LowTox

prestone_low_tox_antifreeze_coolant.png


It's sold in all the usual antifreeze sources. Cheaper than Sierra and more readily available.
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Thanks Old Henry...
I just bought two gallons...
Thanks for saving my car
 
Up here in Alaska we run a 60/40 mix, a little better at -40 F
But it is harder on internal engine components.
And I've seen a jug of pure antifreeze as solid as a rock.
Of course not many people take their classic car out in the winter here.
 
Interesting thread. I would still check the freeze point after mixing 50/50. I did this on two vehicles last year and had to drain out some of the mix and add straight anti- freeze. The containers were marked full strength but it seemed like they had 50/50 pre-mix in them...MARK
 
I think some are over thinking the percentage. 50/50 works fine here, where it has been known to drop below -30. Doesn't matter if its parked most of the winter, used occassionally, or driven daily.
 
FrankWest said:
I am supposed to be using propylene glycol because I have babbitt bearings
Now I am Getting Scared, I want to make sure I am Not destroying my car with the wrong antifreeze.
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Is your block cracked, or are your head gaskets leaking into the cylinders? If not, it doesn't matter what you use.
 
FrankWest said:
I am supposed to be using propylene glycol because I have babbitt bearings
Now I am Getting Scared, I want to make sure I am Not destroying my car with the wrong antifreeze.
Click to expand...

RalphG said:
They were probably running straight water back in those days. Parked in a shed for the winter with 50-50 ethylene glycol I have never seen any frost damage on an engine here in the great white north. The most likely occasion for anti freeze to gel is driving at highway speeds without a winter front covering the radiator.
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People would drain coolant and bring it inside to keep it warm. Warm coolant introduced in a cold engine made for easier starting. My father's cousin and her family owned a bush pilot service in Alaska. Years ago he would bring the oil inside to keep warm.
 
If using the vehicle during winter, or just storing it, why not consider installing one of the various types of cooling system block warmers, or a crank case heater, and turning it on during those night/days when it will be super-cold ? Understand this is common practice in parts of Canada.
 
I live in Alaska. for where you live a 50-50 Mix will give you adequate protection down to -34*F you can check this with any inexpensive tester as shown buy old Henry. I am a retired mechanic and I use a refractometer, which can be used to ck anti-freeze protection as well as Battery acid solution specific gravity. we usually mix our anti-freeze here to a -60*F solution ( 60-65%) where I live and a little stronger on the North Slope. it has been claimed that straight anti-freeze will "freeze" , although I have never seen it and I have left a jug of straight anti-freeze outside over night once at -25 to see, but it did not freeze at that temp. I suspect that it would not freeze solid but turn to a slush. just my opinion.---Jim one other thing , there is no wrong ant-freeze. you would only have trouble if you were leaking coolant into the crankcase, and if you were having that problem you would know it by now. the type of anti-freeze you use will not cause a leak into the crankcase unless you already had a problem makes no difference if it is ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. if you think that some may have leaked into the crankcase after sitting all winter, pull the oil pan drain plug before you start the eng. if there is ANY coolant anti-freeze (any type) or water, it will be the first thing that comes out. water and/ or anti-freeze floats on top of oil.
 
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Alaska Jim said:
if you think that some may have leaked into the crankcase after sitting all winter, pull the oil pan drain plug before you start the eng. if there is ANY coolant anti-freeze (any type) or water, it will be the first thing that comes out. water and/ or anti-freeze floats on top of oil.
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Really?:confused:
 
I would not worry about putting any type of ethylene glycol anti freeze in my flatheads. My 39 sat (un-started) for the last 25 years or so with anti freeze in the cooling system and is just fine. No seized up water pumps and excellent oil pressure. No sign of anti freeze when I drained the oil either. And it does get cold here in Sask. Block heaters are required equipment on any engine you plan to run in the winter but my flatheads are parked for the cold weather so not an issue.
 
We had a high school teacher who said that they ran Kerosene for coolant in Minnesota in the old days in their Model A motors. They did it because it was cheap (maybe 10-20 cents a gallon).
 
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