Flathead - winter storage

jonnyzepp

jonnyzepp

Junior Member
I'm about to get my 59 AB flathead ready for the winter. I'm up in New York near Lake Ontario and it gets freezing cold here. My garage is unheated so I'm worrying about the water in the radiator/block freezing up. Should I add antifreeze to what's in the radiator and how much? Any other suggestions or cautions? I'm posting the same question on HAMB for the people that aren't a member here too. Thanks in advance.
 
You can buy a cheap antifreeze tester at your local auto parts store to test your radiator coolant to see how cold it would have to get to freeze it. If it gets colder in your garage than what the tester says, add more antifreeze. Typically, coolant of 50% water and 50% antifreeze is sufficient.
 
I put 2 gallon of antifreeze in my radiator. then check it to make sure it good for 20 below. Cheap insurance. Don't gamble on something so simple.
 
jonnyzepp said:
I'm about to get my 59 AB flathead ready for the winter. I'm up in New York near Lake Ontario and it gets freezing cold here. My garage is unheated so I'm worrying about the water in the radiator/block freezing up. Should I add antifreeze to what's in the radiator and how much? Any other suggestions or cautions? I'm posting the same question on HAMB for the people that aren't a member here too. Thanks in advance.
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When I lived in Oswego, NY, literally right on the edge of Lake Ontario I added enough antifreeze to be safe at 50 below due to the wind chill factor. Same in Wisconsin. Never been so cold in my life!
 

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Wind chill factor has nothing to do with steel. Wind chill is for warm blooded things. Do you still put a blanket over the motor to keep it warm? A motor dose not produce heat when the switch is in the off position. So what do you barners think. Chet/Ma.
 
50/50 drain and refill with fresh stuff it will be good for the cooling system to have fresh antifreez in it . Flush real good first, can never hurt. Frank pkny Southern NY the tax me state.
 
Chet/Ma. said:
Wind chill factor has nothing to do with steel.
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Other than the "yelling" (large bold font) I agree that windchill is only created on a surface that has moisture to evaporate off of it such as skin or anything else wet. There is no windchill for dry things such as metal engines. They are at the ambient temperature regardless of any movement of the air. If you put a wet rag on the engine it would be colder than the ambient temperature as the water evaporates from it and even colder if air is blown across it, speeding up such evaporation. But, once the rag is dry, it and the engine returns to ambient temperature.

Wind chill factor is commonly misunderstood. Even you, Chet/Ma., misunderstood that it had something to do with warm blooded animals when it really has to do with wet surfaces. That's why horses and cows and sled dogs (warmblooded animals) can survive out in the freezing wind in the winter with very little wind chill because their skin is covered by hair such that the moisture in it doesn't evaporate much to cool them below ambient temperature.

No big deal. Don't worry. Be happy.:)
 
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Chet was not yelling at any body, Yelling is all capital letters as I understand computer speak. Chet just posted his comments in a little larger type, and in bold letters, so us folks with bad eyesight can read it better. I for one appreciate that. It is the mouse print that bugs me. My 2¢
 
Sorry. I guess my ears are just a little more sensative than others.
I take it all back.
Hopefully, 19Fordy's ears were not so sensative.
 
I live in the tropics so dont have this problem
But what would hapen if you drained the water out and left it empty.
Just asking.
Lawrie
 
If i remember correctly, running straight water is not a good idea, even in the warmer climates. Rust forms with straight water. I tried it once and found out that the anti-freeze provided rust protection as well as freeze protection.
 
My coolant is crap so I drain it every year until I get problems solved. I make sure to get the radiator open, loosen & pull bottom hoses, & pull the plugs on both sides of block near the water pumps, facing down hill. Then drive it inside, slip hoses back on to keep rodents out.
 
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