It's Head Cracking Time

Tom Wesenberg

Tom Wesenberg

Well-known member
Yesterday I asked a young member of our club how his coupe was running. He informed me that it wasn't because he cracked the head last year during the first freeze. He also cracked the head on another one of his cars. For those who don't believe in antifreeze, it's starting to get cool at night and Minnesota will soon see it's first freeze. So, it's time to winterize or start draining the cooling system.
 
Freeze, whats that. Anti freeze? Down here we use (COLENT) LOL. Down here they still don't believe in thermostats, HA, they mess up a lot of EFI cars because of that. But thanks for the reminder about anti freeze. Iceman
 
When I bought my truck, from Southern California, and before I had it shipped, I was assured that he would make sure that it had anti-freeze. This was in February. When it got here 2 months later, you guessed it -- no anit-freeze and a cracked head! (a nice police "B" head too, BTW)
 
Add me to the cracked head club, I installed a leakless pump a couple years back and forgot to pay attention to how much water I was adding over the last 2 years. When we had our nasty cold snap here in southern NM last feb (-4f) I was rather surprised to find my head split from front to back. Will have to keep a better eye on how much water vs antifreeze is added. I will be taking the opportunity to put a 5.5 or 5.9 head on it when I get time to fix it this fall/winter.
 
I now keep most of mine inside except a couple of project cars that don't run. It hardly ever gets cold enough here for one to freeze and crack. I do drain all of them in the winter. A few years back I forgot that I hadn't refilled the radiator in one of them. I cranked it up and let sit and idle so as to warm up, for several minutes. It was about forty degrees and after a while I noticed it wasn't running right. I remembered It was drained but it was too late, it was already VERY HOT. I cut it off and let it cool. After it had time to cool, I added water and took it for about a twenty mile ride. Every thing seemed to be ok. The next day I checked the oil and it had about a gallon of watter in the bottom of the oil pan. I drained it and retorqued the head, ran fine but the next day it had water in the oil again. This time, I drained it changed the oil and added water glass ( sodium silicate) from Auto Zone and followed the instructions to the letter. It has been holding now for at least six years. There is more than one way to really mess up and crack a block or head.
 
You should be so lucky if only the head is cracked! I ran a Model A for years with a patched block. It is a pain in the neck to keep patching it. I mark my new calendars with a note to drain water out of the cars November 1. I think it is a good idea to drain the cars anyway when they are stored for a few months. If there is a slight head gasket leak, leaving the water in the engine could lead to cylinder corrosion and a stuck engine by the spring. Ed
 
BTw, I went to the local Walmart and Pep Boys looming for the non-toxic antifreeze, either Sierra or Prestone Low-Tox, and they no longer carried either one. Any tips on where to find it?

Thanks,
Doug
 
BTW, would RV plumbing antifreeze work? Prestone's claims to have anti-corrosion ingredients.

Doug

Doug in NJ said:
BTw, I went to the local Walmart and Pep Boys looming for the non-toxic antifreeze, either Sierra or Prestone Low-Tox, and they no longer carried either one. Any tips on where to find it?

Thanks,
Doug
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I now tape a note to the steering wheel when I drain them. The water glass has held really good. I expect the head gasket that has been in the engine for fourteen years will fail first. No telling what I will find if I ever have to remove the head.
 
An additional tip for winterizing with Prestone, I leave a couple of jar lids full on the floor of the garage when I close up the garage for the winter. It really works as I have not noticed any cracked heads on the dead mice in the spring.:D:D
 
I recently found Sierra at Tractor Supply. Sierra with napa's Engine Kool additive, I am running about 26 degrees cooler in the summer
 
I run with 1/3 denatured alcohol all winter in Oregon. In 50 years I have never had a cracked head. Yes, it evaporates, but I just top off with more 1/3 C2H6O & 2/3 H2O mixture if the water level drops. I don't trust anti-freeze in my engines because of the potential danger to the babbitt.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Yesterday I asked a young member of our club how his coupe was running. He informed me that it wasn't because he cracked the head last year during the first freeze. He also cracked the head on another one of his cars. For those who don't believe in antifreeze, it's starting to get cool at night and Minnesota will soon see it's first freeze. So, it's time to winterize or start draining the cooling system.
Click to expand...

Several years ago I got a call from a guy with a cracked head from hard water. I asked if he knew it was going to get really cold and he said "Yes, that is why I threw a blanket over it". You can't cure stupid.:)
 
Ed in Maine said:
You should be so lucky if only the head is cracked! I ran a Model A for years with a patched block. It is a pain in the neck to keep patching it. I mark my new calendars with a note to drain water out of the cars November 1. I think it is a good idea to drain the cars anyway when they are stored for a few months. If there is a slight head gasket leak, leaving the water in the engine could lead to cylinder corrosion and a stuck engine by the spring. Ed
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WOW, I didn't think you could wait until November 1st in Maine. When I bought my 1928 Phaeton it had a cracked head front to rear. The seller said it was parked in the garage in September and Minnesota had an unexpected freeze that night. Luckily the block wasn't cracked.
 
When I use to use the coupe as a daily driver, I had to use antifreeze in the winter. It didn't cause cooling problems then, I just used it for freeze protection. I didn't want to get up on a frosty morning and have to get out and fill the radiator and then drain it when I got to work. Antifreeze does leak in places that water doesn't. It was a real pain having to constantly add more antifreeze and hopeing that it had enough. I now drain them in the winter and don't drive them nearly as much as I use to. As far as the rust thing, I've never seen a rusted through water jacket on a model A engine. Water pump lubricant is good but it also interferes with cooling. I've noticed a difference in temperatures when water pump lubricant is used.
 
I was wondering: Would windshield washer fluid (the kind for winter, of course) work?

Doug

700rpm said:
I run with 1/3 denatured alcohol all winter in Oregon. In 50 years I have never had a cracked head. Yes, it evaporates, but I just top off with more 1/3 C2H6O & 2/3 H2O mixture if the water level drops. I don't trust anti-freeze in my engines because of the potential danger to the babbitt.
Click to expand...
 
Frost this morning - It's Head Cracking Time

Frost this morning in Fairbanks when I drove my Phaeton to work a couple of hours ago.
I put antifreeze in my Phaeton last weekend.
It's headed your way soon.
Darryl
 
Do NOT use windshield washer fluid in the radiator. It is flammable. Spend a few bucks and buy real antifreeze....
 
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