What happens if you use 100% antifreeze?

[PepeLoco]

I know this probably is a dumb question, or as my dad says, "There is no such thing as a dumb question, just inquisitive idiots."
I assume the first thing is great rust protection and the second is reduced cooling capability. I am asking this because the new radiator is working fantastic here in the Texas heat.
Took the thermostat out and running around 160. Pegs up to 190 when it idles as I pull up to a light after running long and hard at 45 - 50.
Fiddling with the spark advance to see how it really affects dissipating the heat, it is amazing how the temp changes quickly when I retard the timing sitting at the light too. Hope this makes sense.
Sorry for the poor sentence structures, going over multiplication tables with my daughter.
Pepe

[mrtexas]

100 anti-freeze means the engine will run hotter and will freeze at a higher temperature.

[Bruce Adams]

Pure Ethylene Glycol BOILS at 387.1 Degree fahrenheit, and freezes at 8.8 degrees F.

[CarlG]

And no doubt will find places to leak that were never there before.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Pepe,
50/50 seems like the accepted STANDARD, I wouldn't mess with SUCCESS!
It'd be like running 80W motor oil.
Bill W.

[wrndln]

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I agree with Carl. Right after I got my car running with plain water in the radiator it didn't leak. In the fall I put a 50-50 antifreeze/water. I had a small leak between the gooseneck and head, about a drop a minute. Antifreeze appears to be capable of getting through smaller openings than water.
Rusty Nelson

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by wrndln

I agree with Carl. Right after I got my car running with plain water in the radiator it didn't leak. In the fall I put a 50-50 antifreeze/water. I had a small leak between the gooseneck and head, about a drop a minute. Antifreeze appears to be capable of getting through smaller openings than water.
Rusty Nelson

Well, Rusty, that's debatable, because of its' higher viscosity, it shouldn't leak easier. My thought is that we "think" it leaks easier, as it leaves its' little DRIED up GREEN/BLUE CALLING CARD, where WATER leaves NOTHING. Only THE SHADOW knows FO' SHO'
Bill W.

[chopo]

well said guys

[Michael M]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

Well, Rusty, that's debatable, because of its' higher viscosity, it shouldn't leak easier. My thought is that we "think" it leaks easier, as it leaves its' little DRIED up GREEN/BLUE CALLING CARD, where WATER leaves NOTHING. Only THE SHADOW knows FO' SHO'
Bill W.

I would think antifreeze can seep more easily because of a lower surface tension. Is 'slickery' a technical term?

[updraught]

"On the down side, the neat product is extremely corrosive apart from being highly toxic. As an anti-freeze anti-boil package, a corrosion inhibitor is added to neutralise the corrosivity of the glycol. This is why you must be careful when selecting the dosage rate according to your radiator capacity. Too much water and the effectiveness of the corrosion inhibitor, is reduced to the stage where the entire contents of the radiator becomes corrosive. On the other hand, too much corrosion inhibitor will also cause the system to corrode, probably quicker, so it's of paramount importance to determine correctly the radiator capacity, and read the directions on the bottle for correct dilution rate."

from:
http://www.penriteoil.com.au/tech_pd...0BE%20COOL.pdf

[1crosscut]

[B]Quote:
Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON View Post
Well, Rusty, that's debatable, because of its' higher viscosity, it shouldn't leak easier. My thought is that we "think" it leaks easier, as it leaves its' little DRIED up GREEN/BLUE CALLING CARD, where WATER leaves NOTHING. Only THE SHADOW knows FO' SHO'
Bill W.

I would think antifreeze can seep more easily because of a lower surface tension. Is 'slickery' a technical term?[/

If antifreeze is able to get out smaller holes than water what diameter of a hole would I need to drill to reconstitute my 50/50 antifreeze back to full strength antifreeze?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by PepeLoco

Fiddling with the spark advance to see how it really affects dissipating the heat, it is amazing how the temp changes quickly when I retard the timing sitting at the light too. Hope this makes sense.
Sorry for the poor sentence structures, going over multiplication tables with my daughter.
Pepe

Actually the spark advance has nothing to do with heat dissipating, but has everything to do with heat creation. I would not retard the spark to less than 20* with the engine running, or it will be late and create heat. This is with my stock 4.22 head.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Well, IF, IF, IF, IF antifreeze leaks where water won't, it means that you DON'T have a SECURE, LEAK FREE SYSTEM. Why not seal EVERYTHING properly, so you can run a PROVEN, SAFE COOLANT & be done with it & you can quickly & easily, change it once a year?

[Mike V. Florida]

This is from an article that was in the Sun Sentinel in Orlando;

ANSWER: There are three reasons why pure antifreeze (ethylene glycol) shouldn't be used at full concentration in a car's cooling system. The first and perhaps most important reason is that pure ethylene glycol freezes between 0 degrees and minus-5 degrees F.

It is only when pure antifreeze-coolant is mixed with water that its freezing point is lowered. So if you need protection below the zero mark, you had best mix the antifreeze with water in the proportions suggested by either the car or antifreeze manufacturer. Playing guessing games or trying to alter the manufacturer's suggested proportions only will harm your car.

The second reason is the flip side of the first one. Pure antifreeze-coolant doesn't have the heat-transfer abilities that a mixture of antifreeze-coolant and water does. In fact, if pure antifreeze-coolant is used in a car's cooling system, the system loses about 35 percent of the heat-transfer capabilities it otherwise would have when antifreeze is mixed with the proper amount of water.

Now this may not sound too important in winter, but it is critical in summer driving, especially in our power-accessory-laden vehicles where engine temperatures can soar. The cooling fluid must have the ability to absorb heat and carry it away from the engine - the faster the better.

Pure antifreeze-coolant isn't nearly as efficient at getting the heat out of the engine as is antifreeze-coolant and water. Running on pure antifreeze-coolant is pure folly and only will hasten your engine's demise.

Reason No. 3 is that water must be mixed with the antifreeze-coolant in order to keep the performance additives (silicates, phosphates and nitrates) suspended. Without water, these important additives tend to settle. If they do that, you lose anti-corrosion and other additive protection.

That's also why - although you won't find it stated on a container - it is a good idea to turn over the container of fresh antifreeze and shake it a time or two before adding it to the cooling system. The little extra shake is insurance that the additives are fully suspended in the container and haven't migrated to the bottom.

What all this is telling us is that the manufacturers know more about their products than the man in the street does. Second-guessing can have disastrous consequences, no matter how logical it may seem at the time. As for the mechanics who told you to ''do it!'' they have a lot to learn, don't they? It's a shame people like that are telling us how to care for our cars.

[TommyCoupe]

Why doesn't anti freeze come already pre-mixed ?

Tommy-

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by TommyCoupe

Why doesn't anti freeze come already pre-mixed ?

Tommy-

it does come premixed.. you can buy it anyplace that sells antifreeze...
we use premix here at the shop in 55 gal drums

[Ted Duke]

Originally Posted by TommyCoupe

Why doesn't anti freeze come already pre-mixed ?

Tommy-

it does. Most auto stores, if not all, sell 50/50. At least in Virginia

[aermotor]

It does, but it is almost the same price. Buyiing 100 percent is 1/2 price.

[CT AV8]

Originally Posted by TommyCoupe

Why doesn't anti freeze come already pre-mixed ?

Tommy-

It does. It's called 50/50 and basically is the same price as 100% so costs twice as much.

[TommyCoupe]

Interesting. I've never seen premixed. Maybe I just keep buying the same Prestone i've been buying for years, and never noticed.

Tommy-