Freeze warning- please read

[FORDSVTPARTS]

PLEASE- If you live in North America and will be storing or driving a track car or a car with an air to water intercooler that usually does NOT run antifreeze in it ADD ANTIFREEZE for the winter!

Most track use cars don't normally run antifreeze and in warmer climates a lot of people wouldn't think of draining the systems or adding antifreeze.

Draining the system is not nearly as good as refilling with a 50/50 antifreeze mix as it can allow seals and gaskets to dry out over the winter.

I had multiple owners of 2003-2004 Cobras run into this last year when they had unusual cold spells into the deep South and many had their intercoolers crack and then leak into their engines when they thawed.

Even if you live in a relatively warm climate all it takes is one or two days of temps in the 30's to freeze and ruin an engine, intercooler and heat exchanger.

Virtually every guy that this happened to last year was caught unaware and a lot of Southern guys don't really even comprehend the damage that ice can do because they don't usually see the results.

Please consider this a public service announcement.

 

[04RedfireVert]

Thanks for the great advice! Very easily overlooked I'm sure. Hopefully you'll prevent a few major "headaches"

 

[09Troublemaker]

heated garage ftw...lol

 

[me32]

great for the guys that need it.

 

[CPViolation]

Water wetter?
I ran it in my liquid cooled PC.:banana:
Jeff

 

[chuckstang]

.

 

[97LaserRed]

heated garage ftw...lol

:dancenana:

 

[airmanb2b]

Hit 19 here in AK last night. 3" of snow. Heated garage a must. Never really knew the impact of poor antifreeze until I got up here. Temps dipping to -30.

 

[jcthorne]

The antifreeze is only needed in cars that will be exposed to temps below 32deg F. It also significantly reduces the capacity of the cooling or intercooler loop. Thats why folks down here will often run without AF. I do, and have for 20+ years. You do have to be mindful of the temps and have a place to keep the car when the temps do drop. My garage NEVER goes below freezing. Even with outside temps well below zero.

Folks that got freeze damage from not running AF did not know what they were doing or what the term FREEZE means. Water expands when it freezes and WILL expand the container its in when it does. Do not let a car freeze. Simple as that.

Temps down 'in the 30s' will NOT Freeze a car unles it goes below 32deg for several hours.

 

[FORDSVTPARTS]

The antifreeze is only needed in cars that will be exposed to temps below 32deg F. It also significantly reduces the capacity of the cooling or intercooler loop. Thats why folks down here will often run without AF. I do, and have for 20+ years. You do have to be mindful of the temps and have a place to keep the car when the temps do drop. My garage NEVER goes below freezing. Even with outside temps well below zero.

Folks that got freeze damage from not running AF did not know what they were doing or what the term FREEZE means. Water expands when it freezes and WILL expand the container its in when it does. Do not let a car freeze. Simple as that.

Temps down 'in the 30s' will NOT Freeze a car unles it goes below 32deg for several hours.

A couple of the guys that had issues were deployed overseas with their cars left in storage in areas that normally don't get freezing temps.

Just saying, watch out.

 

[ZOMBEAST]

Good advice. I keep my garage heated in the colder weather, but still have the antifreeze incase there's a prolonged power outage.

 

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Here's a direct quote from another forum we sponsor, this was one of the guys I was referring to.

"Lived in FL for year, ran only water in my IC system due to temps and track use. Long story short I deployed for a year stored my car at families house in Kentucky over winter. Yah....didnt like the IC system to much after, IC core, heat exchanger, pump.

Ever try starting an 03 Cobra with massive amounts of water flowing out of the intercooler core being ingested into the heads/motor? Its enought to spit water out of the exhaust "

:uh oh::nonono:

 

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Just took an order on a Lightning intercooler for a truck in West Virginia that froze and cracked.

Watch out for this guys, it's an $850.00 intercooler.

 

[UnleashedBeast]

The temperatures in North Florida 2 days agos were 27* before sunrise for 3 days straight, with a wind chill of 17*. I would advise those who do not have antifreeze installed to be aware.

 

[Spawn]

Added mine a month ago just till March.

 

[FEARSNO1]

Water wetter?
I ran it in my liquid cooled PC.:banana:
Jeff

water wetter will not lower the freeze point of water at all. and some antifreeze should be added no matter what just for it's lubrication properties, as i have been told, not sure how well waterwetter lubricates orings and pumps, etc.

 

[vankuen]

So in hotter temps, what's the advantage of NOT using anti-freeze/coolant?

 

[jcthorne]

So in hotter temps, what's the advantage of NOT using anti-freeze/coolant?

Ethylene glycol significantly reduces the heat transfer and heat carrying capacity of water. 50/50 mix is approx 30% less effective than water alone.

WW with distilled water is even better than water alone. Its also a fine corrosion inhibitor and seal lubricant. It just is not a freeze point suppressant.

Use antifreeze if you need it. The intercooler loop especially needs all the capacity it can muster, water/WW significantly helps.

Its a trade off that comes with risks and responsibilities. If I did not have a heated garage (yes, even in Houston) I would use antifreeze in the winter months. Been running hobby and fun cars with water and WW for better than 20 years without problem. Only have needed the heat in the garage twice in those 20 yrs. (It came with the AC which is used MUCH more often).

 

[rlhay2]

If crunched for time, a halogen work light placed within 3' of the front of the car is enough heat to ward off the danger of freezing in most conditions.

 

[Illtaketwlight]

All you need is about a Qt to 1/2 Qt of antifreeze and it wont freeze. If your in the south. Its not worth taking a chance running straight water & water wetter.