Antifreeze - quick question

[Piers]

Chris,

Thanks for the info. (By the way, see my reply to "boatone" of this morning telling the story to date).

Please excuse the ignornace, but what's RTFM? If this needs a provate e-mail to tell, please do so!

Piers du Pre
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast

 

[Piers]

Re: The final solution!!

erm....Given my abition is to be the longest living boater in history - no thank you!

Piers du Pre
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast

 

[c_j]

Piers,

RTFM = Read the ******* Manual!

A throwback to my computer days!


KAD44's were introduced as far as I know in 1998 following on from the KAD42's

Are you sure that it is not KAD42's that you have and in that case is it possible that you have expansion tanks that are meant for 44's ?

Certainly I have not had a problem with mine since I started filling to the lower level.

The use of Radweld in this situation is a bit like filling a baloon with foam so as you can stick a pin in it. Better not to stick the pin it. I think hlb was joking anyway.

Chris .

CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

 

[hlb]

Not joking at all. I got a little leak this summer, maybe head or manifold. It was either ££££££££ or Leak Stop for two quid and fixed in seconds. And recomended by mechanic. Ok if it did'nt work its the head off.
I did a radiator in in Yugoslavia in a truck many years ago.
Radweld from first garage in Greece. No problem for the next 250,000 miles

Haydn

 

[Piers]

Oops - yes, KAD42s, not 44s.

But the bottles are correct. At least that much I know.

And RTFM? Memories of RTFQ!

I'll let you know what happens.

Piers du Pre
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast

 

[c_j]

Not decrying the use of radweld in the type of situation you now describe but to put it in an engine without a leak to protect it so as you can pour neat anti freeze in is IMHO not the best thing to do. Radweld works by stopping up the hole where a leak already exists. If there is no leak it just may block up the holes that are not meant to be blocked up causing engines to run hot or even overheat.

In answer to the "quick question" I just cannot see what is wrong with:
1: Testing the Coolant already in the Engine with a Halfords tester
2: Draining off the Coolant if it proves to be weak and refill with new Coolant (50% Water 50% AntiFreeze if you use the Volvo Stuff)

I too have had engines that I have used Radweld to fix and also I have used GlassFibe to fix coreplugs blown out by the Frost, but that is another story!


CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

 

[hlb]

Well where's the water goin yer plonker! If its not got a hole?
Anyway I thought this was a quick question. Its turning out to be War And Piece.
(Doin one of those funny watsits again) ) ;-< ??

Haydn

 

[boatone]

Re: Coolant capacity and expansion

Having done a bit of quick research on the web (all of 5 minutes!) I found a calculation for coolant expansion which shows that for a temperature rise from 6degreesC to 92dgrees C the expansion of fluid in a 30 pint (approx 17litres) cooling circuit would be approximately 1 pint (about 0.6litre).
These figures are probably pretty close to the reality in terms of capacity and temperature change and half a pint (your estimated overfllow) in 17 litres is under 2% of total so not significant. Fluid may only need to be visible in expansion tank when hot so you could try adjusting coolant so that max mark is only reached when hot. This will let you see if you need to top up -and how much- as long as you check level when hot instead of cold. (But top up when cold!!!)
If you want to see the calculations I've posted them on a web page at http://www.arweb.co.uk/boatsonthethames/coolant

boatone@boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[Piers]

Re: Coolant capacity and expansion

Excellent - really helpful. Thanks so much for the advice and phone calls. I will let you know what happens.

Piers du Pre
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast

 

[c_j]

Piers has'nt got a leak its just escaping out of the overflow when it expands with the heat because I suspect like me until he realised you do not fill these engines to the mark on the bottle when cold.

The first guy who's name now I cannot remember and who has probably turned grey. sold his boat taken up golf and gone to live with his poor old mother in Weston-Super-Mare but posed the initial question has'nt got a leak either. He just wanted to know if its ok to top up with neat anti freeze (and he will have room to do this because systems are never completely full) and let nature take its course, ie the engine getting rid via the overflow of surplus coolant when hot.

The reply from someone ( and it may of been you! ) in response to my post that neat anti freeze has a searching effect for weaknesses in the cooling system read:
first of all put in Radweld just in case you get a leak and then put in the neat Anti Freeze!

Plonker? (;-O)

Chris




CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

 

[byron]

I was once told that you can't have too much anti-freeze but you can have too little.

ô¿ô
www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[c_j]

Anti Freeze protects to different levels depending on strength and supplier.

The Volvo stuff is 50/50 down to -15degrees I think, but the problem is that neat antifreeze is both corrosive and searching, therefore it is important not to exceed the maximum solution level.

Ok I know that if it were 55/45 its not a problem but high strengths could be and the idea that the coolant mixes quickly is not really valid either in a pumped situation such as this:

I think this is why radweld works well when there is a leak, it does not dissapate around the system.


Chris

CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

 

[Col]

Re: Long thread this innit?

For my tuppence worth-
Antifreeze should be changed completely every 2 years,as the corrosion inhibitor evaporates with time.
You might want to do this instead of topping up.

 

[c_j]

Re: Long thread this innit?

If this wins the VHF for November I think it should be shared ;-)



CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

 

[markc]

I knew I shouln't have posted such a 'deep' question on a Thursday afternoon and dissapear down to the boat for the weekend that evening, missing out on being able to take part in this great thread!

In fact, reading the whole thread this morning has taken longer than it would have taken me to drain the lot down!!!

Some great info - thanks all - I have now decided to....

1 - buy a thingy from Halfords
2 - not but any Radweld - I don't have a leak
3- Drain off the water into the bilges
4 - mix new stuff up in a bucket and chuck in
5 - wizz the engines round a bit just to make sure
6 - Be glad I have TAMD71's and don't have to worry about plastic (?) expansion bottles that leak!

Mark