OT -- imitation antifreeze

[Goedjn]

Do you know WHERE it's leaking? It would kind of suck to spend $150 dollars swapping radiators only to discover a pinhole leak in the hose...

[Doug Miller]

Probably less than half that at a junkyard. Most yards guarantee rads against leaks -- if it leaks, bring it back and they'll give you another one -- but you'd better ask first.

Just don't expect your money back if it leaks. One of our local yards used to have a big sign behind the counter: N F C R in letters two feet high. Stood for "No ... Cash Refunds". Almost all yards have the same policy, if not always quite so colorfully expressed. But I think every one I've ever dealt with had an exchange guarantee on radiators.

[Steve Barker]

OH, well that's different, nevermind.

[L]

Don't use the sugar, wine, rubbing alcohol, methanol, etc. In fact, if you use just plain water, regardless of freezing concerns, long enough, you are going to have corrosion problems. The odd-ball additives you mention may have additional consequences as well, possibly forming deposits on metal surfaces and adversely affecting water pump, thermostat, etc.

However, interestingly enough, a can of pepper, though not soluble, _may_ temporarily stop the leak. I wouldn't recommend it except in an emergency, though. Sooner or later you will have to fix or replace the radiator. Seems like a good use for a charge card if you don't have the cash.

[mm]

I'm sure I would be up for that if I hadn't had a "bad" experience with my mother's car. The first two leaked and when they fixed one of them, it leaked too. Back and forth to the junkyard, in and out of the car. I don't remember how much hers would have cost new, if, allowing for the price index, it was more than mine or not.

OTOH, even though the website could send me the wrong radiator, elsewhere I've had good experience with webvendors, so that doesnt' feel likely to me.

BTW, Goedjn, I thought I scratched the radiator a month ago so that's why I'm pretty sure that's where the problme is. But I will look for confirmation. It's supposed to be in the 50's on Saturday.

I could do all this in below freezing weather if I had to, but the weather is such here that if I wait 2 or 3 days, I won't have to.

[gfretwell]

Propylene glycol (RV antifreeze) is safer but not cheaper and it won't get you that -134 degree protection.

[Doug Miller]

You don't get -134 degree protection from ethylene glycol either.

[Harry K]

case of trying to save a buck may cost you dearly in the end.

Just a general reply. Forget the alcohol no matter how cheap. Yes it evaporates, it does so even faster when heated. As in maybe only an hours driving. At least that was the case back in the days of non-sealed cooling systems. My old man tried it back in WWII - didn't work.

Pepper - used to be used as a leak sealent. A handful dropped in the rad supposedly seals the leak, never tried it, never knew anyone who did but there are lots of references to it.

You keep refering to replacing the rad, why not take it to a rad shop and have it fixed. Should be cheaper than a new one.

Harry K

[krw]

Is -134F protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti- freeze freezes it won=3Ft crack a block like water will. Water is the only material that expands when it freezes. Anti-freeze shrinks so it won=3Ft bust a block, as long as you don=3Ft try running the engine with it frozen (solid antifreeze doesn=3Ft cool well.

[trader4]

protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti-

Are you sure water is the only material? While I agree the vast majority do shrink, I doubt water is the only one that expands instead.

Anti-freeze

[Charlie Morgan]

protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti-

I believe water is the only LIQUID that expands when it freezes. There are other materials that expand.

CWM

[krw]

protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti-

I believe it=3Fs unique. Most chemicals/compounds are liquid under some condition.

Example?

[Charlie Morgan]

-134F protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti-

Some metal alloys expand as they cool. No, I don't know the exact formulas off the top of my head.

CWM

[Malcolm Hoar]

Bismuth, antimony and alloys containing same:

[Charlie Morgan]

-134F protection really needed?? ;-) In any case, even if anti-

The metal alloys I'm thinking of have antimony in them.

CWM

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Until the temperature gets up and it start to spew out from under the cap. It may lose more from the cap than from the present leak.

[Doug Miller]

Might be the only one you know of... but it's not the only one.

Whether ethylene glycol expands or contracts when it freezes is immaterial, since nobody uses it pure as an engine coolant -- and the 50-50 aqueous solution of E.G. that *is* typically used as coolant certainly *does* expand when it freezes.

[zxcvbob]

You just loosen the cap to the first notch (1/4 turn?) to take the pressure off the spring. The "spew" goes into the overflow tank.

Best regards, Bob

[mm]

Kool-Aid?

[Karl S]

Viagra