Coolant water frozen - what next?

[eldubb440]

it sometimes gets into the single digits here...... for some reason I've never seen any ice in the shop, I usually have a water bottle or 2 on the bench..... obviousy, the building holds a little warmth; but I'm really not sure why....... I never leave the heat on

 

[QWKSLVR]

Water freezes from the top down not from the bottom up that's why water came out when you opened the drains. It wasn't cold long enough to completely freeze the whole block. Also 50/50 coolant boils at a higher temp than water so less chances of boiling over in the summer. Good luck Bobby

 

[440beep]

I should know for sure when I drain the oil and see what comes out first.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I should know for sure when I drain the oil and see what comes out first.

Maybe.... When the /6 in my Challenger froze the oil was clean, I banged the original plugs back into it & drove it.. The oil stayed clean... But the engine was never "right" after that.... It was cool around town but trips longer than 15-20 miles it would start pushing steam out the exhaust... If I drove it more than 50 miles I would need to let it cool completely so I could refill the cooling system...

 

[Dutchrebuild]

Buddy of mine traded for a Charger that had a non original 72 440 in it bone stock. Changed all fluids when he got it including antifreeze. Drove it all summer. In the Fall, we decided to to a cam and intake swap. When we removed the intake and valley pan, I noticed a massive crack in the lifter valley...worst I ever saw...you could slide a dime in it...but it never leaked a drop into the engine. One of the craziest things I've come across when it comes to freeze cracked blocks. We ended up pulling the engine and scraped the block. Point is....it's not always a instant problem. Could take awhile.

 

[dvw]

Possibilities;
Many tracks don't allow antifreeze
Straight water cools better than a glycol mix
There wasn't any antifreeze around when putting fluid in
Planned on draining but forgot

LIving and racing in Michigan my stuff always has anti-freeze. I've been at the track in the spring and fall when it gets below 32 at night with the car in the trailer. I've been racing since 1973. Many tracks. Not once has anyone checked for anti-freeze in the car. How about street cars? They all have anti-freeze as well.
Doug

 

[padam]

It’s a b

LIving and racing in Michigan my stuff always has anti-freeze. I've been at the track in the spring and fall when it gets below 32 at night with the car in the trailer. I've been racing since 1973. Many tracks. Not once has anyone checked for anti-freeze in the car. How about street cars? They all have anti-freeze as well.
Doug

Ive Wondered about this, as I have never had anyone check either.

What’s the reasoning behind prohibiting antifreeze?

 

[PlymCrazy]

It’s a b

Ive Wondered about this, as I have never had anyone check either.

What’s the reasoning behind prohibiting antifreeze?

I was told antifreeze is prohibited on some tracks due to it's slick properties being a hazard if ever spilled.

 

[Ron H]

Questioning the rule some tracks may have on anti-freeze, being one to search for some sarcasm or humor, I’d be inclined to ask about engine and transmission oil – “Do I need to drain the oils before I race?”

 

[not so famous bob]

Questioning the rule some tracks may have on anti-freeze, being one to search for some sarcasm or humor, I’d be inclined to ask about engine and transmission oil – “Do I need to drain the oils before I race?”

most all tracks dont want antifreeze in the cars.
I drained the rad. in my hemi racecar one winter and for got about draining the block , when I started it the next spring , it was leaking water out the side of the block , broke in 3 places on one side , and one on the other , freeze plugs were intact , had to pull it and metal lock it in my driveway , on the tailgate of my pick up , worked fine , did have it line honed and cyl. rehoned .
I t ran for 14 yrs as a race engine , now is being restored as a street car , still no problems ....

 

[RemCharger]

Way back when I was on the board at our track, the no A/F rule came up. Of course all the same old arguments came up, street cars, etc etc, and we never did adopt the rule. Some tracks however do have the rule. I've never gone on a mission to list the tracks, but here is some discussion I found on a 2 sec Google search. Antifreeze rule at strip

In 2016 I blew the crank out of my motor at about 110, and got er pulled over. First thing the track safety guy said was" are you running antifreeze?" Still more concerned about the trash motor, I said uhh no? And the guy like WHEW.
By the time we went and looked back, all of the blocks water on the strip had pretty much evaporated.
It would have been an hours clean up that was avoided, and it was a fairly big event.

 

[dvw]

These are the tracks I've raced at;
Milan, Mid Michigan, US131, Ubly, Northern Michigan, Onadaga, Detroit Dragway, National Trail, Summit Motorsports Park, Quaker City, Dragway 42, Kil Kare, Tri State, Kentucky Dragway, London Dragway, Beech Bend, Gateway, Cordova, Route 66, US41, Indy, Union Grove, Memphis Motorsports Park, Budds Creek, Keystone, Maple Grove, Lancaster, Rockingham, Atlanta, Commerce Ga., Shreveport, Las Vegas.
Not once did they ever say a word about coolant.
Doug

 

[vance.dykes]

I should know for sure when I drain the oil and see what comes out first.

I ALWAYS RAN COOLANT IN MY RAD I DID NOT CARE OF THE RULE I PAY FOR MY PARTS SO . AND I NEVER BLEW COOLANT ON A RACE TRACK IN 26 YEARS

 

[RemCharger]

 

[RemCharger]

In the spirit of the conversation, I went to work at 100mph today and nobody said anything.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

Way back when I was on the board at our track, the no A/F rule came up. Of course all the same old arguments came up, street cars, etc etc, and we never did adopt the rule. Some tracks however do have the rule. I've never gone on a mission to list the tracks, but here is some discussion I found on a 2 sec Google search. Antifreeze rule at strip

In 2016 I blew the crank out of my motor at about 110, and got er pulled over. First thing the track safety guy said was" are you running antifreeze?" Still more concerned about the trash motor, I said uhh no? And the guy like WHEW.
By the time we went and looked back, all of the blocks water on the strip had pretty much evaporated.
It would have been an hours clean up that was avoided, and it was a fairly big event.

Where did the oil go?

 

[RemCharger]

Where did the oil go?

Surprisingly no oil came out.
The balancer cocked upwards and sheared the waterpump housing off the block.
Well, I think 1 bolt was still hanging in there. It was ugly.

 

[MCODECUDA]

I should know for sure when I drain the oil and see what comes out first.

I’d check it with a cooling system pressure checker also.

 

[440 4 speed]

About 2001, I decided to go to our largest Mopar Meet in the province. 140 miles away. I think at one time we had about 150 cars.
The day before I had an overheating problem to correct. I loosened off the heater hose to bleed the air. Solved that problem, refilled the rad. 50-50 mix.
Younger friend and I left about 7:30AM. I had tools, some things in the cooler. Things were just fine. Pulled into a small town service station for fuel around 9:00. Talked to some other guys going to the show. They left, we finished and I said let’s catch them. As we left town I put my foot into it. At at about 60mph there was a cloud of steam, car started to veer sideways into the oncoming lane. Got it corrected and stopped. Found out I hadn’t tightened up one heater hose at the heater box tight enough.
We were across the road from a farmyard, they gave me some water, and we carried on. Just got going again, and my friend congratulated me on my skill. Then asked if I had any beer in the cooler, I said yes. He asked if he could have one even if we were driving. I said okay.
I take antifreeze very seriously. When I was working I had a mechanic patient that really damaged his knee carrying something and slipped on spilt antifreeze. He was on worker’s compensation for month’s.

 

[Sahara]

I can’t get over that some people run NO antifreeze. Up here your engine wouldn’t last the first winter, but besides that we would always run at least some for the anti corrosion chemicals.