Frozen Block - Any tips?

[Ron Earp]

Stupid question/learning time - if you arn't using antifreeze, what are you using? Just straight distilled water? And why wouldn't you use antifreeze? I always thought in any cooling system you always use 50/50, regardless of application, unless you're just testing it for leaks on initial fill (unless it's using something different, like Dexcool, or Evans)

Certainly not a stupid question. The SCCA doesn't allow mixes at certain tracks and areas, you're to run water only as a coolant. This ties into that for race weekends the tracks in my region mandate water only. Fluid spills are a fact of life with race cars and ethylene glycol is slippery on asphalt and takes a lot of time to remove. Tracks typically charge quite a lot for spill clean up. For example when I ventilated my Jensen motor down at CMP the added insult to injury was a $175 bill for oil clean up.

And what gets me about the coolant situation with the track is the track hosts all sorts of events for driver's ed, BMW car days, track days, etc. and the cars are running standard coolant systems and fluids. I suppose they don't have as many fluid drops during those weekends, I don't know.

What certainly is stupid is me not letting some water out of it while it was going to sit for a month, or putting some anti-freeze into it during that period. Despite the track ordinances I generally run a tiny bit of antifreeze in the system but hadn't done that on the Lola yet. So I get the dumb ass award.

 

[Alex]

I see; thanks for the explanation.

 

[David Sturch]

Ron,
Back in the StoneAge I remember asking my grandfather what they used before todays modern antifreeze. They use to mix alcohol with the water. This might be a way to go to lower the freezing point of the water.
Dave

 

[Ron Earp]

Seems all good with the motor. We ran it in tonight for about 20-30 mins, pressure tested it, got it hot, cooled it off, bled it out, and it seems as happy as it ever was. Hope to take it for another test day on the 19th up at VIR.

 

[Randy V]

SWEET :thumbsup: epper: :thumbsup:

 

[Julian]

I believe if you use just water then tap or soft water is actually recommended as de-mineralised water is somewhat 'imbalanced' and naturally wants to reabsorb minerals.

Also for corrosion inhibitors look at 'No Rosion'; Fluidyne are recommending it to prevent galvanic corrosion in cooling systems using aluminum radiators.

 

[Ron Earp]

SWEET :thumbsup: epper: :thumbsup:

You got that right! A bustified engine would set this project back to the stone age. Racing season starts in two weeks and there isn't time in the budget for a Lola engine rebuild.

 

[Randy V]

You got that right! A bustified engine would set this project back to the stone age. Racing season starts in two weeks and there isn't time in the budget for a Lola engine rebuild.

Two Weeks!!!

Geeze.. We have a good 4' of snow on the ground here (not including the drifts)... :shocked:

 

[Ron Earp]

Randy, I don't know how all you guys deal with that stuff. This winter has been very cold for NC - some snow, 20 lows each night, etc. and I'm ready for it to be over. Usually by the first race weekend, first week of March, I'm in short sleeves at the height of the day although it is still chilly at night. By late March, when we race in SC, it'll be 70s easily.

Nope, don't see the allure of living up North in the land of snow and cold. Has to be something to it, right? I mean, you guys are smart and all so what is the deal?

 

[Scott Calabro]

The money jobs are here, well in the northeast anyway.

Just got some side work @ $85 hr, 4 hr min.

Since early January I've knocked down almost 14K USD.

 

[Doug S.]

Nope, don't see the allure of living up North in the land of snow and cold. Has to be something to it, right? I mean, you guys are smart and all so what is the deal?

Doesn't have to be up north, Ron....this was taken on Christmas day, 2007 (I think that's the right year, it's been a while and I've slept since then) in Corpus Christi, TX.....

Sure, it's not 4', but it paralyzed that town as much as if it had been!!!!

Doug

 

[Ron Earp]

Sure, it's not 4', but it paralyzed that town as much as if it had been!!!!

Doug

Hell, 4" does the same in the middle of NC. We got about 6" over the weekend before last and things were shut down from Sat to Wednesday AM.

 

[Randy V]

6 months out of the year - it's hard to find a cleaner and prettier place to live than the north central region of the USA. Lakes with water so clear that you can sit in a boat and look at the bottom 20' down. Bugs aren't too bad - except for the onslaught of mosquitoes if you live next to a marsh or other stagnant water. Summers are generally beautiful with temps in the mid 70's to mid 80's with the occasional trip up into the 90's and the odd 100 day or two.
---
but
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Then there's the other 6 months...
Here's my truck parked in the yard last night and the walkway up to my house;

((((Sniff))))

Ah yes.... The wife's got dinner on the table....

Roast Ground-Hog... :flameon:

 

[Rick]

Fire up the lawnmower!!!!!!!!!!