How's Your Antifreeze?

[kwaynem]

Drain and add to the radiator doesn't replace the coolant in the block until the engine runs long enough to open the thermostat though. So you could have a radiator good to -30 but a block that still has -5 coolant correct?

It needs to run after the thermostat opens and circulates for a while I drove mine to town ad back you are right

 

[rlongnt]

Chevrolet put it in new last August when they built my truck : )

 

[Uncle Meat]

I put a jelly jar of coolant that I tested for-10 in the backyard last night.
Used my cheap ball tester.
We hit -10 this morning.
No ice or slush.
I guess my tester is accurate.
My vehicles tested between-10 and -25.

 

[Roy14]

I’ve got a leak underneath my backhoe. Appears to be coolant coming from the line at the bottom of the radiator, right at the fitting. I’m debating what I should do about it. If it’s an active drip it’s not freezing, but I’m worried it may have frozen somewhere else and that’s what’s pushing it out. I wasn’t prepared for -11 real temp.

 

[kwaynem]

We usually don’t have to prepare for these temps it’s usually cold a couple days then back to average or above temps

 

[Uncle Meat]

Sometimes in extreme cold, hoses, fittings and radiator tank seals can shrink and leak.
I'd start it up, get it warm, then trace the leak.
Any chance it's hydro fluid?

I’ve got a leak underneath my backhoe. Appears to be coolant coming from the line at the bottom of the radiator, right at the fitting. I’m debating what I should do about it. If it’s an active drip it’s not freezing, but I’m worried it may have frozen somewhere else and that’s what’s pushing it out. I wasn’t prepared for -11 real temp.
View attachment 193640

 

[Roy14]

Sometimes in extreme cold, hoses, fittings and radiator tank seals can shrink and leak.
I'd start it up, get it warm, then trace the leak.
Any chance it's hydro fluid?

It appears to be dripping from the hose connected to the radiator, and definitely isn’t hyd fluid, which I’m hoping means that only the hose is cracked (my first thought was my radiator or block cracked), and that if it’s dripping at -11 then I’d imagine it shouldn’t be freezing up anywhere. It had been ran previous to all this weather, so I don’t think I need to worry about water trapped somewhere and looking to freeze up. I think I’m just going to wait until we warm up to mess with it. My skid steer is inside my garage (new purchase, took the place of my wife’s Lexus inside LOL) , if I need to clear anything I’ll fire it up. One thing about it, you never stop working on old equipment.

 

[Uncle Meat]

I have a Landcruiser and forklift that do the same thing in cold weather.
Drives me crazy. I hate drips.
Both are kinda old.

The cold makes mechanical stuff do weird things.

Also, reading the back of an antifreeze jug, if you do a 50/50 mixture you should be good to -27.
That's using the traditional green Napa.
Not sure about other colors.

Skidsteer for a Lex is a good trade!