Think they will freeze? Now they won't!

[Barnyard]

Is the bucket where your dogs (or any cats you want to keep) can't get to it?

Absolutely, I have put it up so the dogs don't get thirsty. Antifreeze is intended to keep things from freezing, If I found the dogs stiff in the morning I'd know the antifreeze didn't work. On a side note I don't want to lose the dogs, they take care of the cat population. Come to think of it, I have found dead mice by the back door a time or two, so they help out there to.

[hoosier]

Nutz! I know the antifreeze in both my cubs will go to -20 but you all have brought out whatever it is that makes me doubt my self. Have drained them both. Wish there was something that would trigger whatever it is that would make me remember to fill them up again. Better safe than sorry.

[Barnyard]

Wish there was something that would trigger whatever it is that would make me remember to fill them up again.

I usually tie a parts tag to the steering wheel with a reminder written on it.

[coppersmythe]

hello all from the deep south . I just put antifreeze in mine . you guys are sending down 18 degrees tuesday morning . man, I changed the oil in my truck and the wifes car today in 63 degrees in a tee shirt . coppersmythe..........................................

[Xperimental]

Tom, I saved a bucket full that tested at around 0º and put in the unheated barn. Tomorrows temps are supposed to be around -13º. I will check it after it has sat in that temp for several hours to see what we have.

Thanks Bill, I like a good science experiment. It will be good data for future subzero weather. We are really getting a bunch of snow in central Indiana! If the wind picks up we could have some memorable drifting.

[Barnyard]

We are really getting a bunch of snow in central Indiana!

Keep it to the north of me. You and Ricky can have it all, I don't want anymore this year.

[Scrivet]

Nutz! I know the antifreeze in both my cubs will go to -20 but you all have brought out whatever it is that makes me doubt my self. Have drained them both. Wish there was something that would trigger whatever it is that would make me remember to fill them up again. Better safe than sorry.

Well since we scared you into draining them..........The thought of the engine seizing up next spring when you start to mow should scare you enough to remember to refill them OK, really; the coolant is something I check EVERY time before I start any of my Cubs. Oil level gets checked EVERY time as well. Gas gets turned on almost EVERY time. You'd think I would have learned to check the gas level EVERY time as well. I guess I just like lugging a five gallon can and/or driving backwards up the hill to the house.

[Jim Becker]

Wish there was something that would trigger whatever it is that would make me remember to fill them up again.

I usually tie a parts tag to the steering wheel with a reminder written on it.

I just leave the drain plug on the seat. If you are afraid the plug may get lost under all the other debris that accumulates on the seat, you could tie it to the steering wheel.

OK, really; the coolant is something I check EVERY time before I start any of my Cubs. Oil level gets checked EVERY time as well. Gas gets turned on almost EVERY time.

Why do I think that all three get checked or don't get checked at the same time?

[thiggy]

John, your comment about wind chill brings to mind my question. Am I correct in that the wind chill really does not come into play with items such as when your radiator will freeze? If your coolant protects down to -10º, and the actual temperature is -5º, but with a wind chill factor of -20º, are you safe from freezing?

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

John, your comment about wind chill brings to mind my question. Am I correct in that the wind chill really does not come into play with items such as when your radiator will freeze? If your coolant protects down to -10º, and the actual temperature is -5º, but with a wind chill factor of -20º, are you safe from freezing?

That is what the weather guessers say. Windchill is how the air feels on bare skin which also takes into consideration evaporation of moisture in the outer layers. When it comes to metal, or enclosed liquids, such as a radiator it is only the measured temperature that counts. I assume (bad thing, I know) That an open bucket of water would freeze sooner due to the cooling of evaporation, though the difference would probably be small.

Here is an article about wind chill on the NOAA web site.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/?n=windchill

[Barnyard]

To slush, or not to slush? Well, here are the unscientific results. The temperature outside was -8 at midnight, this morning at 8 am it was still -8º, too cold for me to want to go to the barn. At 10:30 it was 0º so I ventured out to the barn. The bucket of antifreeze that tested as protected to 0º was slush. I had a drain pan full I had drained in the fall sitting on a shelf that tested at +10º, it too was slush. If it had turned solid at -8º I doubt it would have thawed enough in 2 1/2 hours at 0º to turn to slush. Therefore it appears that 0º protection will likely turn to slush when exposed to -8º for about 8-10 hours. My conclusion, if I know it needs to be drained I will drain it. If I think about it at one o'clock in the morning I will worry about it, but not as much as I would worry if there was no antifreeze in it. My recommendation, drain it as soon as you know it is bad and not have to worry about it.

I will keep these buckets for now in case we get any temps this winter that may drop, say, into the -20's, but I am not looking forward to that happening.

[gpcubboy]

I was reading this post late last night realized I hadn't tested coolant this fall in my 52 cub. I couldn't remember what it tested last year or what year for sure I last changed it. I didn't sleep well last night as all I could think was I was stupid and let grandpa's cub freeze. It got down to -16 hear last night I said a prayer to the good lord and said please don't let it freeze. I went out this morning to my tractor she'd and remembered i had a jug on shelf left from when i changed it that was half full. I checked it and no slush and wasn't frozen. Checked radiator too not frozen or slush. I thanked the good lord for answering my prayer. What a relief! It is suppose to be 40 this weekend you know what i will be doing. I am going to change it out to be sure and write down date i changed it. I hope everyone else cubs faired the weather as well without freezing.

Chris

[ricky racer]

Maybe it's from growing up in the great white north but every vehicle I own has a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze installed and double checked. I never put straight water in a cooling system for any reason. Every gallon of antifreeze in my shop is either factory sealed (straight antifreeze) or a 50/50 mix that I have mixed. No opened container of antifreeze is ever left as straight antifreeze or a mixture different than 50/50. If it gets opened it is mixed to a 50/50 mixture. That just helps me sleep better at night.

[Xperimental]

Thanks for the experiment, Bill. It is good to know that there is a little margin of safety. After this cold spell, I will find some way to remove the drain plugs from the two Cubs or drain them some other way. It was about -13F here this morning.

[Scrivet]

Remember it's antifreeze and coolant. WE EXPECT boiling results come next summer when it gets HOT to go with our slushies!