My Radiator froze...

[MrSony]

Welp, sh*t. One thing after another aint it? Rebuilt my qjet, went to put it on, started the car, and it kept stalling out. I had my brother crank it while I operated the choke on the carb, thinking I got that wrong. I noticed the fan wasn't moving and there was a LOT of smoke. Well, that turned out to be the fan belt being shredded. On a whim I looked in the rad, since it was a brisk 15 degrees outside and I thought "wouldn't it be terrible if the coolant froze?", welp, it was terrible. It wasn't frozen solid, it was a thick slush. Like a gas station slushy. It was full of water. I guess I never changed it out to coolant after the radiator hose got knocked off last September, and the car has been broken for three months, so I just forgot. I didn't see any puddles on the ground or any freeze plugs exiting stage left, so I think I lucked out. Tomorrow I'm gonna get two gallons of 50/50 and dump that in, get a new belt (I freed up the water pump, it turns as normal now) and see what happens. The engine would start, idle if you kept on the gas but then shut off immediately. It's getting gas, and the accelorator pump is squirting great. Power piston moves freely. I think it was just the frozen bits stopping the motor from idling.


So, it my engine ok?

 

[olds307 and 403]

I remember our 75 Cutlass had a slushy, it turned out fine. The sooner you drain some and strengthen, the better, only gets colder at night.

 

[Injectedcutty]

You might have just gotten another bit of luck on your side!!!!

I'd say put a gallon of straight coolant in it, then a gallon of 50/50 just to make sure it flushes through properly.

Take it from experience.....that's how i cracked my block 10 years back, too much water and not enough antifreeze.

 

[MrSony]

Thanks for the input. THere was still all the coolant in the block, so I think that plus the water saved it from being frozen 100% solid. Gonna get two gallons of 50/50 tomorrow. Too late to be firing up a V8 that shakes the whole block and sounds like a stock car with open headers. I miss not having neighbors.

 

[406 Monte]

It's 7* there I hope you got some antifreeze in it. That's scary!

 

[MrSony]

It's 7* there I hope you got some antifreeze in it. That's scary!

It's been colder. And it aint gonna stop any time soon. Tomorrow can't come soon enough.

 

[pontiacgp]

I don't know the prices where you are but here it is alot cheaper to buy a gallon of antifreeze and a gallon of distilled water, then mix the two. I would flush the whole system and replace it all but you would need more than 2 gallons of 50/50

 

[marcar1993]

I have been there, and did the exact same thing years ago on my 307. Started it to move it one winter day and it was "thick slushied" because I never thought to dump the water I topped it off with in the fall. I put it in the garage to defrost, dumped it and filled with more coolant than water (you aren't draining the block, theres still water in it.) It wound up being fine thankfully.
I'd drain it and fill it with one bottle of straight coolant, then start adding 50/50. (Buy 2 bottles of straight coolant, dump one in, then pour half of the new one into the old one. Top them off with water, presto: 2 bottles of 50/50. Also, I use tap water with no issues.)

 

[Texas82GP]

Buy an antifreeze tester. They are cheap. Don't use tap water.

 

[drogg1]

I agree with those saying to use straight coolant. You likely can't flush it right now and so the straight coolant will dilute the mix which sounds like it is around 60/40 water/coolant to 40/60 water/coolant which is fine for winter. Especially since I believe you have been having trouble getting the engine up to operating temp anyway.