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codrus
codrus GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/8/15 7:39 p.m.
nderwater wrote: Since most sanctioning bodies don't allow antifreeze on track, do any of you guys with track/race cars that are stored outdoors have similar stories?

FWIW, no open track organization around here (NorCal) cares about antifreeze. Race cars I dunno, but track day cars can run antifreeze.

(and yes, it does freeze occasionally in NorCal, especially at Thunderhill)

nderwater
nderwater PowerDork
1/13/15 10:00 a.m.

I don't understand how, but I may have dodged the bullet this time.

Despite the water under the car and the pair of icicles on the radiator fins last week, the radiator seems to be holding water & pressure now--I can't detect any leaks. The water pump seems fine, and the engine seems to be running as before.

This weekend I did an oil change and coolant flush (adding real antifreeze!) and drove the car half an hour to work this morning. We'll see.

ggarrard
ggarrard GRM+ Memberand Reader
1/13/15 10:08 a.m.

Nderwater... Fingers crossed for you...

car39
car39 HalfDork
1/14/15 9:16 a.m.
codrus wrote:
nderwater wrote: Since most sanctioning bodies don't allow antifreeze on track, do any of you guys with track/race cars that are stored outdoors have similar stories?
FWIW, no open track organization around here (NorCal) cares about antifreeze. Race cars I dunno, but track day cars can run antifreeze. (and yes, it does freeze occasionally in NorCal, especially at Thunderhill)

Ran mine at the track for at least a lap without coolant after a heater hose ruptured. Replaced the hose, filled the radiator, finished the day, drove home, no problem. I did replace all the hoses afterwards because of the problem. Miata's are like cockroaches, it takes several sharp blows to kill them.

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/14/15 9:25 a.m.

Sorry to hear this... The cold really sucks...

iceracer
iceracer PowerDork
1/14/15 10:27 a.m.

In reply to iadr: In our ice racing we have a strict cleanup rule. every racer must have spill pillows and a bucket an shovel. Failure to attempt a cleanup can result in being banned.

I know, not really related to the no anti freeze thing.

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
1/14/15 12:19 p.m.
iadr wrote: (Evans, which has been begging for a US federal false advertising-shut-down for years)

I'm curious, what is the false advertising?

The rotary turbo guys love them some Evans coolant. Eliminates a lot of hotspot issues around the spark plugs.

novaderrik
novaderrik PowerDork
1/14/15 1:35 p.m.
nderwater wrote: I don't understand how, but I may have dodged the bullet this time. Despite the water under the car and the pair of icicles on the radiator fins last week, the radiator seems to be holding water & pressure now--I can't detect any leaks. The water pump seems fine, and the engine seems to be running as before. This weekend I did an oil change and coolant flush (adding real antifreeze!) and drove the car half an hour to work this morning. We'll see.

sometimes the hoses will contract enough to let coolant out around a joint where it's hooked to the radiator- or more likely the bung on the radiator shrinks from the cold and the hose clamp loses tension- but the leak goes away once warmed up ... had a Ford truck that did that when it got really, really cold out..

crazycanadian
crazycanadian Reader
1/14/15 2:17 p.m.

That sucks. Hopefully its not to bad.

My autocross car used to pull double duty daily driver, TSD car, Race car. During the summer I ran it at the track and only had water in it. Winter came around I prepped the car thought I got a good 50/50 mix of coolant in the car.

I went north to run a TSD rally, before leaving I checked my coolant again as part of a pretrip inspection. My glycol tester said my coolant strength/mix was good. Well in the morning of the rally 400km's from home I fired the car up to warm it up.. after a while it started over heating. My rad hoses everything were a slushy mess. I had spend an hour getting the rad to thaw so I could drive the car.

After the rally I got home and threw my glycol tester out and went and bought a new one.

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic PowerDork
1/14/15 3:24 p.m.

In reply to crazycanadian:

Some of the cheaper testers don't test for overly strong coolant, go past 70% and it quickly turns to slush in the cold.  photo AntifreezePlot.jpg

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