[LaVelle]

Looking to keep engine from freezing over winter without using antifreeze.
What are people using in cold climates?
The freeze plug heaters are a kicking and screaming last resort.

 

[TKG]

WHY?
Your choices are drain the engine completely, heated garage, anti freeze.

 

[Kirk's67SS]

I had a 65 GTO back in the 80s
before that a 65 Comet Calientte
and they all got the same treatment

I change out the Coolant in my 67 every Spring and Fall

FALL TIME
Drain Out Warm Weather Coolant & put in Cold Weather Water & Antifreeze = -40* = 30% Water / 70% Antifreeze
Put Stal Bil in a Full Tank of Gas Park the car in the NON Heated Garage & Remove Battery to my Basement
throw a Cover/Blanket over her and let her sleep for 6 Months Nov to April

SPRING TIME
Put the Battery back into the car and Start her up
Drain Out Cold Weather Coolant & put in Warm Weather Water & Antifreeze = -15* = 70% Water / 30% Antifreeze
just enough Antifreeze to keep the Water Pump Lubed
Drive the car for 6 Months May to Oct

54+ years doing it like this and it is always the same
the Old Girl is Happy to see me in the Spring even tho she is used & abused during the Warm Weather time
and then not so Happy to take a Nap in the Fall until Spring

 

[BillK]

I think I have seen a heater that goes inline with a radiator hose. I take it this is a race car that is not supposed to have anti freeze in it ? I am not sure what the antifreeze is that they use to winterize marine engines. Maybe that would work ?

Where are you located and how cold does it get ?

 

[bracketchev1221]

RV antifreeze? Environmentally safe to drain out. I used to drain the radiator every winter and dump a gallon of straight anti freeze in the engine. Then fill the rest with water. Every spring I would drain it and put a bottle of water wetter in it and fill it with water. Whatever antifreeze that was in it didnt hurt anything. Actually protected the block and the water pump.

 

[Malibu ss 64]

If it gets cool enough you will have problems with block heater or hose heater since theres no circulation. So radiator, heads etc might freeze.

 

[Alwhite00]

I wouldn't trust any block heater to protect my engine full of water from freezing. Take 10 minutes and drain the friggin thing at a minimum.

 

[LaVelle]

Yes, it is basically a racecar with plates. So the cooling system has no antifreeze for track duty.
Draining the system is easier said than done with 2 1/8" primary headers. Along with I'd have to do it a few times as we have winter events.
Pre Covid we've had over 1200 cars on New Years day events.

 

[p40]

pull your bottom rad hose start it up and run for 5 min , put in 50 50 antifreeze and be done with it ,thats if ur done racing for the season

 

[JJ'65]

I think I have seen a heater that goes inline with a radiator hose. I take it this is a race car that is not supposed to have anti freeze in it ? I am not sure what the antifreeze is that they use to winterize marine engines. Maybe that would work ?

Where are you located and how cold does it get ?

I had one of these inline heaters in my El Camino for several years when I was stationed just outside Anchorage. It doesn't get really, really cold there, as in Fairbanks and interior Alaska. It was inline in one of the heater hoses. Worked fine. Plug it in in the evening and unplug in the morning. Circulates warmed coolant. there are no moving parts, unless you consider a check valve a moving part.

 

[msmith1.wa]

I haven't tried it but maybe an electric blanket.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

 

[zeke67]

A lower hose heater will thermo siphon coolant through the block and keep it warm. Two things to consider. One, if you have a multi day power outage, you are going to have to deal with the car, plus a lot of other stuff at the same time. Two, any sort of heater is going to use several hundred watts at least. Significant power consumption (consider running a hair dryer 24/7) versus the trouble of draining the block, you could probably afford to pay a guy to drain it.

 

[BobinPA]

You can do what I did and move to SW Florida where we remain frost free all year and no longer have to worry about it.

 

[1975TypeS-3]

I put petcocks in the lower block plugs to make it easy to drain.

 

[oldcutlass]

Why not heat the space the car is stored in?

 

[vortec710]

FWIW...you don't have too many choices in a freezing climate if you don't want a "cracked block/head, etc.". Either drain the block thru the drains and blow it out w/compressed air or use the correct antifreeze mix for your area...don't be cheap, a cracked block over the price of a couple of gallons of antifreeze...no comparison. Heated garage...nice.. if you have one and no power outages. My question to you is why are you trying to avoid antifreeze...environment, cylinder leaks, cooling problems or ... ?

 

[oldcutlass]

FWIW...you don't have too many choices in a freezing climate if you don't want a "cracked block/head, etc.". Either drain the block thru the drains and blow it out w/compressed air or use the correct antifreeze mix for your area...don't be cheap, a cracked block over the price of a couple of gallons of antifreeze...no comparison. Heated garage...nice.. if you have one and no power outages. My question to you is why are you trying to avoid antifreeze...environment, cylinder leaks, cooling problems or ... ?

Because it's a race car not a street car.

 

[boyd66k20]

The heated garage/shop is the ticket if it's insulated. Everything stays 55-60 and is good peace of mind.

 

[Ericnova72]

Pre-WWII they used straight alcohol as a coolant/antifreeze. Just an idea, would work well for something that is just going to sit.

I don't think the track would like that either though, major fire hazard in a crash

 

[BillK]

FWIW...you don't have too many choices in a freezing climate if you don't want a "cracked block/head, etc.". Either drain the block thru the drains and blow it out w/compressed air or use the correct antifreeze mix for your area...don't be cheap, a cracked block over the price of a couple of gallons of antifreeze...no comparison. Heated garage...nice.. if you have one and no power outages. My question to you is why are you trying to avoid antifreeze...environment, cylinder leaks, cooling problems or ... ?

Just want to add to Olds' answer because a lot of guys that dont race do not realize that you are not allowed to run antifreeze in an engine at the drag strip. If something breaks antifreeze is worse than oil to get cleaned up off the track.