I am about to start my fresh 283 to break in the cam and then remove the motor and put it back on the engine stand for a period of time while I detail my model A. Since I live in a cold climate I am wondering if just plain water is OK to break the engine in and drain it afterwards? When I drain it,is there any possibility of any trapped water freezing in the block or would I be better to just use fresh antifreeze to begin with.? steve
Should drain out, but if you want to be real sure, use a shop vac at the end to suck out and blow out any remaining water. You could also throw a bottle of Bar's Leak water pump and antirust in the water you are using to break in the engine. It will coat the insides of the block to keep it from rusting during storage. Costs about $3 at Autozone and it really works. Don
bennet auto parts sell radiator additive by lubrikool $4 a gallon instead of $10+ for a gal of antifreeze. has all the goodies in it to protect the engine and rad. yse only the additive and no water. this has no antifreeze properties in it so keep it in mind. I run this year round
Use a half pint of soluble oil with the water , same thing as many of the snake oil "coolant additives".
I usually run new engines with water only. That way if there's any problem I can drain it and not worry about the antifreeze. If you break it in and add antifreeze later, any water left in the engine will get mixed, so no issues.
How cold is it going to get there in August? 107 down here the other day. As long as the water has room to expand as it freezes , you shouldn't have a problem.
WINNER WINNER WINNER! pull the plugs and drain the block when you drain the radiator and you should be good to go. The snake oil coolant treatment probably won't hurt as it should lubricate the water pump and help prevent flash rust on the inside of the cooling passages.
Long Sault It helps to read where he lives before asking such a question. http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/ontario/long-sault Only down to 55 F there tonight but Long-Sault Onterio Canada is a hell of a lot further north then the big middle of Texas
if using an aluminum radiator consider using distilled water. i think its legal on the track................
i think he is not concerned about right now , but rather if he runs it on straight water now and then stores it for a couple years in cold temps....not unlike a boat motor. ask any marina around here (Minnesota) about improperly stored motors. hard water problems are very common if you drain it thoroughly you should be fine
Many tests have been done on the plain water vs coolant/additives & water and the results are that no additive or coolant mixed with water is as efficient as plain distilled water at dissipating the heat. Additives are important to stop corrosion, lubricate water pump seals and/or increase/raise boiling points. Distilled water is recommended as normal tap water in some areas contain minerals and chemicals not suitable for some radiators and engine blocks.
Shouldn't you be thinking distilled water? There's a lot of crap in the water from your outside spigot. Pour some in a glass and take a look. In some parts of Houston, the color would scare you.
I was thinkin more about freezing. He is in Canada, and said it will be sitting for some time..... Its already August.....
the stuff from bennet is instead of water has the additives and lubricants needed. this way there is no water to rust the pump bearings while it sits
Go ahead and use plain water. If you were going to leave it in very long I would say add some rust inhibitor but, for a few days water won't do any harm. As others pointed out, drain the block and the rad and you will be fine. PS seal up the rad cap or rad hose area with duct tape or something. Mice love to move in and build nests in your rad and cooling system. Bad news when you go to fill it up and run it again, can plug up your cooling system or rad and cause overheating.
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