Fill 'er up — or not?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Fill 'er up — or not?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:00 am:

So I stop at a red light and this guy pulls up beside me and says, "Hey, you're losing anti-freeze! It's pouring out like crazy!" Rather than pull over in a high-traffic area to check, I drove the remaining two blocks to my house, got out and looked under the hood. No leaks were apparent and both hoses looked okay; no green puddle under the car. Then I noticed the front spring had some antifreeze splatter on the driver's side. I looked closer at that side of the engine, but still couldn't spot a leak. Not a breath of steam, either.

Of course, with the radiator hot, I wasn't about to unscrew the cap to check whether I was low on coolant—not that I actually could have, because there's some kind of perforated baffle under the filler-neck that prevents me from seeing the coolant level—which is why I usually just fill the radiator all the way up to the top. Now, with the motometer indicating normal temperature, I was fairly certain this was just an episode of thermobarf. That ain't the issue. The issue is: Is there any harm in making a habit of filling the radiator to the top and then just letting the excess coolant blow out through the overflow tube as the car warms up?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Martin Vowell, Sylmar, CA on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:24 am:

Other than making a mess all over the street and driveway, probably not. The car will find it's own correct level, but it seems rather a pricey way of going about it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. J. "Art" Bell on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:32 am:

Hi Bob

Other than being messy on the car or driveway, I doubt if it will hurt your T.
And I'm sure this is not your intent but consider this from the SPCA
“Many animals like the sweet taste of antifreeze and will readily consume it when given the opportunity.
However, antifreeze, even in the smallest amounts, can have a very harmful and often fatal effect to your pet.
A single teaspoon will kill a cat and a tablespoonful will kill a 10-pound dog.
Thousands of animals (pets and wildlife) die each year from antifreeze poisoning.”

Regards
Art


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenny Edmondson, Indianapolis on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 06:09 am:

Bob, it's a waste of anti-freeze. Let the cooling system seek it's own level and then monitor that level. My system stays right above the baffle plate and has not had any coolant added for a couple years. I don't even check it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Thomas on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 06:59 am:

And you don't have much to worry about taking the radiator cap off, as it is not a pressurized system, like modern cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 07:52 am:

The spillage is no doubt from the overflow tube. Put a hose on it and into a plastic bottle hung in the engine room. This can be temporary or permanent. Modern aftermarket coolant recovery bottles may still be available.

Instead of looking down in the rad all the time, I mounted a sight gauge on the dash, and ran a hose to it from a gauge fitting on the waterpump. Had to put a shutoff valve at the base of it for parking uphill. Could have used a longer gauge.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 10:41 am:

You can see the radiator level below the baffle, you just have to look through the holes. If you fill it to the top it will spit out coolant until it gets to the correct level Bob.

The coolant needs to be just above the radiator fins, or approximately 1 - 2" below the word Ford on the front tank for brass radiator cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 11:13 am:

Well, poisoning pets is definitely unacceptable. I'll attach a hose and recovery bottle. And if none of the parts catalog guys carry that kind of container, I'm pretty sure I can get one from the Campbell's Soup Company.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Holzschuh - Panama City, FL on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 01:55 pm:

Being a pet owner, I agree it would be best if not too much antifreeze was spilled, besides its cheaper to fill to the right level or capture the overflow as you suggest.

I had a friend over for a T ride and when we got back I proceeded to take the radiator cap off (with a rag, as it was hot). He actually ran for cover yelling "don't do that we'll get burned".

He didn't know the T was not a pressurized system. (Certainly forgivable in this day and age).


Cheers
schuh


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 02:45 pm:

Do be careful, though. If the engine has reached "full boil", It can still spit scalding water onto your hands and face. The car will usually warn you with a lot of hissing and bumping noises.
It might be a good time to remind some people to be very careful putting water into an engine that is hot. Cool water poured into a radiator can hit hot cast iron in the block or head causing a sudden partial cooling and metal contraction resulting in an instant crack.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:11 pm:

Yes indeed - a guy was scalded on the recent Texas T Party tour when he poured a large amount of cold water into a radiator after overheating the engine badly.

You won't poison any animals if you just fill to the proper level. Then nothing will spit out. My T's typically do not ever need any coolant added. I do have to add some water due to evaporation. The evaporation loss is minimal, on the order of a quart per year per Model T.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:21 pm:

When working in a service station (back when they included service) I was taught that when a car came in boiling and steaming, we told the driver NOT to turn off the engine, and then we sprayed the radiator with the hose to cool it down. This let the water pump circulate slowly cooling coolant through the engine, lessening the possibility of cracking the block, as Wayne so correctly described.

Only when the system reached a "cool enough to touch" temperature would we tell the driver to turn off the engine. We'd continue to dribble water on the radiator for a while longer, before opening the cap. Never had a blow-back that way!

While the Model T system is not pressurized per se, if it's actively boiling the steam probably can't escape through the overflow tube as fast as it's being generated. That builds up some pressure. That raises the boiling point. If you suddenly release the pressure, like unscrewing the cap, you are most certainly going to be scalded by a volcano of boiling water.

This is a case where patience is a virtue!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 03:44 pm:

A Model A is not pressure system either, and I did get scalded by the boiling water which came out when I removed the cap. So be careful with a Model T too.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 04:15 pm:

Add me to Norm's posting as a "me too." Fortunately it wasn't bad, as I was using a rag at the time (and thought I was being careful!)
T'
David D.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 04:25 pm:

My overflow tube was blocked and the cap unscrewed itself and the whole lot boiled into the atmosphere and i got a free shower. It does that when i stop or slow down rapidly for some reason.


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