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Easy antifreeze test
With an upcoming trip to Rhodes I wnted to make sure my antifreeze was up to scratch.

I opened up the radiator cap (when it was cold) and inspected the clarity - it was clear as cooldrink with the green tint of antifreeze.

I then drained half a glass of coolant from the overflow reservoir and put it in the freezer.

12 hours later and it's still flowing with absolutely no sign of ice or crystals.

Looks like I'm good to go - now I just need to find some diesel additive to stop it from gelling.
macjohnw
Re: Easy antifreeze test
John Likes This.
RoelfleRoux
Re: Easy antifreeze test
"So maak mens":

Ingredients:
20L paint tin, empty x 1
Sharp object x 1
Hammer x 1
Coal, 20kg
Fire lighter x 1
Matches
Tequila x 1 botlel

Take the paint tin and punch numerous holes into it with the hammer and sharp object. Insert a few fire lighters and fill tin with coal. Using the matches, ignite fire lighters through the small holes. Down a few Tequilas and blow vigorously through the small holes to get the fire going. When the fire lighter has burned out and the coals are glowing, insert paint tin under the Pajero engine. Drink rest of Tequila and go to bed.
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Re: Easy antifreeze test
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Re: Easy antifreeze test
As an experiment I dropped an ice cube in the sub zero container of antifreeze and put it back in the freezer.

Any guess as to what happened to the ice cube?
RoelfleRoux
Re: Easy antifreeze test
A) It remained frozen... - the surrounding fluid is sub zero, so there is no reason for the cube to melt.

B) It melted... - the chemicals in the antifreeze reacted with the outer layers of the cube and that would melt. This process is likely to continue until the melting ice diluted the antifreeze enough to render it useless.

I go for ............... B
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Re: Easy antifreeze test
The antifreeze has been in the freezer for nearly 48 hours and the ice cube in that for nearly 24hours. The ice cube is about halfway melted.

I suspect the tendency is for the ice cube to rather be dissolved into the AF than the other way round - else water would separate out of the AF mix and start freezing

Just my theory - I'm not a chemical engineer :)
RoelfleRoux
Re: Easy antifreeze test
I think my point B is the winner here!
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Re: Easy antifreeze test
I just checked again and the block is melted just past halfway. I can now spot very small fragile ice crystals floating around
digger
Re: Easy antifreeze test
You can buy litmus strips here.Dip into radiator neck.They have two sections on the strip.One for the Ph the other for
glycol content (%). What about a antifreeze hydrometer
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