Antifreeze advice please

[Martin Erhard]

Can I get some advice regarding antifreeze please - new owner this year and the

car will be spending the winter outside. Checked the coolant with my antifreeze tester (floating balls type) which indicates the strength is on the low side but still with protection to minus 14degrees C. (Not unreasonable for the SE of England?) I have no record of coolant changes and the liquid itself is a pale straw colour.

My questions are:

How accurate are these testers ?

If I do top up and drain say a litre of fluid from the radiator and add the same amount of fresh antifreeze to the header tank will I encounter any airlock type problems?

Does the fresh coolant really get mixed in or does it tend to stay in header tank?.

The car is a k-series and I plan to replace all the hoses (and obviously fresh coolant) in the spring anyway.

Appreciate any advice.

 

By the way had wonderful drive this morning around Reigate / Dorking area - spotted three other sevens, three Cobras, a big Healey and a couple of T type MG’s, - magic…

 

Martin

[Mick Day]

Hi Martin

 

If you have no history of coolant change then I would change it before the winter.

How accurate are these testers ? : reasonably accurate I would have thought.

 

If I do top up and drain say a litre of fluid from the radiator and add the same amount of fresh antifreeze to the header tank will I encounter any airlock type problems? Might do, might not. However if you have no history how do you know which to add?

 

Does the fresh coolant really get mixed in or does it tend to stay in header tank?: It'll get mixed in.

 

Bite the bullet & replace all hoses now with fresh coolant. CC recommend Comma Xstream Longlife Red which is probably what you have in at the moment.

[Normans_Ghost]

Martin, I agree with Mick. If your going to change the hoses then do it now. Also use the Organic AF (Halfords ahve it) It's bright pink. It mixes 50/50 with water and I mix it before filling.

 

May be worth fitting silicone hoses.

 

I'm no expert on K air locks but have refilled several at Le Mans camp site and filling through the top of the rad with engine ticking over seems to work, but take time.

 

Do a search and read up on it.

 

The tester you have is a hydrometer and is accurate enough to be believed.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here

You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited

[Martin Erhard]

Thanks chaps, sensible advice which to be honest I was half expecting to hear. I was hoping that my wallet had had it’s last outing this year but you are quite right, I should really bite the bullet, renew all the hoses now and replace all the coolant.

 

Martin