mx547

Ortho doc's wet dream
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i was asked today what they used in radiators for antifreeze before ethyl glycol antifreeze. i didn't have a clue. do any of you know?
 

KDX1

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Jun 5, 2001
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before anitfreeze

I believe that was in high school and took shop class our instructor told us that they used to use some form of alcohol. I'm not sure if that was isoprople or some other form. I would think that alcohol would not be effective because I don't believe it has cooling properties. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please. :think



00 KDX 200
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XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
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Aug 2, 2000
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Re: before anitfreeze

Originally posted by KDX1
I would think that alcohol would not be effective because I don't believe it has cooling properties. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.
Okay!;)

Just to demonstrate to yourself the cooling properties of alcohol, take one of those pre-moistened alcohol wipes and swipe it across your arm. Notice how cool it makes your arm as it evaporates?

I think the switch to ethylene glycol was made because it's much more stable.
 

dirt bike dave

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May 3, 2000
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Alcohol cools on your skin because it is evaporating, not because the liquid itself is absorbing heat. Hopefully it would not evaporate in a closed system.

I don't know what they did before modern anti-freez, but If alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, it would make sense to use it as an anti-freeze. Perhaps they ran an alcohol/water mix in winter to prevent freezing, and switched to straight water in summer to absorb more heat.
 

spanky250

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Dec 10, 2000
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Originally posted by dirt bike dave
I don't know what they did before modern anti-freez
Maybe they had a lot of busted engine blocks and radiators?:confused:

Seriously, according to my 77 year old father, ispropyl alcohol was indeed the product used for antifreeze purposes (although before his time, he says ;) ), but of course it was not nearly as effective as glycol, and as everyone knows, alcohol can be very corrosive.
 
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kmccune

2-Strokes forever
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They used alcohol mixed with water, ispropyl I believe as it mixes with water easily. My Dad still calls anti-freeze alcohol! Dad says it evaporated, but I think maybe he just didn't have a cover on the radiator!?!??! You just have to love my Dad or he will drive you crazy! I don't think I'm crazy??????? ;)


Kevin
 

PTCruiser

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Aug 25, 2000
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You can put hard liquor in the freezer and it won't freeze, so that sounds like a good anti-freeze to me-plus you can crack the radiator drain plug and use it like a keg!:D
 

kmccune

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PTCruiser,

I think I saw that on the Beverly Hillbilly's a loooong time ago:cool:

Kevin
 
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