What was used before antifreeze

I have helped to treat a number of dogs, who went on to live long lives. A couple day hangover is better than a prolonged death. Darryl in Fairbanks. I can remember in the 40's,Daddy would drain the stuff out of his car and shore it under the porch until fall.

The reason for using alcohol was the new "permanent" antifreeze was expensive by comparison, especially for old cars that tended to leak.

I did know a Model A owner who drove his A as an everyday car at least as late as the early 90's. He used windshield washer solvent as antifreeze. Also used as an antifreeze has been salt water.

A friend in Idaho bought a Winton that had salt water antifreeze left sitting in it for years. The salt water prevented freeze up but over the years of storage, it ate holes through the cylinder walls.

Also used as an antifreeze has been straight kerosene. No-freeze windshield washer solvent can foam up in the cooling system and over heat it. I presently use RV antifreeze for our Stanley steamers for winter storage.

Works well but like it seems it is a little hard to get a quick steam up for winter use while using the RV antifreeze. Attached Images Stanleys at home small file. I don't know what truth there is to this but I read that Ethylene glycol was designed for use in pressurized systems and that Propylene glycol works better in unpressurized systems beacuse it's not as prone to boil over. I run prestone Low Tox in my Town Sedan it's Propylene glycol you have to use the litmus paper test strips to test the mixture.

Thanks to this thread I may check into using RV antifreeze. Bill Goddard Anti-Freeze was not invented, it was discovered. Back in the days, when chemical, or any other plants were allowed to dump all waste, right into the river, at the Union Carbide plant in South Charleston, West Virginia, they saw that this certain waste product was melting the ice in the Kanawha river.

They soon thought up the idea to sell this waste product as antifreeze for automobiles. Originally Posted by HillbillyTim. Mike, I was debating on whether or not to post this same story. My Dad told it to me years ago when he worked in South Charleston. Manufacturers recommended that you change the green IAT antifreeze every 36, miles or three years. IAT coolant was used in GM vehicles until But because of the additives in the Dex-Cool orange antifreeze , you do not want to substitute the old reliable green coolant.

Ethylene glycol is the most widely used automotive cooling-system antifreeze , although methanol, ethanol , isopropyl alcohol rubbing alcohol , and propylene glycol are also used. Substances that inhibit corrosion are usually added; antifoaming agents are sometimes added as well.

Ethylene glycol is a source of corrosion. Most corrosion from ethylene glycol is due to the decomposition to organic acids such as glycolic acid at higher temperatures. Antifreeze does not have an expiration date nor does it go bad , as long as the antifreeze is kept in an airtight jug original container so it doesnt get dirt or other contaminates in it it will be good when you get ready to use it.

That's where antifreeze comes in. Antifreeze also includes corrosion inhibitors to protect the engine and cooling system against rust and corrosion. Antifreeze can be made using any of these four main agents mixed with water: methanol, glycerol, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

Each agent has advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you want to use it. Propylene glycol rarely causes toxic effects, and then only under very unusual circumstances. Antifreeze or ethylene glycol is a common winter necessity for many people in the fall and winter months. While it helps keep pipes and cars from freezing, it is a toxic and sometimes lethal fluid for many animals, including dogs, cats, poultry and cattle. What is a Fuel Gauge?

Design Elements. What is a Chassis? Cooling System 0. Contents 1 The Trouble with Alcohol as an Antifreeze 1. Share this: Print Share on Tumblr. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. T-Shirts Our t-shirts are available from Amazon. More Articles. Exhaust What is a Muffler? Instrumentation What is a Fuel Gauge? Plus, these products also contain components that slow down organic contamination or bacterial buildup, which would be considerably faster if only water were used as the coolant.

However, antifreeze has to be mixed with water before it can be used. In terms of the major component, antifreeze mixes are available in the standard ethylene glycol-based form or the non-toxic propylene glycol-based version.

The primary variation in antifreeze solutions is based on the anti-corrosive factors used in them. Up until the mid-nineties, ethylene glycol-based, bright green antifreeze mixes were the norm.

However, newer vehicles and their advanced engine components raised the need for more effective antifreeze solutions that would offer greater protection. Every one of these is meant to address the specific requirements of various engines and their components. So, you will find coolants and antifreeze solutions from nearly all major auto manufacturers that are designed to handle the anti-corrosive needs of the engines in their vehicles.

However, given the variation in antifreeze solutions, manufacturers add colors to these mixes, so that it can be easy to differentiate one kind from another. Used in all cars till the early nineties, this is your basic bright green coolant that is still poured into all older cars manufactured before the mid-nineties, including all domestic vehicles from Ford, GM and Chrysler.

Made by adding phosphates and some amount of silicates to glycol, these low-silicate, conventional antifreeze solutions also have supplemental coolant additives SCA in them to protect the engine lining from corrosion.

So, these older green fluids need a change every 2 years or 25,, miles. These coolants turned into the norm around the late-nineties and are still going strong in many newer cars all across the world. Although devoid of both phosphates and silicates, OAT coolants offer similar corrosion resistance as the green antifreeze mixes.

But the anti-corrosive compounds in these solutions are slow-acting, which gives the product a longer life span. Also, it is specifically designed to offer anti-corrosive protection to the aluminum and nylon parts in newer model cars. Another important difference is that unlike IAT coolants, OAT products use propylene glycol as the base, so they are less harmful for pets, kids and the environment in case of a spill or boil-over. OAT antifreeze mixes are usually orange, yellow or red but also comes in other colors, such as blue, red and very dark green, depending on the variant and the manufacturer.

As their name suggests, these coolants combine the best of IAT and OAT products to offer superior corrosion resistance for aluminum parts and rustproofing for iron components. Typically, dyed yellow or orange, HOAT products are also available in a range of other hues such as pink, purple and blue.

As you may have noticed, color is certainly not a reliable indicator of the type of coolant that you are getting. The only thing that the different hues are good for is to prevent the inadvertent mixing of two types of products. Instead, take the trouble of checking with the local mechanic or repair shop. This may cost you a few bucks, but it will certainly be less expensive than a complete engine overhaul. In short: no, you cannot mix different types of antifreeze mixes.

This causes the formation of brown, gelatinous sludge in the reservoir and the radiator that can completely block the cooling system over time.