Antifreeze
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=209929
Printed Date: 21 Mar 2026 at 6:13pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Antifreeze
Posted By: Acguywill
Subject: Antifreeze
Date Posted: 31 Jan 2026 at 11:36pm
| This may be a dumb question but can antifreeze settle out? I have an old nat gas powered pumping unit that has been sitting in the barn for the last 4 years. Before I parked it I changed the oil and antifreeze and then ran it for a few, maybe 10, minutes. I pulled it out a couple weeks ago and the antifreeze in the rad was slushy close to solid actually. I opened the drain on the block and it was fine. Put it in the heated shop and let it thaw out and took a closer look at it today. Antifreeze from the top of the radiator tested good to -8 celsius and the first stuff out of the block was good to -40. I mixed it all back up and it tested good to -29 which is about what it would have been when I put it in. How is that possible? |
Replies:
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 6:20am
| Never heard of that, never given it much thought. I suppose it's possible? It may not have mixed completely in the short run-time? |
Posted By: Jim.ME
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 6:28am
| That initial 10-minute run time was not enough to thoroughly mix it. You should have run it up to temperature so the thermostat opened and kept it there for at least 10-minutes to circulate and mix the entire system. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 7:42am
| Especially if you dumped in a gallon of straight antifreeze and then a gallon of water and then didn't allow it to reach operating temps (open thermostat). |
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 7:53am
|
I always premix 50/50 in a five gallon bucket coolant to distilled water ratio with ethylene glycol. Have never seen it separate in the past. Typically I use "Prestone" for automotive use and "Fleet Guard" in low silicate formulation for industrial and truck engines. ------------- That's All Folks! |
Posted By: Acguywill
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 10:03am
| I always premix my antifreeze as well but just use tap water. Now a bit more information. I bought and mixed up a 10 litre jug of concentrated green antifreeze (actually 9.46l) a bit under 50/50 to give me about a -30c rating and topped it up with another 6 or so litres of the red stuff. All compatible. Now the stuff that came out of the block was nice and green but the stuff in the rad was the funny greenish reddish brown cloudy color. No actual rust or other gunk in any of it. I can't say I ve had an issue before but maybe the different types were not as compatible as the instructions indicated? But that wouldn't explain why the concentration varied from top to bottom. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 10:11am
|
As noted 50/50 mix drain and refill after full flush and then run to operating temp and Confirmed flow. Should not ever Settle or Separate. Are currently Four types out these days, Old Green, Orange GM, Orange Ford, Red Hi Nitrate HD Diesel.
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Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 11:11am
If using the green traditional stuff then use only that. Do not mix any of the new types with it no matter what colour and there is every colour under the rainbow out there. The new ones are OAT(organic acid technology) whatever that means??? So choose one - old technology or new tech. Either way drain system and start from scratch. If you go green you have to change every it every 2-3 years or keep it maintained with a filter and dca system. The new stuff lasts longer but still needs to be changed periodically. The red stuff for big diesels claims to have a lifespan of 1.6 million km. I would not let it go that long!!! 
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 11:55am
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there is a YELLOW "Extended life 150,000 miles" that replaces the green... Much better stuff.. been around for 30 years..... This is NOT the NEW YELLOW that FORD has been using for the past 5 years... The ORANGE that FORD used in the 2010- 2020 era on MOST vehicles is the same as DEXCOOL used by GM for many years.. your right.. DO NOT MIX any.. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Acguywill
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 1:04pm
| This engine is from the late 50s or early 60s so I am pretty sure it would have had green antifreeze in it forever. The stuff it had in it when I bought it was green and clean but I had no idea how long it had been in there so I changed it. The green stuff I put in was just regular heavy duty diesel engine antifreeze and the red stuff I topped it up with was the extended life stuff of the same brand which according to the label was acceptable. I guess I know better now. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 1:11pm
| What about Walmart's 150000mi....universal compatability....all makes and models foreign and domestic passenger and light truck |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
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Are you sure your water pump is circulating coolant through the engine or that the thermostat is opening? When I read back to the original post, ten minutes of run time may not have warmed the engine enough to open the thermostat to mix the new coolant with the old.
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Posted By: whatscooking
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 4:18pm
| Did you drain the block, if not there is usually alot of residual left. Always use distilled water to mix. |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 4:53pm
|
I agree it's probably best to use distilled water, but I don't ever remember the WF I have, that was my grandfather's, having antifreeze in the radiator. When they were cutting corn in the fall, it was the blower tractor. Every day, after the last load of corn, the radiator and block were drained and every morning it was filled with a garden hose. When they were done with corn, it was put in a barn and drained. By the time it came out in the spring, cold nights were pretty well done, and it was filled with water again. I rebuilt the engine, but it is still going 78 years later. I don't ever remember it starting on the starter either. When I got it, I took the original battery out of it. The crank was pretty well worn!
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Posted By: Acguywill
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 4:58pm
| I drained the block completely. 10 minutes run time definitely wasn't long enough to get the thermostat to open up with no load on the engine and nearly 30 liters of coolant in it. Even so I would have to think that some coolant was circulating because it also has a propane regulator on it that is warmed by coolant that comes from the top of the head and dumps back into the suction side of the water pump. It also has an oil cooler on it that is fed straight from the water pump and returns to the bottom of the block. |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 6:00pm
I don’t know….. was told by some smart people that time is what deteriorates anti freeze more so than miles. Like 5 years regardless of miles. Whatever. |
SteveM C/IL wrote:Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 6:23pm
|
there is no such thing as "universal antifreeze"... no matter how much bull chit the Manufacturers try to feed you.. You can mix the 150,000 EXTENDED YELLOW with the GREEN, but thats it... NOTHING should be mixed with DEXCOOL.. NOTHING..... it can turn to jelly if you get the wrong two mixes.. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Gary Burnett
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 7:44pm
| I've gotten tractors that had been sitting for 10+ years with antifreeze in them and the coolant looked just fine.Thinking about it I have a couple tractors I've owned for over 25 years and the antifreeze has never been changed. |
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 7:53pm
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It is the additive package that goes bad over time and the hot/cold cycles. The ethylene glycol does not go bad. I have a solvent distiller and can reclaim glycol that is many years old and it's blended into new additives and good/better than prepackage new coolant.
------------- That's All Folks! |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 01 Feb 2026 at 8:13pm
Right about the additives. Freeze protection does not diminish but corrosion protection does. |