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Author Topic: Freeze Protection ?  (Read 7945 times)

SHIPCHIEF

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Freeze Protection ?
« on: November 25, 2010, 03:34:17 PM »
What are you guys using to keep your engine from freezing in the cold temps of winter?
I've been covering my engine with carboard and plastic sheeting, then using a portable electric heater set @ 700 watts to keep it warm. With the garage doors closed and outside temps in the low 20s F. the engine jacket water outlet thermometer reads about 45 to 50.
Do any of you use a jacket water heater or heat tape wrapped around the cylinders or anything?
I'm looking for a more elegant solution. A carboard cabin over the engine takes a while to get stripped off when the power goes out.
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's

Doug

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2010, 06:22:55 PM »
Why not use some Anti freeze?
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LowGear

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2010, 07:34:56 PM »
Doug, Doug, Doug!

Always the radical answer.

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SHIPCHIEF

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2010, 08:09:01 PM »
Anti-freeze?   :o
What's that? Some new fangled chemo-majik?
Actually, I don't entirely trust my engine to hold all it's water. During the initial rebuild I found water had leaked into the sump, via the cylinder studs. Those studs are thru bored into the case, and you can see them when the crankcase door if off.
If the stud doesn't have a good sealant on it, or the cylinder base gasket (paper) leaks, the water ends up in the oil.
That's only moderately irritating if you check for it before starting, but antifreeze in the oil will strip the babbit right off the bearings, and that's more than irritating to me.
I don't run this engine very often, it's my back up gen for the house. when the power goes out, I go thru the whole Rig-A-Marole, open crankcase, squirt oil on the crank, rods & cam, inspect for water, and prime the oil pump before I start it.
I don't mind the drill, but I haven't really wanted to use anitfreeze, so I heat it in freezing weather. Plus it's easier to start - although I do have an intake air preheater.
I was just wondering if any of you guys uses engine pre-heat and how you do it?
Maybe if it still hasn't leaked by next year I'll update and add some antifreeze; as an experiment so to speak.... :P
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's

buickanddeere

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2010, 09:15:28 PM »
  Try a small does in the engine alone of that egg preservative stuff. Water glass or sodium silicate  even shows up in some of the new stop-leak formulas. Or pull the engine apart and seal those threads properly.

buickanddeere

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Plan B,Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2010, 09:17:52 PM »
  Fill the coolant system with light engine oil. In the winter the oil will carry enough heat.
   Flush well with soapy water for summer usage.A little oil scum in water based coolant drops cooling efficiency by 10-30% depending on who you ask.

xyzer

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2010, 09:39:36 PM »
How about a magnetic block heater. It will thermosiphon and keep the tank/radiator from freezing......
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SHIPCHIEF

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2010, 11:27:06 PM »
Magnetic block heater? I hadn't thought of those.  ???
I was thinking about the freeze out plug kind (not practical), and the one that goes in the lower radiator hose (my old Ramcharger had one of those).
How about wrap a 6 foot piece of that thermostatic controlled heat tape for water pipes around the cylinders?
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's

Tijean

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2010, 12:07:29 AM »
You have a lot of potential value depending solely on the heating device not to fail. I believe I have seen a power cord device with a freeze alarm added. Again that is not much peace of mind. The safest is to either drain it (making sure the drain is 100%) or arrange for antifreeze or an anti freeze loop and heat exchanger  if it has to be isolated from a larger all water system.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 12:18:48 AM by Tijean »
Frank

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SHIPCHIEF

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2010, 12:32:08 AM »
I understand.
My house is heated by an oil fired cast iron sectional boiler and baseboard radiators. It's pure water. I thought about tying the Listeroid into it, but have not come up with an elegant solution yet.
I was thinking the jacket water waste heat would add heat to the hydronic system, now I think the hydronic system could keep the engine warm as well.
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's

Tijean

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2010, 01:23:13 AM »
It sounds possible that a sidearm exchanger could work to keep your engine from freezing as long as you hydronic system was working. That way you could have glycol in just the engine and its part of the sidearm loop. If you are using the listeroid only for backup and thus not extensive run time payback in recovered heat might not warrant too expensive a setup. A plate exchanger might work too but a sidearm exchanger is easy to cobble up and its upright profile really lends itself to good thermosiphon in your engine whether giving up or taking on heat. 
Frank

10/1 Jkson, ST5 gen. head

Cowboy Billy

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2010, 05:29:43 PM »
I don't know how many gallons of coolant you use. But on our chingfa powered generator before we changed to a radiator system. We just drained it in the winter and when we need to run it we would fill it with warm water. And that would help get it started when the temp's were in the low teen's.

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Doug

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2010, 02:04:41 PM »
Looked at the petteroid for some ideas.

My studs are almost the same as your but they are dry....

When I had the case a part I cleaned and painted the inside of the block witht he block inverted I managed to get afair bit of glyptal down intot he studs. So this would be leak free in a wet sittuation.

Liner is a different matter however. I think your more likely to have a leak there ( as am I ). The maching and fit were good but the surface finnish was no hell so again glytal 1201A and some light sanding to make a clean fit surface.

If this leaks coolant I can't see it....
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Eugen

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2010, 06:58:16 PM »
So why not an in-line 110v heater with a timer? It's what I use in the colder weather. Look in my gallery to see

 the inline heateer
« Last Edit: December 03, 2010, 07:05:02 PM by Eugen »

SHIPCHIEF

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Re: Freeze Protection ?
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2010, 09:51:19 PM »
I've been looking at those 'Kat's' lower radiator hose heaters. They are not real expensive.
 12 ft of thermostatic controlled heat tape for pipes is cheaper, but it's less than 100 watts. I was thinking about wrapping it around teh cylinder bases.
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's