Anyone have issues with your standard hydrometer-style tester for ethylene glycol antifreeze? I've been having to mix coolant 60/40 to get the -34°F level. Even bought a new tester and got the same results. Thoughts?
Antifreeze is way cheaper than engine blocks, mix it as needed to get the protection you require.
Refractometer is the only thing not worth pitching straight into the trash can for antifreeze or battery acid. You will wonder how you got along without it. Sadly I do not have a recommendation right now, NAPA/WIX used to have one but it was discontinued when I tried to get a new one.
Never had any issues with the tester . Used a Prestone rig like this for years . Wonder if the brand of antifreeze aint up to par ? Somebody's been " watering down " the Jack Daniel's ! LOL!
I barely make the -34 ball float and when checked with the boss mans refractometer it checks a rock solid -34. Like birken vogt said refractometer is only way to go for accuracy, i been meaning to get myself one someday.
I had both the refractometer and the $6 Prestone unit. The fancy high dollar tool got left under the seat in the pickup all the time because there wasn't enough difference in the readings. Those floating ball things are just crap.
I picked up a refractometer, at an auction, about a month ago, $2. Only bad thing about this one, is it is a veterinarian's model, no antifreeze scale! Gonna do some experiments with it, soon, with antifreeze, soon, to see if I can make it work for this purpose. Mine has a specific gravity scale, does anyone have a conversion table from SG to freeze point?
refractometers are great for verifying strange readings from the other gauges Wouldn't surprise me a bit if someone watered down a batch of antifreeze
We don't get to exited until the "Hamm's " starts to freeze in the can outdoors when winter is knocking at the back door . That's when it's time to check the antifreeze in the equipment . It's 95% water for the most part . 50/50 mix should get you to -34 F … I don't have a damn clue why anyone would want to stay where it's - 34 F unless the Ice fishing was that good . Off topic but Trucker " Buddy Wayne " always ran 100 % antifreeze in his rig year around. No water , just antifreeze . His thinking was it helped on cavitation issues . If we ever worked on his truck it got filled with 100% . He sold his truck and retired this year at 83 years young .
No so good for maximum heat transfer. Don't try that in FL, TX, AZ in the summer...
Detroit Diesel used to have instructions for plain water (chemically treated) antifreeze systems in their manuals. They did not recommend it, but they seemed to think people were still doing it anyway and gave some guidance.