Artic blast Don't forget about your race car engine

[ShadowBolt]

My race car sits in a unheated pole barn. We in Central Texas are supposed to see 9 degrees on Tue. morning and the DFW area could see 2 degrees! Well over 24 hours under 27 degrees for us here and looks like the DFW area (or at least Prosper where Jay lives) could be below freezing from Thursday night until the following Wed.


Damn I really should read what I write before posting. Arctic!

JJ

[michaelmosty]

Thanks for the heads up Jerry. Sounds like you will be shuffling some cars around.

[Pranav]

My car is stuck in storage but I have power there. Am I better off draining the water out of the radiator, or leaving it full of water on a block heater I have in the radiator?

I have a heater probe that goes into the radiator and an electric freeze outlet that turns the heater on at 38* so I can confirm it works well before the temps go below 0; forecast is down to 18* here.

[Supercharged111]

Shove a space heater underneath and let it run until the "cold" is gone. :p

[ShadowBolt]

Shove a space heater underneath and let it run until the "cold" is gone. :p

What space heater will fit under a race car?

JJ

[ShadowBolt]

My car is stuck in storage but I have power there. Am I better off draining the water out of the radiator, or leaving it full of water on a block heater I have in the radiator?

I have a heater probe that goes into the radiator and an electric freeze outlet that turns the heater on at 38* so I can confirm it works well before the temps go below 0; forecast is down to 18* here.

I don't give a damn about the radiator as it is easy to drain. Getting all the water out of the block is another issue all together.

JJ

[64GunPilot]

My engine cracked because of freeze damage while I was oveseas. I wont let that happen twice! I will probably put one 100w light bulb on each side of the engine block. That should do the trick. Thanks for the reminder.

[BryanL]

There are little space heaters that should fit between the radiator and engine that are less than a foot tall. Heaters are great until the ice buildup on trees starts taking down power lines and you lose power for a few days. Friend did the light bulb on his boat on a lift- but power went out and crack went the block.

Pranav your LS has some drain plugs on each side of the block.

Might see a 0 for a low and spend 24 hours below 15 in Plano-don't know that its ever been that low.

[ShadowBolt]

I am adding at least half a gallon of antifreeze to the race car this afternoon. We lose power out where I live often so I'm expecting it. I went on Tue. and topped off the propane and fuel in the RV. At least I can live in it if I have to if the power goes out.

JJ

[64GunPilot]

Yes, light bulbs and 1/2 gal of antifreeze concentrate as a backup incase the power goes out like Bryan said.

[Pranav]

Alright going to rely on the block/radiator water heater with the 38*F switch and a light bulb. I have a battery powered camera to keep an eye on it so once temps get below 38* and I don't see a light, I can go investigate. Will be below zero for 36 hours.

Good thing is I'm in the city on city power; the storage location uses underground power and most the lines here not much trees.

[ShadowBolt]

Alright going to rely on the block/radiator water heater with the 38*F switch and a light bulb. I have a battery powered camera to keep an eye on it so once temps get below 38* and I don't see a light, I can go investigate. Will be below zero for 36 hours.

Good thing is I'm in the city on city power; the storage location uses underground power and most the lines here not much trees.

Below zero in H-town? I assume you mean 0 C?

JJ

[AllZWay]

I put light bulbs in the engine bay, but I do have a propane heater I can use if we were to lose electricity.

[ShadowBolt]

I put light bulbs in the engine bay, but I do have a propane heater I can use if we were to lose electricity.

I guess this was before LED bulbs?

JJ

[Supercharged111]

What space heater will fit under a race car?

JJ

I have 2 little heaters that fit, they're each 1500 watts. I've done this at an October race before, but for that I turned it down to 1000 because when you're only just below freezing it doesn't take much, especially if it's inside the trailer. Had a dream last night I froze the block on my Z06, thanks guys!

[ShadowBolt]

Take a look at the forecast for Hallett the next five days!

Warmer in Telluride, CO than Hallett.

JJ

[Pranav]

Ha yep, 0*C

Changed my mind, adding antrifreeze and will flush it out later, rather not risk it. Still will setup the automatic block heater stuff just to see how it all works out.

[AllZWay]

I guess this was before LED bulbs?

JJ

I still have a stash of old one. :D

[ShadowBolt]

Ha yep, 0*C

Changed my mind, adding antrifreeze and will flush it out later, rather not risk it. Still will setup the automatic block heater stuff just to see how it all works out.

I added a half gallon and ran the car for an hour. The thermostat opened but the temperature gauge never went over 140 and the water in the recovery tank was still cold after running an hour. I guess I will have to unload the car and put it in the garage to make sure.

JJ

[Supercharged111]

We had a warm October here so I didn't bother with the green. Tonight's low is only 2 degrees colder than it is now so I should be good. This is about as cold as I've ever seen this garage (attached, not heated). It's 7 degrees outside right now.

1958

[Pranav]

All set with the antifreeze

I was able to get mine to hot enough to get the t stat open

I'll be able to see if the light bulb and radiator prob heater turns on, but my unit definitely will get below freezing

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eatDAw3kozdhJJ3m8

[AllZWay]

I got scared.. added two electric heaters and a propane heater on low. Using my laser thermometer I was seeing some engine temps in the low 30's. It is 5degrees outside this morning.

[RichardP]

All these preparations that are relying on heaters or lightbulbs are having a tough time around here. Most people I've talked to haven't had power since 2 am. I get power for a little bit then it goes away for a longer time...

Richard P.

[64GunPilot]

My shop has zero insulation and isn’t really sealed all that well. I put water bottles with tap water all around the shop to see if they’d freeze. Non of them froze and it got down to 4F here. I thought it kinda strange. I don’t understand how that’s possible.

[39PitCrew]

My shop has zero insulation and isn’t really sealed all that well. I put water bottles with tap water all around the shop to see if they’d freeze. Non of them froze and it got down to 4F here. I thought it kinda strange. I don’t understand how that’s possible.

I know this is not exactly the same, but ...
I live in Ohio and my shop building is insulated and sheetrocked but no heating system.
It's a 30X60 building, partially built into a hill so the back wall has about 7' of dirt behind it.
Coldest I've seen in the shop is 36 degrees so far. The floor and back wall put a surprising
amount of "heat" in the building. At least, enough to offset the heat loss. I will admit that
our winter has been both mild and stupid. We've only had a few days below 20 degrees and
we've had lots of days in the upper 20's and a even a few in the mid 30's. It may help that
the two overhead doors face South so on sunny days I actually get a little heat through
the doors; even though they are insulated I think they are only like R6 or something.

[Pranav]

My storage unit never lost power! However the temp never go lower than high 20s which was well above the freezing point based on the antifreeze ratio I put in.

Learned a lot this time and got lucky!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fX81ceKFkHZUe6Mx5

[64GunPilot]

Looks like some freeze comin y’all’s way. Don’t forget about the engines. Hope all is well.

[michaelmosty]

Thanks Dylan, thankfully not too bad. Lots of ice and a little bit of snow here in the DFW area.

I hope you are staying safe as well!! When are you getting back to the states?

[64GunPilot]

Thanks Michael. Should be coming home July. I am still slowly working the LS 5.3 swap when I get back. Don’t know when I’ll be back on the track. I’m shooting for Sep/Oct. Impatiently lurking this forum and watching you guys on race hero…….and of course daydreaming of the moment I can back out there with the group.

[ShadowBolt]

Thanks Michael. Should be coming home July. I am still slowly working the LS 5.3 swap when I get back. Don’t know when I’ll be back on the track. I’m shooting for Sep/Oct. Impatiently lurking this forum and watching you guys on race hero…….and of course daydreaming of the moment I can back out there with the group.

Praying for your safe return Dylan.

Jerry

[RichardP]

Josh and I had an event at MSRH last weekend where the temperatures were in the upper 20's both Saturday and Sunday morning. I don't know if it was necessary but we both chickened out and added antifreeze to our racecars. Fun stuff scraping frost off of a racecar before you get in it. The good news is that the frost I scraped off made a nice snowball that I was able to hit Josh with. And neither car was damaged...

Richard P.

[michaelmosty]

At least the snowball went to good use!!