So last night I go over to my co-worker's house to check out his 94 Formula.

Its been sitting for a few weeks without being started. It was about -20 F outside. Yeah hella cold.

We start up his car for about 1/2 an hour and notice that its almost overheating.

We shut off the car, wait 10 minutes, and check his rad. Its frozen and full of ice chips!!

He had pure water in his reservoir but had the usual 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water in his motor.

He also doesn't have a block heater because its an american car.

There were no puddles under the car so I'm guessing he didn't crack his block. Is there anyway to verify this?

Also how can we defrost the rad short of parking it somewhere else? Something we can add to the rad?

 

He just callled me. He tried putting a heater on the rad. Its one of those car warmers. It didn't work. Too cold in his garage.

 

Is there something we can add to the frozen rad to defrost it?

Anyway to know for sure if he cracked his block?

 

I would think the best way to check for a cracked block would be to do a pressure test once it is thawed out.

 

I was worried for the life of my motor so I did this. Be on good terms with your wife, or your mom in your case.

Take out the rad and put it in the bath with hot water. It gets cleaned out pretty good too I then took it back out and added the anti/water mix and all was good.

 

Ok thanx guys.

 

a few months back mine froze up solid...block and everything. i had ice cycles(sp?) hanging from everywhere. from all the hoses and the side tanks of the radiator. i just knew the block or radiator was cracked.

we took a tarp and hung it ove the car with hood up and put a kerosene heater under it and it thawed it out within an hour or two.

i got extremely lucky and nothing busted...until the two hour drive home from my parents house. i got all the way home then a hose let loose...perfect timing...lol

 

Good to know.

He has been starting the car and running it every 2 weeks as well.

Where could he buy a set of Good Year High Miler Hoses?

 

Summit has them, but they are for the 95-7 hose configuration, and also are missing one hose[that can be made up for with a piece of 3/4 heater hose]
It is possible to upgrade to the 'late' hose configuration.. I did..