In a message dated 96-12-08 13:19:56 EST, you write:
<< I want to make myself clearer on this for you all... so I'll ask the
question this way... Is there any reason why you should not store an
engine (that runs) in below freezing conditions without any coolant in the
engine? >>
No -- you're fine. Just as long as you didn't flush the system out before
removing your hoses, and thus there's antifreeze in any remaining water, it's
fine. A dry or partly empty system is at least as safe to sit in cold
weather as a full and winterized one. I've drained my Model T every winter
for over 20 years since completing restoration, and since it was designed to
drain thoroughly (draining daily in the winter was common practice back in
the olden days) it's just fine. If there's been rust-inhibited coolant in
there, there'll likely be enough left to hold down any serious rusting over
the winter. A fog of WD-40 wouldn't hurt, if you're worried. I usually (but
not always, depending on laziness) run cooling system anti-rust in the T, and
after all these years, there's no serious rusting going on in there, so I'm
not concerned.
OTOH, I flushed my old turbo LeSabre's cooling system out, and because of
ill-fitting replacement hoses. The flushing had of course removed any
antifreeze, but in the rush I kinda overlooked that fact, and it was early
fall and about 50 degrees when I started. Unfortunately, it wound up sitting
the next day, drained, while I went out of town. The temperature
unexpectedly dropped to 13 degrees, and I was sure I'd frozen my heater core.
Turned out the heater core was OK, but a pool of water had remained in the
engine block and had cracked each deck, so I had to rebuild a perfectly good
engine -- an expensive reminder that modern cooling systems don't always
drain well !!
Good luck !!
-Karl
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