Ugh....Frozen Car
Ugh....Frozen Car So I go out into the garage last night to tinker with the car to install more sensors on the intercooler.
Anyhoo, I notice a puddle of water under the radiator. I open the radiator cap and see that I have a green anti-freeze slushy.
It gets cold in the garage, but I didn't think that cold.
Hopefully it just popped the radiator. I didn't see the freeze plugs popped on the block.
I know the freeze plugs are suppose to catch this, but has anybody cracked their LSx block from a freeze?
Anyhoo, I notice a puddle of water under the radiator. I open the radiator cap and see that I have a green anti-freeze slushy.
It gets cold in the garage, but I didn't think that cold.
Hopefully it just popped the radiator. I didn't see the freeze plugs popped on the block.
I know the freeze plugs are suppose to catch this, but has anybody cracked their LSx block from a freeze?
No I haven't cracked a block like that but I did have a problem with Prestone 2 years ago. Same situation however I flushed both of my vehicles that summer and first cold snap both slushed up but didn't crack anything, good luck. I will never use prestone again; I used a hydrometer to get the proper mix it was very little distilled water that I added to the mix.
I put the green stuff in. I figure no use having long-life antifreeze since I pull the radiator out whenever I work on the supercharger etc... 10X easier to get at when you can sit/stand in the engine bay. 
TECH Resident
Joined: Nov 2003
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Dohhh....thanks for making me worry! My truck is 700 miles away in my drafty garage. Well, if it freezes, I can go after the little cross dressing sperm burbing queerboy that designed my HVAC set up. {cough cough Noyzee cough}
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Hit her with the propane heater last night and drained the coolant system. I could see that the radiator is Fubar'd. I'll press the block up this weekend to see if something inside popped.
Yup, I live on the west side of Cranston.
I actually tune for several shops in the area. Eastside used to be one of them. I haven't done any tuning down there for over a year though.
I actually tune for several shops in the area. Eastside used to be one of them. I haven't done any tuning down there for over a year though.
This post makes me worry, I've stored my car for 5 winters in a un-insulated garage and never had a problem. I start it up and let it run for a good 25 minutes or so every 3 weeks or so. Never thought the coolent would freeze, I bet it gets close to single digit degrees in there sometimes.
It got down to the low single digits for a coupe days here. I think that is when mine froze. Most likely my antifreeze solution was just too weak. Oh well, live and learn. Hopefully this lesson only cost me a radiator (one my last stock parts left ) and not my 4100 bore block ( $$$$ )
) and not my 4100 bore block ( $$$$ ) 
That reminds me my car is probably due for a coolant service, 31k and 5ish years. Although I know for sure my DD econo box has over 100k on it and I've never serviced it, talk bout priorities.
Pressure test the block...aluminum is not very forgiving. If the radiator split, I'll be very surprised if the block/heads/gasket mating surfaces aren't damaged....hope that I'm wrong, though. WJ
WJ 