Hey all.  First, Merry Christmas!  Hope all are doing well and enjoying the holidays.

I have a question im hoping you guys can help with.  Car is a 56 sunliner, 292.  Around thanksgiving, i pulled the radiator and harmonic balancer.  I sent the balancer off to damper dr. and had a small leak in the rad fixed.  How i have all the parts back, and its awfully bloody cold out there!  So my question is whether or not i have to worry about rust buildup, etc. in the cooling passages if i dont put the rad back in until the spring?  Coolant was a decent mix, so im not too worried about freezing, more about gunk buildup in the block (should i be owrried about freezing?) How about the front oil seal drying out with the damper out?

I know these probably seem like silly questions to many, but i tend to worry about little stuff like this and really value the input of those who know far more than I!

Thanks in advance!

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL

I don't think you'll have to worry about it.  If it stays below freezing, water won't be able to condense and cold air is dry air.  Just block the passages so no critters or other stuff can get in. 


Lawrenceville, GA

The motor I have on stand has a heat lamp shining on it from the bottomside 24/7, and a heating blanket on top 10 hours a day.  Yeah I worry about winter condensate a lot too.

Mike, located in the Siskiyou mountains, Southern, OR 292 powered 1946 Ford 1/2 ton, '62 Mercury Meteor, '55 Country Squire (parting out), '64 Falcon, '54 Ford 600 tractor.

If you had just water in the block previously, I would be careful about the lower part of the block freezing. Sometimes it is near impossible to get all the water out. If the mixture you had in it was antifreeze/water, then you should be ok.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Thanks guys for the replies.  Sorry i wasnt clearer - the block had antifreeze/water mix in it prior to draining.  My only concern is whether the block would start to rust/gunk up from the inside, etc.  Sounds like it should be ok for a few months?  You guys may have just saved me from frostbite!  Thanks!

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL