Antifreeze and Bearings

[Lugnut79]

I got in an arguement the other night with my neighbor about green anti-freeze (Ethylene glycol) and how it eats the coating off bearings in a motor if you blow a headgasket or intake gasket and anti freeze gets in the oil. He seems to disagree with me. Does anyone else agree with me or am I wrong? He asked me how long does it take to ruin the bearings then? I said I don't know, all I heard was it can destroy them. Hopefully I'm right so I can show him this thread if someone agrees with me. Otherwise if I'm wrong, he'll never know I started this thread.

[Fast Eddie]

Antifreeze contains glycol. Glycol breaks down at high temperatures
and when it cools back down it forms clumps.

Antifreeze in your motor oil creates a lot of sludge very quickly.
When sludge builds up, the oil strainer gets clogged. The clogged
strainer prevents oil from getting to the motor (oil starvation). You
know that oil acts as a lubricant to the metal parts of your engine.
When there isn't enough oil, you’ll get metal-to-metal contact.

The friction this produces wears down the metal parts. If it gets bad
enough - and hot enough - the moving part will get fused together -the
engine will seize. Once it seizes, you’ll have to rebuild or replace
it.

[veno]

I dont know if I can agree with you on eating bearings.... BUT, the very nature of Ethylene glycol.... Ethylene by its self. is comprised of Carbon, Hydrogen and Chlorine.....

This is from a MSDS site on Ethylene glycol

Strong oxidizing agents. Reacts violently with chlorosulfonic acid, oleum, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid. Causes ignition at room temperature with chromium trioxide, potassium permanganate and sodium peroxide; causes ignition at 212F(100C) with ammonium dichromate, silver chlorate, sodium chloride and uranyl nitrate.

the combustion process makes sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and Phosphoric acid.. that why Engine oil contains calcium as a acid neturalizer.....


and since Ethylene glycol is chlorinated... Hydrochloric acid is a very real possibility.....


Wheather produced in amounts great enouf to do significant damage.. well I dont know... but it would have to be a greater amount that the calcium of the engine oil could adsorb....


REMEMBER the Rolaids commercial? consumes 47 times its weight in excess acid!

Hope this help some

Veno