Antifreeze in engine block??!!&*

[gary randall]

Forumites,
While starting up an A4 that had not been run in a couple of years, I discovered that the former owner had filled the crankcase with antifreeze as part of a "winterization."
I've never heard of this technique, but I have to admit that I am somewhat of an amateur in these things.
Assuming that it was a mistake on the previous owner's part,
I pumped it out, filled it with fresh 30-weight oil, cranked it over with the battery and pumped that out and filled it with fresh oil. Now I plan to run it till it gets up to about 150 degrees, then drain the oil again and add some more fresh oil.
After that I plan to keep a close eye on the color and consistency of the fresh oil and may change it over regardless after a couple of hours of running time?
So, first of all, is replacing the oil in the crankcase with antifreeze a valid techinque?
And second, assuming that it is not, are three rounds of fresh oil enough to get the stuff out of all the nooks and crannies?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Gary Randall

[hanleyclifford]

"Winterizing" a crankcase with antifreeze is a new one on me. Fifty years of working on engines and I'm still learning. Is it possible that the engine is antifreeze cooled and there is a compromise in the block somewhere? Not to be a doomsayer, but keep an eye on your coolant level as well as the oil - hoping they don't get "hooked up".

[Al Schober]

Naah,
The crankcase is for oil, not water. The oil doesn't freeze, and hence doesn't need 'anti-freeze'.
I'd say three rounds of fresh oil, assuming you're sucking the old stuff from the bottom of the crankcase, are more than enough. The idea is to get rid of the water, which is a lousy lubricant and can cause corrosion of stuff you don't want corroded (crankshaft journals).
Keep an eye on your lubricant. As long as it looks like oil (even a little dirty) I think you're OK. If it looks like a milkshake, then you still have water.
If you still have water, let us know how you're pumping out the crankcase - we may be able to suggest a better technique.

Al

[lat 64]

Is your engine fresh-water-cooled? is there antifreeze in the cooling system too?
It seems like the PO just goofed up. two or three oil changes should do it. The question is not getting all the drops out; it will evaporate in good time when it get nice and hot. The question is: did the antifreeze do any damage to the engine?
I think your biggest concern is rust from the water component in the antifreeze. It could have evaporated from the oil pan and condensed on the upper parts sortof like a booze still. I've seen this in a car radiator when is sits for a while.

Nice duck Hanley.
cheers,
Russ