Super A water or antifreeze

We have a 51 and a 54 Super A. Is it ok to use antifreeze in them? We just use water as they don't have water pumps (have to drain it in the winter). I was always told by my Dad it needs to boil the water to circulate it through the system and that using antifreeze would damage the engine since it has to run much hotter to circulate it properly. I would like to hear more about using antifreeze though as I'm tired of draining them every November and filling them in the spring. Plus it's always nice to teach the old man that he's been doing it the wrong way for the last 50+ years!

ive got three without a water pump theres been anti freeze in then for twenty plus years plus the the rust inhibitor does help keep them a little cleaner .In this case the old man as you say is dead wrong just my 2 pennies worth

Antifreeze is OK but you need to premix it before filling the radiator. Since antifreeze is heavier than water, it will be very difficult to get it to mix without a water pump.

Temperature difference between the engine and radiator makes the coolant circulate, but it does not need to boil to circulate.

Antifreeze is a good thing, but it's wise to premix it in a thermosiphon system, especially on a tractor that doesn't work hard. Once mixed with water, it will stay mixed, but it would take a good bit of thermosiphon circulation to mix it up right if you put it in separately. Better to mix it in jugs before you put it in.

Another advantage to anti-freeze (apart from the annual filling and draining exercises) is the anti-corrosive properties. Before switching over, you might want to consider givin' your tractors a good hot run with washing soda mixed into your water. It would mean draining first, but it might be worth the effort. Mix two pounds of washing soda into three gallons of water. Stir it up well so that the soda dissolves and is suspended in the water. Dump it all into the radiator, top it off with water and give the tractor a good hot run. Maybe even let it cool down in between and give it a couple or three hot runs. Drain it after it cools a little (head still warm but not uncomfortable to touch). You'll get a lot of brown crud out when you drain it, especially on a tractor that's been running water and then left dry in the winter. You'll have cleaner surfaces inside, which can only help the anti-freeze with the cooling part of its job.

Gentleman Farmer: The problem you speak of had nothing to do with damage to engine or the fact the engine was thermosyphon. The problem was non pressurized system and the alcohol would evaporate from older antifreezes. Once the alcohol evaporated you no longer had antifreeze. It may still do that to some degree, however I think improvements in newer antifreezes have helped the problem. Indirectly I suppose it was damage to engine, as the alcohol evaporated, one no longer had antifreeze, thus the reason we see so many SA with cracked block repairs behind the carb.

Your 1954 Super A would not fall in the above catergory, as all Super A tractors after serial number 336711 in mid 1953 had factory pressurized radiators. You still need to premix the solution.

It may still be a problem in non pressurized, as I do hear folks commenting about adding antifreeze to bring the solution up to strength. My Super A is pressurized and up here we mix everything for -40F. It will hold that antifreeze solution strength at least 10 years, without adding antifreeze. Beyond that I've always drained it and filled with new product.

Ethylene glycol antifreeze does funny things to some nice nice new paint jobs. Don't spill it on the paint and be sure you don't have leaks, if that's an important issue. Also, antifreze will leak out of small holes that water can't find.

Old timer also told me that water will make the A run cooler. When I worked HVAC we were taught that water alone was the most efficient for heat transfer. Not my opinions, just information.