Frozen radiator
Hi David
You really need to get it in out of the cold and thaw it out,

Check for ice pushing core plugs out of the block, also check for expansion
splits in hoses,,radiator,, heater core,, water pump,,by pass hose,, etc,,
The reason the fan belt broke , is the water pump has frozen and the belt
skidded in the pulley until it melted,
Didn't you hear or smell the belt in distress,  ??
Lets hope you haven't done some serious ice expansion damage,

If you can't get it indoors or under cover with somekind of heater,
then start the engine as it is ,, run it for 60 seconds,, switch off ,, 3-4
min's start and run for another 60 sec's,, and , so on,,  eventually engine
heat will defrost it slowly, this method should only be used as a last
resort,
I would hire one of those hot air blower type heaters and defrost it slowly,
if it survives without any damage (but I doubt it) then add at least 2
litres of anti-freeze
and a new belt, then run engine with heater valve open to allow anti-freeze
to enter heater,
Good Luck
Fitzy

Taffy" <mini.mad@rhondda.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bs24re$2cs$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...

Tried to start my 68 MKII up.  It was quite cold out(below freezing).
Finally with the help of a battery charger it started but the fan belt
melted and broke.  I took off the radiator cap and found that the radiator
is frozen solid.
Have a couple of questions.
Did I ruin anything starting it up, other than the fan belt?
Is there a best way to thaw it out?
Is it normal in the UK to run a radiator in that diluted of a solution?  I
never flushed it out after I brought it over to the states.

Thanks!

David

Well it's normal in the UK to run a radiator with around a third of
anti-freeze in it all year round.  It prevents freezing in the winter and
helps keep the system cool in the summer.  If you can't get your Mini into
the warmth of a garage, then removing the radiator and letting it thaw out
in the bath or similar would be one way of sorting it.  No harm should have
come to the engine as you didn't run it for long.  Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Taffy

David,

When I had my first mini 20+ years ago I had it freeze up 'cause I didn't
put in antifreeze in time. Garaging wasn't an option so I just disconnected
the hoses and used warm water - Not boiling! to thaw it. it took nearly two
weeks to get all the ice out as I had to go to work days and the engine got
to re-freeze each night.

When it was thawed I popped back the expansion plugs and had to replace the
thermostat and its cover. Filled up with water and antifreeze and it started
first time.

I hope you have the same happy result.

Regards,

Joe.

MiniChicago wrote:12/20/03 2:10 PM
I started it up and got out of the car.  I noticed the smoke and ran back to
the car to shut it off.  It melted pretty quick.
In the meantime I put a heating pad on at a low temperature.  It is supposed
to be above freezing for about 36 hours and I hope to thaw it, flush it and
refill it during that time.

Thanks