Water wetter for summer only driving?

[SecondMonkey]

I'm going to flush the radiator in my jeep for the summer....and I'm thinking, no green stuff due to the fact that water alone does a better job of cooling. (no worries about freezing)

The problem of course, water rusts. How about if I use a bottle of Redline Water Wetter, and a bottle of Prestone "super radiator anti-rust"? Both products claim to reduce rust and scale, and with only water my engine should run a lot cooler. Do you think those things alone are enough to protect my cooling system? Or are they both worthless scams?

 

[MarkC]

I think you should nix the idea of water only + some additive, and use some coolant of your choice at a 50-70% solution...like recommended.

 

[bruce381]

water wetter addditve will improve heat transfer equals more cooling BUT an antifreeze coolant will raise boiling temp so depending if system is in good shape water wetter will help if system has clogged radiator then an antifreeze maybe better,
bruce

 

[SecondMonkey]

Hmmm...I didn't think about the boiling temp, so yeah, I'll have to use a little antifreeze, but I won't go higher than 25%. Do you think that + water wetter is ok or should I add the Prestone stuff too?

The "Recommended" mix of 50/50 is designed as a compromose to work well in winter and summer. Decreasing it in the summer in a mild climate like mine should be fine, since 50/50 is designed to work to below zero temps.

Plus, what kind of place would this board be if we didn't do stuff that wasn't recommended by the manufacturer.

 

[55Test]

Skip the Prestone and instead buy some deionized water to fill your cooling system with. Redline recommends 15 percent minimum antifreeze mix for street driven vehicles.

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: 55
Skip the Prestone and instead buy some deionized water to fill your cooling system with.


Hmmm...I'm guessing that prevents rust...but how?

 

[Big Jim]

Originally Posted By: SecondMonkey
Hmmm...I didn't think about the boiling temp, so yeah, I'll have to use a little antifreeze, but I won't go higher than 25%. Do you think that + water wetter is ok or should I add the Prestone stuff too?

The "Recommended" mix of 50/50 is designed as a compromose to work well in winter and summer. Decreasing it in the summer in a mild climate like mine should be fine, since 50/50 is designed to work to below zero temps.

Plus, what kind of place would this board be if we didn't do stuff that wasn't recommended by the manufacturer.

I can't tell you haw many cars I have seen in the shops I have worked in that thought water was better than anti-freeze. All needed EXTENSIVE cooling system repairs.

Your thinking hasn't applied to cars since the days of the Model T.

50/50 is NOT a compromise for summer/winter. 50/50 is needed to provide anti-corrosion benefits, anti-boil benefits (raised boiling point), and anti-freeze benefits. A richer mixture (up to 70/30 coolant/water) provides more cold weather protection.

But hey, It's your car. Treat it how you feel is best. Don't come crying to us when you find a rust pot when you remove the radiator cap.

Forget about the snake oil additives too.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Water Wetter is also supposed to lubricate your water pump as well.

 

[LexusAussie]

I have actually just done this exact thing. I used 50/50 Water/Prestone and 1 Bottle Water Wetter.

As commented by others, 50/50 is recommended by pretty much everyone

 

[Craig in Canada]

50/50 is normal but I thought I read somewhere that 30% antifreeze was sufficient for lubrication and corrosion protection if that provided enough freeze/boil protection. That's probably as far as I'd go in a street-application vehicle. It will certainly transfer heat better than 50/50.

I had a 1992 Porsche with a coolant leak the first summer I owned it. Until I could get around to it I was topping up with distilled water. When it was replaced with 50/50 I noticed many differences in coolant temperature characteristics in giving ambient and driving conditions. The diluted 50/50 transferred heat noticeably better. I wasn't adding very much coolant, and there was no visible dilution, so it wasn't like I had watered it down to 10/90 or anything extreme.

50/50 + Waterwetter did not equal the heat transfer of the diluted mixture either.

I've had Waterwetter form brown snot when using with G48 in my current vehicle. I don't think I will ever be using it again.

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: Big Jim
I can't tell you haw many cars I have seen in the shops I have worked in that thought water was better than anti-freeze. All needed EXTENSIVE cooling system repairs.


There is a HUGE difference between just water and 25% antifreeze + water wetter...both protect from corrosion.

And yes, it is a fact - water alone IS better. The only problem is the possibility of rust - thus the addition of other additives.

 

[Tempest]

I have over 100K on nothing but 50/50 here in the scorching Vegas summers with a stock cooling system with not one case of overheating or even coming close. This includes going over mountains at highway speeds. I'm not sure why you think you need to go this route for your car in the Oregon summers?

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
I'm not sure why you think you need to go this route for your car in the Oregon summers?


Because I drive a POS old Jeep with an undersized radiator and I like the A/C...every little bit helps.

My old '77 Chevy pickup with a 454 always ran at 180 with a very dirty cooling system...but it had a HUGE radiator to make up for it.

 

[Drew99GT]

Go buy a bigger rad from a junk yard. Problem solved.

 

[SecondMonkey]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Go buy a bigger rad from a junk yard. Problem solved.


Shall I duct tape it to the roof? The reason the radiator is small is because the cooling system is a bad design. It barely works from the factory...

 

[Drew99GT]

OK then, ask questions, and mock the answers you get.

I remember a buddy of mine who had an overheating Cherokee and he got a 3 (or maybe it was 2 core) core rad from some other kind of Jeep and it fixed the problem.

Or, run water and water wetter and boil over constantly - before you start getting pin hole leaks from corrosion.

 

[LexusAussie]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
OK then, ask questions, and mock the answers you get.

I remember a buddy of mine who had an overheating Cherokee and he got a 3 (or maybe it was 2 core) core rad from some other kind of Jeep and it fixed the problem.

Or, run water and water wetter and boil over constantly - before you start getting pin hole leaks from corrosion.


Drew99GT - the additional information in your second post probably clarified what you meant for SecondMonkey. I also probably would have replied to your first post as he did but would have replied differently if the information from your 2nd post has been included with your 1st post.

 

[Kestas]

The pinhole leaks from running water are a combination of corrosion and erosion from nucleant boiling. Raising the boiling point of coolant by mixing antifreeze into the water and raising the pressure reduces the incidence of nucleant boiling, which can get violent - especially in the water pump suction side circuit.

Even though diluting the water with antifreeze reduces thermal transfer properties of the mix (antifreeze has roughly 50% thermal trasfer compared with water), keeping the fluid in contact with the water jacket surface increases heat transfer immensely over allowing the coolant to vaporize.

 

[BarkerMan]

Also a product called Kookit from LubeGuard helps with all that.
Keep the antifreeze under 50% and over 40% with one bottle of Koolit, drain and refill every 2 years, don't need to flush.

Forget 5 year coolant changes or lifetime coolant if you keep your car beyond the warranty.

 

[carlprop]

Originally Posted By: BarkerMan
Also a product called Kookit from LubeGuard helps with all that.
Keep the antifreeze under 50% and over 40% with one bottle of Koolit, drain and refill every 2 years, don't need to flush.

Forget 5 year coolant changes or lifetime coolant if you keep your car beyond the warranty.


Not that many postings on this product. It claims 5-7 degrees temperature reduction using 50% water to antifreeze ratio and 20 degrees cooler using straight water. I'm using this now for the first time. However, I don't notice my temperature gauge showing lower temperatures. I guess I need to wait until the weather turns hot to tell.