Has anyone tried this?

[TStone 10]

I was reading an article about ways to get better cooling for my car. In one article they said running a mixture of distilled water and an additive called "Water Wetter" with NO antifreeze would be more efficient?

[69grandecj 0]

I have not but there are people in my club that use it and they swear by it.

[Trinitys 134]

this will drop you temp...true but if you need to resort to "gimmicks" to keep your car cool....there is a larger problem. if you just want to get it cooler then it's worth a shot. if it's overheating ....i'd investigate

[TStone 10]

this will drop you temp...true but if you need to resort to "gimmicks" to keep your car cool....there is a larger problem. if you just want to get it cooler then it's worth a shot. if it's overheating ....i'd investigate

 

With regular city driving I don't have any problems with overheating - but when I go longer distances (ie: hwy travel) to get to cruises and such, I'm tending to start running the high side of hot. Especially when coming off the freeway then going into a snails crawl for any distance. So i'm just looking for a little extra help.

[Pakrat 1,043]

It should be the opposite, cooler on the highway and hotter in the city. I agree that it is more a band aid then a solution. With a clean scale free apropriate sized radiator, a shroud and a properly positioned fan, the car should run within the operation temperture all on its own.

 

Just as an FYI, alot of people have the misconception that antifreeze is also a coolant but in reality it has a much lower boiling point than just water does. The anti corrosion/freezing properties are the real reason to use it but as a coolant it sucks.

[coz 108]

I have not but there are people in my club that use it and they swear by it.

 

Several buddies (Chevy and GTO) swear by it. I run distilled water and coolant 50/50 - old school but it works. I do agree with the other posters in that coolant is the wrong word. It's anti-corrosion properties is the real bang for the buck since I doubt any of us drive after winter sets in.

 

To cool the engine a bit I swapped out the 192 degree thermostat for a 185. City driving is the only time I even creep close to 200.... and who does city driving in a classic if it can be avoided?

[muhtalicbloo 10]

It should be the opposite, cooler on the highway and hotter in the city. I agree that it is more a band aid then a solution. With a clean scale free apropriate sized radiator, a shroud and a properly positioned fan, the car should run within the operation temperture all on its own.

 

Just as an FYI, alot of people have the misconception that antifreeze is also a coolant but in reality it has a much lower boiling point than just water does. The anti corrosion/freezing properties are the real reason to use it but as a coolant it sucks.

 

 

i agree...for me i'm gtg on the highway but in the mid summer heat here in central IL which avg's around mid 90's or above city driving can kiss my ass. if i'm going to be doing a lot of stop go style driving i wait til the sun is about down. it's just no fun sitting there at the stop light watching that temp guage rise. and btw my motor doesn't have a thermostat lol

[mymach 0]

Water Wetter is very popular in circle track racing, at least at the local level. Tracks don't allow the use of antifreeze (very difficult to clean off of the track surface, and very slick...) so lots of competitors use Water Wetter to aid cooling properties.

[TStone 10]

Ok - maybe I wasn't clear, on the freeway i'm fine, around the city i'm fine, but combine the two and I start running hot. The way most cruises around here are you get off the freeway and you are right into a traffic jam and after a mile of creeping I start runningto the max of normal. I am just looking for some help in my heat disapation.

 

I also have switched to a 160 tstat

[351carlo 10]

Let me share what little knowledge I know as both a hobbyist and engineering student....

 

First, the degree of your thermostat will only affect the temperature at which your car runs in ideal situations. If your car has a sweet spot at 197 degrees, it will continue to run at 197 degrees whether you put a 180, 160, or 195 degree thermostat in it. The reason is that a thermostat only opens or closes, so once the rated temperature is reached the thermostat opens and completes the circuit going to the radiator. Heat is exchanged and the water is recirculated within the motor. I can also tell you from experience that I have a car that likes to run at 195, no matter what. It will run at 195 with a t-stat, without a tstat and with any temp tstat. The only affect that not running a thermostat causes is taking longer to warm up as the heat has to be exchanged with a larger volume of water. The water in a car without a thermostat moves quicker through the motor and gathers less heat, therefore requires less cooling in the radiator. This again is in an ideal cooling situation, some sort of restriction is always suggested as to properly spread the heat throughout the motor. (Running without a thermostat can cause areas of free flowing water...say the front water jackets. By putting restriction on the system you cause the water to flow throughout the block since it takes the path of least resistance)

 

Most causes of overheating are due to inadequate water pumps, poor mixtures (people tend to think 'coolant' or 'antifreeze' has better cooling properties that water, this is simply not true), or some type of air pocket/restriction. Another common reason with cars of our era is poor timing. Timing in the upper RPMs, caused by either too much initial (which throws it in the 40+range with mechanical advance kicked in) or too much vacuum advance, can often cause heating problems on the highway.

 

I personally have done extensive testing on both propylene glycol and ethylene glycol mixtures and found some distinct differences in their cooling. I will use either, but personally prefer propylene glycol as it is less toxic. I also use ethylene though in my Mustang.... so it's up in the air over here. My exact mixture is unknown, but I tend to be heavy on the water and only use the ''coolant'' for its lubricating and anti corrosion properties. I wouldn't run a water pump without SOMETHING to lubricate it.

 

I have not personally had good luck with Water Wetter, although by theory it should work. I would check out your other problems. Fan shrouds are often a MAJOR cause of overheating in traffic for our vehicles... of course on the highway this wont affect you though.

[DragPack69 0]

How long has that radiator been in? I see you have bad winters like me.If your car sits a lot, deposits build up and harden in the tubes. I just had mine cleaned(top tank removed and rodded out the tubes)

used to be fine with every day stop and go, but ran hot on the freeway,

fixed my problem so far.and I`m running a .030 over 428

just my .02

 

John