Does anyone know what the best coolant is? Anitfreeze or water? I have read in a magazine that water is better except for winter of course because water supposibly has better conductivity of heat than anitfreeze...can anyone give some opinions please, also, I have heard of people putting ice water in their intercooler when racing, is this effective?
thanx
Ty

 

Water is by far the better coolant, but unfortunately it freezes at a fairly high temperature and has no additives to prevent corrosion from the various metals and heat and cooling cycles the engine goes through, which can cause premature failure of the engine. If an engine could get by with just water, it would definitely be the better coolant.

 

Run a 70% distilled water and 30% antifreeze mixture. Change it once a year and you'll be good to go.

Rich

 

Look into Redline Water Wetter, it supposedly lets you run an 80% water, 20% coolant mix safely.

 

Use Redline Waterwetter, it not only makew teh water pull out more heat, it also has the additives in coolant for lubrication of the water pump and anticorrosives. For winter you can add a small percentage of coolant to prevent freezing. For summer, you really don't need coolant for boil over protection, most of the boil over protection is from a pressurized system, not from the coolant.

 

no, its not effective. Dose your brother let you race his truck ?

 

Living in Florida, I don't worry about freezing, so my Intercooler setups have always been 90/10 water Water wetter.
Works great!

 

LOL... That one always gets me.

Rich

 

no not yet, this is his first year racing his L though too since he just bought it last winter after i finally talked him into one! he is glad i did too. i am going to try to talk him into letting me race it down the strip a few times though

 

More information than most of us will read (but I are a engineer)
http://www.jcna.com/library/tech/tech0011.html

 

Your Kidding...right?

 

Why don't you sum it up for us and save us all ALOT of time
hehe

 

Summary of Results. Water does not cool best. But water with a surfactant(soap) is an excellent coolant.

Given that most drivers are concerned with freeze protection as well as cooling, a 50/50 mix, plus a surfactant(soap, or water wetter) is the best choice.

Regards,
Mark

 

FYI ya'll: Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Rich

 

Well as a person who deals with water all day 200million gal's a day ( I run a water treatment plant)

The problem lies with the corsovieness of water usually Ph is like 7.9-8.5 drinking water and 7.0-7.5 for Di (distillled water)

Straight water will dissapate the heat faster but will break down faster also and will start to leave the mineral content behind wich will clog the cooling passages of the Radiator,Also it will take longer for the water itself after being heated under psi to cool (this is why hot water baseboard in your house is the most efficent due to heat retention)

Next there is no cathodic protection in straight water or in a radiator systems in a car so the straight water will start to eat away what ever gets in its path (this is why the hot water heater in your house eventually goes the annode rod is eaten up and when theres nothing left to eat it eats the tank, The annode is the cathodic protection device)

So I would say run the recommended mix unless you live in a warm climate then lighten it up 10% on the Antifreeze side, But all this in mind you are not going to gain anything substantial and USE DISTILLED WATER

Side note as far as the soap(surfactant) that might help the surface tension of water but will not help in heat transfer or a situation of moving parts under PSI in a closed system especially pumps even if it is a sud free soap- It will cause cavitation wich causes HEAT wich burns up motors & water pumps
The surfactant will take the Oxygen out of the water and make bubbles wich will dissapate the heat no doubt there gonna pop(relasing the trapped heat)but you will burn up a pump

Just read what is in Antifreeze and the what those compounds due that is why it is used (ethl-glycol )sp they help will the conductivity of the water and are corrosion inhibitors
there are just too many variables I could go on for ever and have to stop...
Sorry for the long rant
I could've just said use A/F..lol
Slick