Running just Redline Water Wetter and H20 summer

[cadfaeltex]

Read a lot about Redline products since coming onto this forum. When I got some SL-1 fuel system cleaner I got some Water Wetter on impulse since it was also Redline and close by on the shelf. However, when I read on here (and then search the whole www) I read that it sometimes has a bad reaction with some antifreeze. Have no idea what is in the new old car so I won't just add it in to that.

I do plan at some point to drain the cooling system and put in some new coolant.

Here's what I was thinking. If I drain the system, put in the Water Wetter with distilled water, and then run it for the summer. Then when I have time in the fall I could change the hoses, drain the system again, and put in the antifreeze of my choice. Of course, it I have time now I could drain, replace, water wetter and then just drain and antifreeze in the fall.

Any pro's or con's to one way or the other? Should I just chunk the Water Wetter and not risk it sludging my system?

 

[renegade_987]

Whatever floats your boat, lol, I don't think it would hurt anything, I would rather run with at least some coolant in it.

 

[Trav]

Coolant also raises the boiling point,i would definitely run it.

 

[tenderloin]

For years all my vehicles work and personal I use water wetter added to 1 gal anti freeze. Helps out a tad in summer, enough coolant for our climate in winter.

 

[229]

Should I just chunk the Water Wetter and not risk it sludging my system?[/quote]

Yes. I don't know what vehicle you have. I would run G-05 or Toyota coolant.

 

[MolaKule]

Coolants also contains anti-oxidants, anti-corrosion and metal inhibitors that pure water does not.

Elevated temps, pressures, and dissimilar metals in an engine cause wierd things to happen to pure water.

Then you have a minute amount of combustion gases getting past head gaskets over time to cause water acidity.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Coolants also contains anti-oxidants, anti-corrosion and metal inhibitors that pure water does not.

Elevated temps, pressures, and dissimilar metals in an engine cause wierd things to happen to pure water.

Then you have a minute amount of combustion gases getting past head gaskets over time to cause water acidity.


+1 - run the water/coolant mix.

While pure H2O has a higher specific heat than Ethylene glycol - your engine needs the boiling point increase and all the additive protection that coolant offers.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about pure water but water with Water Wetter. However, I think I'll forgo that idea and run a more traditional coolant.

 

[wiswind]

Redline Water Wetter was designed for use in pure water cooling systems, as required by racing applications.
Coolant, when spilled onto a track, causes a slippery condition.....not good for drive fast turn left applications.
If you read the chart on the bottle, it shows a major increase in temperature transfer between the water and metal in the water only application.
The same chart shows a slight improvement when used with coolant.
Unless you are running beyond the capacity of your cooling system (design or some problem that has developed), you will not see your motor running cooler with/without this product as the thermostat will regulate the coolant temperature.
Actual head temperature might differ, but that would take some advanced measuring that is not built into passenger vehicles (temperature monitoring is of coolant temperature).

I recall reading the Redline indicated that the stuff you see separate out of the Redline Water Wetter in systems with coolant is not harmful to the system....and will re-mix when the coolant gets hot.
What we tend to see is this stuff that separates out.....building up in the overflow bottle.....and it does look nasty.

At the same time I read this (someplace on THIS website) the recommendation to avoid this separation was to use the Water Wetter that is for Diesel engines.....as it is designed to be used in coolant, not pure water.
The Diesel Water Wetter was purple in color.......and harder to locate.

However, my advice would be to contact Redline through their website and see what they have to say.
They seem to be very responsive to questions and they would be a better source of information than I am.

 

[Scott_Tucker]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Coolants also contains anti-oxidants, anti-corrosion and metal inhibitors that pure water does not.

Elevated temps, pressures, and dissimilar metals in an engine cause weird things to happen to pure water.

Then you have a minute amount of combustion gases getting past head gaskets over time to cause water acidity.


Water Wetter has all the additives of coolant but none of the ethylene glycol, which is the antifreeze part. It will protect your system against corrosion, etc. just like coolant. It is also a surfactant and prevents the formation of large bubbles during boiling which helps keep the engine cool.

 

[johnsmellsalot]

First of all, you shouldn't need Water Wetter if your cooling system is properly maintained.

Second, you should always use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze. Do not use straight up water, even if it's distilled. Using 100% water will rust out your engine.

Flushing a cooling system every fall is a waste of money and highly unnecessary. Also, the hoses do not need to be changed unless they are brittle, have cracks, have soft spots, or they are swelling.

Just follow your owners manual. It tells you everything you need to know about your cooling system. Most additives are unnecessary and can potentially cause damage to your engine.

 

[Shannow]

If you can run without antifreeze for freezing problems, then you can probably run water wetter for corrosion protection etc. at the same time.

Bear in mind, almost no thermostat controlled street application benefits from it.

 

[Boss302fan]

WW is a waste of money if your coolant system has been properly maintained. I know because I have used it in many old and new cars and it did NOTHING to improve the cooling system of any of my cars.

 

[Shannow]

If you've got a thermostat, you won't see a thing in a street driver...you don't measure metal temps.

 

[azsynthetic]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
If you've got a thermostat, you won't see a thing in a street driver...you don't measure metal temps.


Totally false. I can add Water Wetter to any factory stock vehicle here in Phoenix and see a drop in temperature. It might not be much on some vehicles but there will be a drop in temp. Phoenix temperature was 117F over the weekend and everything will help. If you are looking at an idiot gauge you might not see a thing different, but a Scan Gauge will tell a different story. And don't get me started on the thermostat controlling the engine temperature story again.

 

[Shannow]

Controlling coolant temperature is my statement IIRC