Does Redline's Water Wetter work?

[JimF]

I use and recommend it in Mercedes autos. just 'adding' it to your radiator without first;
1) ensuring that your system is clean and has fresh af and water, or
2) measuring the af/water ratio to ensure it's not over 50/50%,

is a waste of time and money.

I keep my ratio at 40/60% (currently 35/75%) and use distilled water plus 1-1/2 bottles of WW. The engine temps stay consistantly at or around 90C with a/c on in traffic.

WW has made 10C difference in most Mercedes autos following the above advice. Tenderloin comments are right one!

Check my Mercedes web page, MENU #17.

 

[outrun]

okay scanning the posts here:\

Thermodynamically speaking heat is a very good things as that is the energy engineers are trying to maximize and conserve to crank out the horses.

The key question is do products such as Water Wetter or PurpleIce...or even Evans NPG (waterless) coolant:

ELIMINATE STEAM "SPOTS" IN THE COOLANT GALLERIES OF THE ENGINE via SOME SORT OF METAL-WATER ADHESION IMPROVEMENT??

Some articles go on to say it is these steam spots that cause advanced corrossion and detonation problems.

RL Water Wetter, RP PurpleIce, and Evans respectively claim there products alter water adhesion.

 

[Gary]

Okay, a subject I have some experience in, hanging around track junkies a lot.

WW reduces the surface tension of water as said, it reduces bubble formation tendency (think soda fizzing) in the head and radiator, therefore promoting faster heat transfer. Coolant provides higher boilover resistance but is a poor heat conductor (think syrup).

Once the t-stat is fully open, that no longer controls engine temp above that point, it is only a matter of conduction/convection out of the block and through the radiator. Generating excess heat while moving at cooling speeds is different from sitting in traffic, I wouldn't run just water daily.

WW is also required vs. coolant at races (recommended for schools) and such because spilled coolant is like oil on the track, whereas water will just evaporate. But you should add water pump lube/anti rust, as WW doesn't provide enough corrosion protection.

Gary
BMWCCA SCCA NASA

[ June 05, 2003, 02:03 AM: Message edited by: Gary ]

 

[unDummy]

Straight from the website:"Red Line WaterWetter® will provide the proper corrosion inhibition for all cooling system metals, including aluminum, cast iron, steel, copper, brass, and lead."

The key word is inhibition. I guess it all boils down to the user, quality of water used, and frequency of maintenance.

When using pure water, PH and conductivity can easily be monitored. Also, starting out with clean distilled H20 vs tap/well water will go a long way in preventing problems.

From Redline website WW benefits:
"Cleans and lubricates water pump seals"
"Reduces rust, corrosion and electrolysis of all metals"
"Provides long term corrosion protection"
"Complexes with hard water to reduce scale"