run straight coolant - NO water

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Can we do this safely? Pros and cons for why and why not please.

Seems like if we stop using water there will be no corrosion issues. Only thing left is heat transfer.

How about that Evan's Waterless Coolant?

slomo
 
Evans has its place, so they claim.

You could run 70% coolant if you think there's something to it, and if your system can shed the heat despite its worse transfer abilities.

If corrosion is bad, are your grounds good or are you somehow getting electrolysis?
 
Water is a better coolant than coolant but coolant provide the ice and corrosion protection.
 
Originally Posted By: racer12306
Water is a better coolant than coolant but coolant provide the ice and corrosion protection.


Yeah, in theory you could run straight water...especially if you live down south where freezing temperatures aren't as much of a concern. I think some used to do that very thing, with a corrosion preventative additive mixed in.
 
Water is the coolant. The antifreeze is best thought of as just an additive to lower the freezing point plus provide some lubrication for the water pump.
 
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Water is the coolant. The antifreeze is best thought of as just an additive to lower the freezing point plus provide some lubrication for the water pump.


+1
 
Originally Posted By: slomo
Who's actually ran on straight coolant?

slomo


I have. No cooling-related failures or issues in my ownership of a 1989 Mazda MX-6.
 
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Water is the coolant. The antifreeze is best thought of as just an additive to lower the freezing point plus provide some lubrication for the water pump.



I think today's coolant is more then just an additive to prevent freezing.

Prestone's mixing advice shows:

50/50 coolant / water = 265F boiling point.
70/30 coolant / water = 276F boiling point.

So if water cooled better then antifreeze, wouldn't more coolant concentrate not do anything for the boiling point?

What really confuses me is Red Line Oil's Water Wetter Super Coolant additive, which states:

50/50 coolant / water = 228F
50/50 coolant / water + water wetter = 220F
water only = 220F
water + water wetter = 202F

So according to these guys, water only is better then 50/50 coolant / water mix.

I don't know who to believe so I run 50/50 mix + Water Wetter for the heck of it.
 
I have too, 1952 Austin A40. No issues, but would never do that on anything newer, plus I think it's not optimal for the water pump seal.
 
The FIRST reactor installed in the SSN Seawolf used liquid sodium as the heat transfer medium. It didn't work out and was replaced.
 
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Well the coolant actually resists heat, so if you run straight coolant the thing may over heat. As the coolant passes by the cylinders in their water jackets, the coolant is supposed to pick up the heat from the combustion process, but coolant resists heat, it's the water that actually removes most of the heat.

I have heard of Evans; there is a nice video on them in Jay Jeno's Garage on youtube...seems like legit stuff.

Personally I'd just use a quality coolant with distilled water...you shouldn't have issues with that if you change it regularly.
 
This, read the label on the coolant. I believe they suggest that 70% (give or take) is the highest concentration of coolant recommended because of the ability to transfer heat to the coolant.

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Don't do it. Straight coolant doesn't transfer heat has well as 50/50 coolant and distilled water.
 
Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
I have too, 1952 Austin A40. No issues, but would never do that on anything newer, plus I think it's not optimal for the water pump seal.


Could you please explain why it might be bad for the seal?

slomo
 
Originally Posted By: slomo
Can we do this safely? Pros and cons for why and why not please.

Seems like if we stop using water there will be no corrosion issues. Only thing left is heat transfer.

How about that Evan's Waterless Coolant?

slomo


Evans Waterless works as advertized (I have a friend who's used it with good success) although IIRC they're up-front about the fact that you don't have quite as much heat rejection capacity. Not normally a problem since most vehicles don't run the cooling system right at the hairy edge of not keeping up with the engine's heat output anyway, but consider carefully for heavy tow rigs, motorhomes, etc.

Don't even think about running 100% coolant with an ordinary coolant, though.
 
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