Best coolant for engine??

CombatComProg

New Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2004
What is the best coolant for a daily driver GN or TTA? I was told as long as temperatures aren't freezing that distilled water is the best. Some other people told me never put distilled water in for coolant as it is highly corrosive. Others say half anti-freeze, half distilled or all anti-freeze. What do you all use for best results and longevity?
 
hey dude I would say use a dash or two of antifreeze just good enough to tint the water green and distilled water is fine just make sure you stay on top of maint. of your system. I always use a bottle of Redline Water Wetter it might not look like it but it works.
 
If you're by St Louis, You'll have feezing weather.
I wouldn't chance it. Make sure you run the proper mix to keep from freezing
 
RMI-25 and distilled H2O in the summer. In the winter, open the radiator petcock, drain a gallon, and top off with a gallon of antifreeze. If you're putting the car up for the winter, run it with the heater on until the thermostat cycles a few times to circulate it. Simple enough.

Distilled water, by itself, is a bad deal. It's corrosive, and because it provides no lubrication, it'll take out your water pump in short order.
 
Anti-freeze is not just for freezing weather. It also helps cool the motor along with the lubrcating ability for your water pump. ALWAYS run the corect amout of anti-freeze year around. Its also a good idea to change and flush the radiator it once a year. This helps to keep the electolisous (spelling) down witch is what eats away at the aluminum. The usuall mix after all the fluid is compleatly drained is. Pore in one gallon anti-freeze and fill the rest of the way with water. If you choose to add in an additive like Water Weter then do that before adding the water.

DO NOT mix differant colors of anti-freeze. It will have a ciemacal reaction and it is very aci****. It will eat away your engine parts. If your coolant is green keep it green! If its orange keep it orange! If you want to change to the newer orange coolant then make shure you flush out your system 2 to 3 times before putting in the new coolant! The newer orange anti-freeze is desinged for the all aluminum motors in the new cars. But it dosent last as long as the old stile coolant (green). So if you use it make shure you change it once a year!
 
I've been doing alot of reading about this recently. My old radiator used to have my temps at 225 and up while idling at a light. With the new dual fans from Ramchargers the temp has dropped quite a bit. From what I've read the best mix is distilled water and some kind of coolant additive such as Redline water wetter or 40 below. The next time you go to the auto parts store read the back of some of these products as they give a chart showing temp differences in the mixes. The regular antifreeze/water mix showed around 228 degrees. An antifreeze/water/coolant additive mix yielded temps around 210 or so and the water/coolant additive mix showed about 202 degrees. These might not be exactly right because I'm going from memory but they are close. When I get my radiator replaced I'm going with the water/coolant additive mix with about 15% mix of antifreeze which is what is recommended. JMO.
 
Best coolant is water!

Originally posted by Drop Top
Anti-freeze is not just for freezing weather. It also helps cool the motor along with the lubrcating ability for your water pump. ALWAYS run the corect amout of anti-freeze year around. Its also a good idea to change and flush the radiator it once a year. This helps to keep the electolisous (spelling) down witch is what eats away at the aluminum. .............


Sorry to be so blunt, but this is NOT the best way to protect or provide max cooling for our engines/trans or most others. Having done this in the desert for over 30 years, I can assure you this is one area of expertise I have LOTS of experience and done LOTS of research.

First, water transfers heat from a metal surface much better than antifreeze. So this takes more heat from the engine and disipates it better in the radiator.

Strikeeagle is correct in using RMI and water in the summer for the best protection and to run cooler in the summer. Since we do not have freezing weather here in the winter, we can do without antifreeze ever.

If you are in an area that has winter freeze, add the RMI to it as well. Most a/f has a minimum additive package and it is quickly used up. The white junk you see around the tubes inside the radiator is silicate drop-out from the antifreeze. The RMI will prevent this.

When a cooling system is properly maintained, serviced and uses the proper products, reliability and performance is GREATLY enhanced. A simple flush twice a year will give long life to any cooling system.

As far a recommending RMI-25 as THE radiator additive, this is also as result of many years of experience. This product has been used extensively in the commercial and industrial fields for 30 years. It is the only product I have found that cleans, lubricates, inhibits and conditions the cooling sytem. This is why companies like Cummings, Cat and others use, and recommend it.

Unlike WaterWetter, it will not go corrosive/acidic and prevents electrolysis. For those with aluminum heads, this is the best protection you can give them. As the only additive than cleans while being used, it provides better heat transfer that way, as well as the surficant for breaking down surface tension.

Final note, especially for a race car, do NOT use any antifreeze unless the car is just being stored. It takes only a small amount to contaminate the oil if a head gasket blows. This small amount is enough to ruin bearings. Cars with RMI that were contaminated with a blown head gasket had the oiling system completely flushed are still running good.

For late model vehicles that MUST use "coolant" for warranty reasons,we find the periodic addition of RMI lowers operating temps and keeps the system clean. Antifreeze, which is ethlene-glycol, does not wear out. It does become contaminated and/or the additives go away.
 
Glad you touched on anti-freeze versus water for bearing damage. A few years back I was told, by a few respected Ohio racers, that if you get either in your oil your bearings will suffer. So not to worry about running anti-freeze if you live in cold climates and need freeze protection. Brian
 
Nick,

Right on the money, as usual.

We are subject to freezing conditions up here (and how) and I put my 2 TRs away for the winter. As I reflected, I drain a gallon of the RMI/distilled H2O mix I run in the summer, then add a gallon of anti-freeze, plus another 8 FL OZ of RMI, let it circulate throughout the system for a good while, including the heater core and overflow bottle, then put them to bed for winter.
 
Has anyone tried that waterless coolant ? It look like it works real well with the boiling temperature way above the boiling point of water . And I believe it has lubricant on it for the water pump and it’s bearing .
 
Has anyone tried that waterless coolant ? It look like it works real well with the boiling temperature way above the boiling point of water . And I believe it has lubricant on it for the water pump and it’s bearing .

I tried a product like that in my ex wifes van and it did lower the temp quite a bit.
 
Top