I know the standard practice is a 50/50 mix of water and coolant, but if you use distilled water, can you run just water? will the car run hotter or cooler? Might be a dumb question, but i really dont know... i just blew a hose and filled the system with water instead of antifreeze and think maybe that was a bad idea.. i planon adding coolant in the fall... or should i do it now?

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I just spoke with several people (HotrodSRJ-here) and Stewart components...

Basically, water is a better fluid for heat transfer, therefore more efficient at cooling than antifreeze. The pressure of the automotive cooling system is under pressure, so the boiling point of even water is increased above the usual 212 degrees (I forget, but I think its somewhere in the range of 240+ with a 15 lbs radiator cap...).

The coolant is needed for anti-freeze protection if the car will see those type of temps...

You might need to add an anti-corrosion additive (which is available and also contained in most anti-freeze/coolants...).

I have heard that Redline Water Wetter now contains anti-corrosive stuff.

I plan on running distilled water and one bottle of Water Wetter, possibly a sacraficial anode and maybe a small bottle of prestone anti-corrosion. I just changed my water pump, but there was still a water coolant mix in the block...

Try here:

http://www.stewartcomponents.com/html/forum/default.asp

Or use the search function this forum.

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"Once you go RAT, you never go back..."
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Tony
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Aside from cold weather protection, a mixture of antifreeze and water should be used if you have air as well to keep it from freezing up. At least that's what the guy said that I ordered my Vintage Air setup from. Installation starts Tuesday...can't wait!

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TC Gold #92/ACES #1709
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You can get by OK with just some corrosion inhibitor in the water until approaching freeze-up time. Prestone sells some. The stuff seems to me to be just soluble oil like machine shops use in some of their cutting fluids. Big profit for Prestone? That's all I ever used during the years I lived in the tropics where a cold night in the dead of winter might be 80 deg. F. I think distilled water is a better idea than tap water.

There are several issues with respect to cooling system parameters. You want the coolant to do several things.

1. Carry as much heat (btus) as possible.
2. Offer freezing protection
3. Offer boiling protection
4. Offer corrosion protection
5. Offer acid formation protection (this is especially true for systems with any dissimilar metals ...iron vs aluminum)
6. Offer some longivity in operation.

The use of distilled water is ONLY recommended. Tap water will do in a pinch with little harm if any. Very hard water or very soft water is a no no.

The use of pure water WILL RUST YOUR BLOCK AND CORRODE THE ALUMINUM PARTS. WaterWetter is NOT a stable anticorrosive but is a great surfactant and additive to use. Use another anti-corrosive product. I use some antifreeze (ethylene Glycol)....about 20% to keep acidity down. This is important....whereas acidic coolant will enable electro-displacement of reactive metals such as aluminum.

So, my recommendation is 20% antifreeze, water wetter (one bottle only...this is not about more is better...in fact can harm the gaskets), distilled water only, Prestone anti corrosive additive....and lot's of fun.

Check out my cooling forum for more info at www.inccn.net/techforum.htm (http://www.inccn.net/techforum.htm)

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Steve Jack
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[This message has been edited by HOTRODSRJ (edited 07-20-2002).]

DON'T run water without a corrosion inhibiter.....

I bought a car at auction with a SBC installed. I fought with an overheating problem in it for months, trying everything... new radiator, different fans, dual radiators, tall (Burp) tank on intake, AARGH!!!! It still burns me up to remember all that I went through.......

Finally, I just pulled the engine apart.

Someone had ran straight water in the car, and the water jacket in the block had about seven 'curtains' of rust, running top to bottom, preventing any water from circulating through it.

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