This subject came up recently. Everyone has a different opinion. Any real experts out there? 100% antifreeze or 50/50, which one runs cooler and advantages/disadvantages of either if any?

Originally posted by dafr3333:
This subject came up recently. Everyone has a different opinion. Any real experts out there? 100% antifreeze or 50/50, which one runs cooler and advantages/disadvantages of either if any? If anyone gave you the opinion that 100% anti-freeze is the way to go then I would not hang out with that guy in the shop. Anti-freeze does not dissipate heat as well as plain distilled water. Anti-freeze helps to lubricate your cooling system, keep rust from forming, and prevent freezing in your cooling system in low temp. climates. I run cooler temps on plain distilled water, prestone anti-rust and a bottle of water wetter then I do with anti-freeze and water mix, but alas, I am in California and in an area where we dont see sub freezing weather.

So, IMO and from what I have personally gathered from experience, here and books - Straight water will have better heat dissipation and cool better then a mix but you may be compromising seals, cause mineral deposits (if not using distilled), eventually have rust deposits, etc. If you do not atleast run water wetter (for lube and heat) and some form of anti-rust additive.

Read - http://www.inccn.net/techforum.htm

From our resident expert HotRodSr's homepage. Very good info.

Well I just came from the auto store and a guy there used to work for "Prestone". He said 50/50 is the way to go, in fact, 100% antifreeze actually will freeze at 32 degrees jsut like water. Mixing them prevents that. Also the last reply had alot of good points in it as well

I don't know as there is any big debate...facts are:

100% antifreeze is no good for anything, except getting rid of pesky animals that like to linger around the house.

67:33 gives maximum freeze protection

50:50 is considered a good all-around mix

Any lower ratio of antifreeze substantially reduces the concentration of the corrosion inhibitive additives package which may mean more frequent change-out intervals, However, the lower the concentration of AF, the (slightly) better the thermal transfer of heat to and from the coolant.

You just have to decide where to run your system.

Actually the "optimum" or "perfect" mix for cooling, corrosion protection, boiling protection, is 35% ethylene glycol and the balance distilled water. Add a surfactant and corrosion inhibitor such as Purple Ice or Waterwetter. This will only protect you northern boys to about 0 degrees tho, so in the winter I would drain a gallon and bring it to a 40/60 mix if you are in that temperate zone.

This combination above will protect just about anything to over 275 degrees (vapor points), will carry/transfer about 16% more heat than a 50/50 mix and adequately maintain a anti-corrosive protection and correct PH levels.

Here is a chart to back up what some have offered in so far as antifreeze proportions.

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/images/680.jpg