I actually forgo water based coolant altogether. I run Evans coolant Engine Cooling Systems I've run it in my built VW motor for 4 years, and been running it in the Cooper S for 2 years now.. my coolant temps are about 8 - 12 degrees cooler in the peak of summer than when I was running regular coolant.
I would think what ever you add to DI water will neutralize the water to whatever degree is available from the added product. But how do you know it is back in balance? Perhaps it is easy - I do not know, perhaps a knowledgeable person can add some perceptive thought.
Well, Evans is certainly not for me. I want my engine to run as cool as possible, I have no desire for a 230F thermostat.
I did a little searching and satisfied myself the use of deionized water is good for use in the cooling system when mixed with anti-freeze. Here are some links on this subject. Automotive lubricants: Antifreeze / coolants - Canada Texaco/Havoline Coolants: Find Your Best Coolant PEAK Frequently Asked Questions http://www.greatlakesoil.com/products/2124-data.pdf
You can get the same results as water wetter with dish washing soap. A little squirt will do. Detergent breaks up the surface tension. That is the reason it works. Redline water wetter has other things in it that protect the system. Distilled water, and de-ionized water are both acidic. You need something to protect the system from the acidic water, and the battery chemistry of different metals in the system. Race cars run distilled water and inhibitors. Water wetter has the advantage of helping the heat transfer. Water is the best fluid for heat transfer. The Evan cool product has a very high boiling point, and the advantage is in some engines the water can boil in the cylinder head. Heat transfer stops if the water is not in contact with the surface. Evans had a research contract with GM at one time. In the early 90s a Corvette engine was made with a reverse cooling system. The coolant went in the heads first. That engine was the result of the work Evans did. Evans had a Trans-Am car that used a very small radiator and there coolant. The engine ran at close to 300 degrees if I remember correctly. The small radiator worked because heat transfer is a function of the temperature difference between the coolant and the air.
Sorry.... my post should have said distilled, not DI. Where I live a lot of water suppliers mix in well water with very high calcium content... That's bad. You want very clean water to prevent heat-insulating barriers from forming. Almost any large grocery store carries distilled water. But DI or distilled, mix it with stuff and you don't have to worry about the pH.... Matt
Do you feel comfortable with the so called "lifetime" claim? I was considering this product sometime ago but I know no one who has actually used it.
OK, since I am lazy and the MINI does not have a valve at the bottom of the radiator, or a cap at the top....... 1. I just put a small diameter hose in the overflow canister and siphoned it dry. 2. Add half bottle of Redline Water Wetter, about 6 oz. 3. Filled to the max line with distilled water, about 28 oz. 4. Coolant upgrade complete. A little math sez I am now running 41.5% antifreeze. Still a little higher than I would prefer. It is an improvement, and close enough given my easy way to drain some of the old mix.
Realistically I do not think ANYONE should take a lifetime claim on any coolant as gospel. I intend to change it in the MINI every 2 years - the VW less often as it is only a weekend car now every 3 years).
Moved the posts about the thermostat to http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper-s/3499-r53-thermostat-location.html
In most places in Canada, you need anti-freeze in your car as coolant. Mission Raceway, near Vancouver BC, holds public track days and dragstrip days in the summer. The restriction on the dragstrip portion of the track is no anti-freeze because the stuff eats up the dragstrip surface. So water-wetter is what most people put in their cars for those days. It works well as a temporary coolant for such places where anti-freeze pretty well manditory for street use and banned for certain events.
Water Wetter-Too Good At Her Job? :cornutardon me for bringing an old thread back to life but I have a question that didn't occur to me until my water pump went out at 52Kmi:mad2:.(with a considerable amount of rust coming out of the water pump inspection hole) Margi(08 R56 MCS/JCW 6sd manual) had 'Water Wetter' in her coolant(MINI factory coolant/water ratio/mixture) since I added it when I bought her new. Now: 1.If 'Water Wetter' acts like a surfactant to decrease the surface tension of the water, then: 2.Would the water pump shaft seal be easily compromised(water surface tension helps the seal accomplish it's mission of keeping the bearing dry and rust free) leading to early water pump failure? I'd just really like to know what y'all think BEFORE I put 'Water Wetter' back into her system:idea:.I'd appreciate y'all's comments. Jason
Jason if your car was running fine without it & not overheating I don't see a need for it. Being in Texas I'm sure the cooling system in your MINI is working harder than the one in mine. My advice would be once you replace the water pump put fresh coolant in & see how it goes. Add water wetter if you need it. Jason what you've said here ^ makes sense. How common are water pump failures on R56's?
:cornut:Thanks. The new water pump has approx 1kmi now, water and antifreeze mix and no problems however, the 106F of July and August aren't here yet.. I don't know how common this is in R56's. To get that info we'd probably need to prevail upon Nathan's computer skills and many MINI contacts. Thanks Again, Jason