engine coolant additives, redline water wetter etc. 1

[techguru]

Has anyone actually tested any engine coolant addatives out? did you notice any difference in temp from the 10$ bottle? the redline water wetter supposedly makes your coolant transfer more heat etc, but what im wondering is does it actually work, and if so how. they have charts showing a test proving (allegedly) that the product improves heat transfer, but being a skeptic Im looking for some experiences from anyone out there.

http://www.redlineoil.com/redlineoil/wwti.htm

thanks.

 

[evelrod]

PEW---The "Water Wetter" works but is rather pricey but, then again, all the Red Line products are pricey. That changes nothing. The stuff still works as an anti corrosive and is a LOT more convenient to use than WSO.
In an 850cc cooling system, one bottle should be good for several applications, at least 3 or 4. That helps spread the cost. Try ordering from the US ,

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com

http://www.racerpartswholesale.com

or such. It's only about 8 bucks retail over here and I get three fluid changes on my mini. That means that one bottle is good for a years worth of racing (hopefully)!
Obviously not the perfect solution but at some point I just surrender to the "convenience factor".

Rod

 

[PEW]

Thanks, Evelrod,

I will perhaps search some out next time I am in USA. If it's only $8 for 3 shots then it might be worth a try after all.

 

[jons999]

Going off on a little bit of a tangent here but...

Will switching to a lower temperature thermostat actually reduce the operating temp of the engine? It was already stated earlier in this thread that hotter is better, but i see lots of people installing 180 degree t-stats in there vehicles that were designed to run 190 degree t-stats. They think that running it cooler will add more power. But i always thought that the t-stat just controlled the minimum temperature of the engine, once your really running the car hard the t-stat stays open and the temperature of your engine is determined by the efficiency of your radiator, water pump, and coolant. Am i right?

-Jon

 

[evelrod]

Yes, Jon. All that plus, obviously, ambient temp and the engine loading/power output, etc. If the cooling cap of the system is greater than demand then a 'cooler' t stat will lower temp. Most modern systems are sized for max output in Arizona... ;-)

Rod

 

[drwebb]

"sized for max output in Arizona... "

-If one ever notices, that's where most of the auto rags' new model spy photos are taken.

 

[TChronos]

My science project:

Just to be provoctative, I've constructed a little experiment. Try it for yourself.

Tools:

Electric stovetop, heated to max temperature
Aluminum pie pan
Water
Ethlyene Glycol AF
Water Wetter
Dishwashing soap

Procedure:
The first step is to put a pound of room temperature water in the pie pan and place it on the stove. Time how long it takes to boil.

Boiling condition is identified when the solution reaches a plateau temperature. Temps were observed at 15 second intervals, because I was doing this by hand. Temps in degrees F, because that was the thermometer I had handy. I did each test twice, to check my times.

Repeat with a mixture of water/water wetter, water/glycol (50%)/water wetter, water/glycol (50%), water/diswashing soap.

Rationale:

The stovetop represents a hot engine component, the coolant is the coolant, and the air/coolant interface is the radiator. The mass of the pie tin is small enough to be disregarded. The longer the coolant can go without boiling, the more heat it can transfer. Lots of differences between this model and a real cooling system (thanks in advance for pointing them out), but it's just a quick and dirty.

Results:

From best to worst, time is in seconds:
(time, plateau temperature, solution)

180 212 Water/Water Wetter
180 225 Water/Glycol/Water Wetter
165 225 Water/Glycol
150 212 Water/soap
120 212 Water

Test conditions: 70F ambient, elevation 100M,stovetop temp 800F.

Observations:
Water wetter seems to do what they advertise. Put a few drops in a boiling pan of water, and the vapor bubbles disappear, replaced by no bubbles or streams of tiny bubbles. Clearly, more liquid is in contact with the pan.

Diswashing soap was less effective, and foamed a bit. I think that liquid soap is partly water, which may explain it's lack of effectiveness.

Conclusions:

It works in the pan, but can't assume it works in the car. I doubt that observed temperature would change, unless your car was very close to overheating in normal service. But hot spots would probably be reduced or eliminated. We can debate the value, but I can't seen any harm.