water wetter

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   It got a little warm the other day and while waiting on fast food hamburgers the water temp gauge went to 210 degrees. I know it's going to get hotter since I took off the electric fan and installed a air conditioning condensor in front of the radiator. Sooooo, I went to NAPA, got a 160 degree thermostat, drained the anti freeze and used straight water with Red Line Water Wetter in the car.
   The question is, has anyone used this product with only straight water, also, what were your observations. Jim
   The Red Line company states this product works better with straight water.

[4banger]

I used this product and did not see absoultly no effect. I use a 180 thermostat that griffin recommends with a electric pusher and a mechanical fan and shrould. 50/50 anti-freeze mix. The temp hasn't went past 183. With the 160, you are not letting the water cool down in the the rad. Basically the therm. is staying open all the time.

[JimNolan]

4banger,
    If I could use an electric fan I wouldn't be asking if anyone has experience with Red Lion Water Wetter. Did you use this product with straight water. The 180 degree thermostat is open just as long as a 160 degree thermostat given the engine will maintain 160 degrees while moving. Mine does. The thermostat doesn't regulate excessive heat, only maintains a given operating temp if the heat generated from the engine hasn't brought the water temp past operating limits already.
    This company declares that using straight water would bring excessive heat ( not maintained heat ) down by 8 degrees, using this product with 50/50 mix would not bring it down any farther. Using this product with straight water would bring it down 28 degrees.
     I'm only interested in excessive temps, not maintained temps. An example would be when sitting for 30 minutes at idle the temp using straight water went to 210 degrees. I poured a bottle of water wetter in the radiator and now the temp only goes up to 190 degrees in 30 minutes. etc.
    I thoughly understand the the engine cylinders need to be maintained above 160 degrees for peak operating efficiency. I'd rather run below peak efficiency and not damage my heads and head gaskets with engine overheating while sitting in traffic. I'd rather help the person sitting beside the road with engine overheating problems than be that person. Jim
 

[KidKourier]

Jim,  I'm running a 272 c.i. (4-barrel,cam ,alum.manifold,headers) and air conditioning, I was running a 160 thermostat and switched to a 180 and back to a 160.The only thing that the 180 did was let the coolant reach 210  quicker then the 160 in slow traffic or idling for long periods! I'm also running a condenser in front of the radiator with a puller electric fan on backside of radiator.I tried the WaterWetter from Redline but with a 50% mix of water/coolant,didn't help much from reaching 210.I haven't tried it with straight water yet ,but as I said, the 180 thermostat let me get to 210 quicker so that's why I put the 160 back in. I'm about ready to go to a Griffin aluminum radiator and see if that helps with keeping the temp. around 190 with the air on!   "Kid"

[JimNolan]

Kid,
   That helps. I'll let you know what I find using just water. I hated draining all the anti freeze  ( lubrication and rust prevention ) but I wanted to see if I could get the 20 extra degrees they claim. I've not experienced overheating with the air conditioner yet but last year I melted my plastic radiator shroud that I was so proud of at the Gulf Coast Cruise. If you want to test your cooling system, try going from Biloxi to the Collisium during the swap meet. The anti freeze will help keep the coolant from boiling but 220 degrees is still 220 degrees. It's hot.
   You, apparently are thinking on the same line as me. The 160 degree thermostat will give me more time. May not be much time but it's still more time. I did go back to the 14 lb pressure cap to help the boiling point. If it don't blow my partitioned radiator apart again, I'll keep it. If it does bust the seams again my radiator man said he'd take the partitions out.
   As a point of interest, the aluminum radiator built with the same specifications and tube size of a copper radiator isn't suppose to transfer heat as well. Jim

[4banger]

Yes I used it with straight water. That is what you are suppose to do. I wouldn't waste another 9 bucks or so again. If it is so great, then just run all wetter water.

[JPotter57]

Water wetter has additives that keep water from attacking aluminum components. Straight water is the best for cooling, but water is corrosive.  The dissimilar metals (iron block, aluminum water pump, intake, heads, etc) aggravate the problem.  Water Wetter keeps the corrosion from happening, plus, helps to keep it cooler.  I ran it in my stroker motor, had aluminum water pump, heads, intake and radiator.  I never got above 195, except at Cruisin the Coast, when it hit 205 sitting in traffic.  Once I got moving again, it dropped back down to 185 or so.  If I had used a shroud on that car it would have never heated up, even when idling in traffic.  So yeah, WW is good stuff, but not a cure for inadequate cooling system.  I used a hi volume Weiand water pump, and Griffin aluminum radiator.  At first, my water pump diameter was small, and not turning the pump fast enough, coupled with one of those pointed blade fans.  Looked cool, but didnt cool.  When I swapped to a small water pump pulley and put a real, hi-rpm flex fan on it, it never gave me any problems..Even when hot-lapping at the drag strip.

[JimNolan]

Kid,
   With 85 degree weather and straight water plus water wetter and 160 degree thermostat, I run 160 while on the road. I stop and 4 minutes later I'm at 180 degrees. I let it idle for 20 minutes (total idle time) and it went to around 210 degrees. The climb from 160 to 200 was a steady increase, the climb from 200-210 took longer. Once it got to 210 it wanted to stay there. I increased the rpm and it actually dropped a few degrees. I'm not happy with the results but I don't know what else I can do to improve it. I've experimented with everything from radiators and shrouds to fan spacing, pully diameters and fan pitch. The only real cure has been the electric fan (which I don't have room for now).
   The next bright idea I've been pondering is unlatching the hood and letting it open to the safety catch position. It's apparent my cooling system works with adequate air flow. Soooo, I'll see how much more airflow I can get with my car idling with the hood closed and then the hood open. Putting crepe paper on the grill should show me something.
   Do I think water wetter helped me. Ain't got a clue but all the experts (and I use that term loosely) say that straight water and a rust preventitive is the best coolant to transfer heat.  Jim

[JimNolan]

Gang,
   I cut up strips of kleenex tissue and taped them to the grill of my car. Some wider and heavier than others. I let the engine idle and watched the tissue as the air being pulled through the radiator made the kleenex extend into the air. I then opened the hood and observed the tissue again. With the hood open there is a remarkable difference in the tissues extention into the airstream. I'll do an idle test next to determine to what extent this increased airflow has actually helped me.
   If it does help reduce engine temp during an extended idle, I'll figure out a way of affixing the hood partially open without being unsafe at road speed conditions. I could use it for places like the Gulf Coast Cruise and after I'm out of traffic I can remove the device and continue normally. Jim

[JimNolan]

Gang,
   Well, testings over. With hood open and engine already at 180 from previous running. This is the results.
   It took 7 minutes to get to 200 degrees, it took another 10 minutes to get to 210. It stabilized at 210 with no increase observed.
   There was no noticable difference in the time/rate of heat increase or the maximum coolant temp reached by opening the hood.
   The one good thing I learned was that the temp didn't go above 210 degrees in 25 minutes. That's still not Gulf Coast Cruise adequate though. Jim

[shopratwoody]

Jim,
Have you ever given thought to trying one of the tanks that goes on where your
thermostat housing bolts on. It looks like you might have room. It seems you have
tried everything else. I guess it must be fan if the electric one cured it.
I hate those kind of problems. Mine gets to 205 ideling for an hr. I'm going to make a
shroud someday
Ron

[JimNolan]

Ron,
   The only things I've got left are different radiators, high flow water pumps and electric fans. If I overheat at Gulfport this year, I'll probably try one or all of these things.  I'm not too upset with 210 degrees if that's all it goes to though.  Jim

[Ford Blue blood]

AIR FLOW>>>>>AIR FLOW>>>>>>AIR FLOW.  If it cools off running down the road and heats up sitting there is only one cause.  The heat load on the engine is larger while moving the car.  More heat is generated under load as the engine has to push the car.  The car moving puts more air through the radiator.

Check with Walker Radiator in Memphis, they have a fan/shroud combo that comes in a couple of different sizes that may fit over the radiator.  There is at least one more supplier that has a similar rig but their name escapes me at the moment.

[FORDNUT]

I agree 100%. More coolant,moving it faster,changing mix,etc, will not cure a low/slow air flow problem.