Water or Antifreeze mix

[///CRISS]

I did a little searching and I couldn't find what i was looking for technically.

Other than the obvious answers tell me your opinion on why you choose to use all water instead of antifreeze/water mix 50/50.

I was wondering how healthy it is to just use water in your coolant systems.
I thought antifreeze was good for corrosion and lubrication (waterpump) etc.

What are your thoughts?


TIA!

[chutrain]

Personally I would stick the the antifreeze/water mix. As you know, the antifreeze prevents corresion and helps lubricate. Also for those in colder climates (obviously not pertaining to you Criss) it helps prevent freezing and it will also have a higher boiling point.

The only logical application for just water would probably be race/track cars. Everything is closely monitored and checked.

[///CRISS]

So,
Since moving to SoCal where the thermostat is set to 75 most of the time no chance of freezing I met a few guys running water. I'm looking to see why its bad or good technically. Good point about the boiling point. (I almost forgot)

I run the 50/50 deal (originally from the east coast)

[///CRISS]

Bump

[Bruce]

The only reason to run straight water is on track only cars. The anitfreeze will help prevent corrosion.

[Az in Oz]

Gustave has a good write-up on th subject. Under myths and misconceptions...more myths.
don't know how to post the link :idea:

Aaron

[Dougy Fresh]

I use mostly water and redlines water wetter and a little bit of coolant(about 2 quarts) operating temps a little past the 1/4 mark even on 100deg days. No problems with water pump, radiator or thermostat. water wetter lubricates the cooling system just as glycol coolant does. The only downfall of water which I don't see being a problem is the potential for rust, I doubt that any rust will occur with the lubrication/anti corrosion properties of water wetter, and some coolant.

However you need the freezing protection of glycol coolants if the temperatures in your area are very low. You can still use water wetter and it would be better to use closer to a 50/50 water/glycol coolant mix.

here is gustaves write up on water wetter http://www.e30m3performance.com/myth...ter_wetter.htm

[///schwartzman]

Criss, there are pros and cons with running 100% H2O:
Pros:
It dissipates heat quicker than any mix and out here we need that. Secondly distilled H2O is cheap.

Cons:
Obviously with a cast iron block it will cause rust. Moreover the water boiling point will occur faster without the glycol mix. Water alone causes electrolysis between itself and the headcausing pothole sized pitting in the head not so much in the block but especially when there is a poor ground.

I'm using an 80/20 mix until I rebuild then I am going to Evans waterless coolant it runs a little hotter so the fan will be on more but there's no cavitation (bubbling), the boiling point is much higher 375+ (which you'll never see), it's non-corrosive, they say it's a lifetime coolant (min 5 years) you can use a 0-7psi cap (lower pressure) so the hoses & syst. are under less stress... downside it's $30 a bottle so @$90 to fill the system.

[///CRISS]

Interesting. Maybe you can give me more info tomorrow.

[M3 Mitch]

You can certainly run distilled water with for example Water Wetter with corrosion inhibitor, water has a higher heat capacity and greater heat transfer rates, and in So Cal you have no freezing problems. However under some conditions your A/C could freeze the water inside your heater core, that would suck.

Track cars use plain water to keep the (slick) glycol off the track in the case of a coolng system rupture or shunt.

For street use, honestly I think the best thing is a gallon of BMW coolant (approx. $20) and a gallon of distilled water to mix with it. Tried and true. The $20 for the spec antifreeze changed every 2 years gets lost in the "weeds" of your other expenses ( FFS it's less than $1 per month!) If you are having cooling issues and your system is clean and holding proper pressure, if you drive out to Death Valley a lot, you might go to something more like 60% water 40% antifreeze (keep about 1/5 of the gallon of antifreeze in the jug, make up the difference with distilled water.

Whatever you do, only drain the cooling system with the car stone cold. Particularly aluminum head/iron block engines can warp the head if drained when hot/warm.

I am always beating the drum for distilled water, too. How bad your tap water is, honestly, I don't know. For example in most of Louisiana the well water is pretty soft and is probably OK. But like a buck for the distilled water is super cheap insurance, like a nickel a month if you run the mix for 2 years. Working in the nuclear industry for many years, I can say that water purity matters, and high-purity water does help control corrosion.

But at the end of the day, it's a free country, run whatever you want to.

[///CRISS]

Thanks for the feedback Mitch.
Its much appreciated!
I'm definitely not considering the all water solution, but I was wondering about it a lot since I've met a few people running it here in SoCal.
I run 50/50 always have and probably always will. I used to flush it once a year when i worked in a shop, but now I guess I'll have to wait a little longer.