Coolant Flush

[Randalla]

Actually, I'm probably running closer to 50% Prestone anti-freeze, 40% distilled water, and 10% Rislone Hyper Cool. Doc actually suggested using bottled drinking water rather than distilled water saying it had some trace minerals in it with anti-corrosion properties??? Still learning... So far, I don't notice any perceptible difference in temperature with the flush and fresh products.

[cgsheen]

Here I go with my water rant - cuz journeyman plumber...

I dare say that water is THE most caustic solvent on the planet (or devised by man) not only because of it's sheer volume on the planet but it's nasty molecular makeup. It has a HUGE electric affinity and everything that carries an opposite charge wants to stick to it (metals and minerals galore). If we weren't mostly water, we'd think it was the most horrible thing invented. It also has the weird property of requiring a massive amount of energy to change state considering the size of the molecule. So, pure water is such an aggressive solvent that it doesn't stay pure for long.

That's why coolants have "anti-corrosion" additives - which is just "this crap will stick to the water molecules so they won't have any room for the metal of your engine to stick to...". Minerals do the same thing - plug up available space on the water molecule so your engine parts can't. But minerals can also have negative effects inside the cooling system - right? Water can eventually leave them behind as it finds something with even more affinity.

I think all of the antifreeze-coolant manufacturers recommend that you mix with distilled water and I'm sure that they don't use tap water in their pre-mixed fluids. They probably use de-ionized pure water like the semiconductor industry uses. But I say: You do you - choose what works for your engine and lifestyle - just know what you're dealing with.

(here's where I would normally go into the unique and powerful properties of H2O and why it's such an amazing molecule - but you're spared that lecture - Patrick wasn't, poor kid...)

More facts on water and health at CDC.GOV!

[theAngryMarmot]

The nice thing about most additives like water wetter is that they have anti-corrosion and lubricants build in.

Pegasus racing has a nice little write up on the corrosion additives :

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/docum ... =TECH00010

For the last 20 years or so I have ran nothing but distilled / filtered / etc water and an additive like water wetter or similar with no issues. Since I never am anywhere with freezing temps I don't even bother with adding any anti-freeze. I also prefer not to run any antifreeze because the use case for most all my cars is I do track them (Autocross / drag / HPDE) and I don't want to to be "that guy" and slick down the track if I have a coolant leak.

Randy, definitely pick up one of those funnels - it has to be one of the best price vs useful tool values every made. I have seen guys fight with bleeding / filling cooling systems for hours /days and then I come over with the funnel and in 30 minutes it is done.

[Randalla]

Thanks Paul, definitely on my list of must haves.

[Turboman280]

Interesting article on coolant. Makes me wonder if HOAT or SI-OAT coolant might not be good for our old cars as well.

https://blog.fcpeuro.com/how-to-pick-th ... 5657344li0

[Randalla]

That was actually very interesting Carl. Never would have guessed there were so many different types of coolant. I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss. Gives me one more thing to think about.

[AZhitman]

Chuck nailed it - as usual.

[Turboman280]

Chuck's post got me thinking. When I worked for the City they sited a new landfill out in Buckeye. They had well water for dust control, but needed to do something for the crew to wash and drink.

They put in a huge RO treatment system, and they had to permit it with the state as a water treatment facility. In routine testing it failed for metals in the water. Turns out the water was so hungry for molecules that it was stripping the copper pipes in the building. I think in the end they just started using bottled water to drink and marked the rest non potable. (sidetrack: that's what got Flint MI in trouble. They started putting out more acidic water and it leached lead out of old pipes.)

So, that got me thinking about my RO unit, which came with the house we bought 3 years ago. I had been using it as if it were distilled, but maybe it is more acidic? Bonnie had some PH test strips she uses to make soap, so we tested some. It came out between 5 and 6, so slightly acidic. I want to try and find some steam distilled water and test it to see if it differs.

However, I looked up PH of distilled water on the interwebs found that it is 7 (neutral) when distilled, but within 2 hours it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air forms carbonic acid, stabilizing with a 5.8 PH. I'm still going to try and find some real distilled water and test it myself. If it looks closer to 6 than to 5 I will use that in cars.

Lastly, here is the MSDS for water in case you don't believe Chuck about how bad it is.
https://www.fishersci.com/store/msds?pa ... anguage=en