can i mix water and coolant if its the summer?
 

Instead of going and buying coolant, can I just put water in with my coolant?

I wouldnt think it would hurt anything i have a mixed coolant right now mainly water right now cause i leak coolant and dont want to spend the money for more every 3 weeks... but i wouldnt run water if it is cold were your at could cause the block to crack or crack the radiator if it should freeze, and if your not leaking coolant just go out and buy some antifreeze that is what i would suggest.

yah, i'm leaking coolant, or a BHG. I just need this to get me until like, mid may

you blowing white smoke? or you have milky looking oil you your dip stick? if not look under the car for a puddle when you leave.

Sry about the cold climate thing lol i guess i didnt read the whole post.. sry but ya if its not cold i would run water.

As long as you don't mind rust building up in your block.

I guess thats right i had to ask someone but run some anit freeze with the water it should be so bad.

Coolant also raises the boiling point of the water. Just buy some coolant and mix it 50 50. Its cheap compared to a motor rebuild.

I like 70 / 30 .

I don't like buying the premix.

Running straight water is extremely bad. For one rust in your block. Second if its running straight water what happens is the metal surfaces that the water "trys" to cool is so hott that the water doesnt actually take heat away from it because little air bubbles form on the metal surface. So the water never gets a chance to cool off the metal surface. Ill post a link that better describes it than my jargon. Coolant basically helps cool the block more than straight water. You will most likely overheat.

Watch this little video

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_c...coolantFlash=1


BTW nice to see another wisconsin boy.

Tap water is not meant for use in an engines cooling system. Tap water contains many chemicals like chlorine and flouride, and metals like copper and zinc that are found naturally in tap water depending on where you live. These compounds will damage your cooling system. Plus all of these impurities raise the freezing point and lower the boiling point of the water.

Whenever you mix antifreeze with water you must use distilled water. There are not many people that do this practice and it shows by all the radiator failures and water pump failures I see almost everyday.

Distilled water is the only water you can put in your cooling system. They sell it at any large chain supermarket. I use poland spring distilled water, its only $1.50 a gallon with no tax.

As far as mixtures go, 70/30 is really pushing your luck in the summer months. You are lowering your boiling point with that mixture. The only time you need that concentration is if you live up near the arctic circle where temps constantly stay below 0 degrees F. After 80% antifreeze concentration, the mixture's boiling point actually begins to lower dramaticly. A 100% antifreeze concentration will cause your engine to overheat, it's been proven. A 50/50 mixture provides the highest boiling point out of any mixture percentage. Even at 60/40 the boiling point is lower than at 50/50.

Thanks for the tips guys! I guess i just won't be a lazy ass and i'll make it to the store for some 50/50. Nice to see another milwaukee guy!

I meant 70% coolant. 30% water. Is this still wrong. I agree with the distilled water. There just aren't many people that take that time. I am guilty of not always doing it myself.

How can 70/30 be bad when they sell 50/50 ?? I also use high dollar antifreeze. I don't use the cheap chit main.

That is what XX/XX means= Coolant%/water%.

Like I said, you don't need 70/30 unless it stays below 0 degrees F, not 0 degrees C, 0 degrees F which is -18 degrees C. Doesn't get that cold in the US. You are lowering your boiling point with 70% coolant/30% water mixture.

I only use prestone for any make/model and distilled.

I thought I knew what I was talking about now I am just confused.

So I am mixing it too rich is what you are saying?
I have always been under the impression that it was best to use straight, no mix.

Especially in the winter.

50/50 is the best mixure to use in the summer or the winter. Not 100/0 (all coolant). Not 0/100 (all water). Not 70/30. Even if it was 0 degrees F outside and you ran 100% coolant your engine would still overheat. This is not my opinion, its a proven fact.

Did you get that crank pulley off yet?

exactly, i described exactly why in my previous post.

Alright good to go. 50/50 it is.


Starter in. Crank pulley off. Waiting on the correct idle tensioner pulley. I thought it looked different but wasn't sure. Car is still up on the floor jack, I'll be back in the garage tonight. lol. I guess I can let the car down.

Coolant mixture raising boiling tempurature?
 

I'm not sure how accurate previous statements have been about how ethylene glycol is what raises the boiling tempurature. In fact, the radiator cap is what raises the boiling tempurature of the fluid. All that coolant/anti-freeze does is lower the freezing point and provide anti-corrosive agents to the mixture. I believe that the formula for your boiling point of the cooling system is for every 1 psi your radiator cap is rated to equals 3 degrees farenheit higher boiling point tempurature. So, since Supra radiator caps are manufacturer specified at 13 psi, that would equal a total boiling point of (straight water, 50/50, 70/30), whatever you're using to around 255 degrees farenheit.

I dissagree. The mixture definately plays a part in the boiling point. Think about it. If he was running straight water, his boiling point would be 100 deg. celcius indefinately. No questions asked, that IS what it would be.

I'm sorry but that is a false statement.. water will boil at 100 degrees celcius, true. But why do you put the radiator cap on? the radiator cap raises the boiling tempurature. The ethlyene glycol has nothing to do with boiling point only anti-corrosion inhibitors and freezing point. This will work 100% guarenteed if you try it on your vehicle. You could replace all the coolant with straight water. bring the engine to operating tempurature and the water would not boil and 100 degrees celcius, yes it will rust your block no doubt but it would not boil until higher than 100 degrees C

OK Mr. Technical you wanna get technical? Just putting a radiator cap on your car doesn't raise the boiling point. Do you know why? I didn't see it in any of your posts. Its because the cooling system is pressurized, not just because you have a radiator cap. A radiator cap doesn't pressurize the coolant, the water pump does. The radiator cap regulates this pressure. When you pressurize a liquid the boiling point raises.

Here we go again with false statements from someone with no experience in this topic.

Yes, ethlyene glycol has ALOT to do with the boiling point. It raises the boiling point of water significantly as much as 276 degrees F at about a 60/40 concentration. But too much ethlyene glycol WILL lower the boiling point. I was a little inaccurate in one of my statements. The % when too much ethlyene glycol will start to lower the boiling point is 80% and above, and running 100% ethlyene glycol WILL cause you engine to overheat. I have the graph to prove it but I'll leave that to Mr. Nickleye. :)

But here is an excerpt "Customers are strongly advised to consult with their engine manufacturer before exceeding the 67% ethlyene glycol concentration. Heat exchange properties are significantly different at higher concentrations. Ethlyene glycol concentrations above 67% are counterproductive and are not recommended."

That last part right there you talk about. Is described in detail with video and all in that link i posted back on page 1 i think.

I just watched that video. Very informative. Boiling points and a liquid's heat transfer abilities are 2 different things. Like it said, water is the best coolant on earth.

I like how it showed what temp that SB chevy with aluminum heads ran at 7200rpm. With 50/50 it was 228F. With 50/50 and water wetter it dropped to 220F. Straight water was 220F. And straight water with water wetter was 208F.

I've heard of water wetter before and actually used it in my supra before my BHG. But I totally forgot about it and now that I saw that video I think I'm going to start using it again.

Yea watter wetter is good stuff. Im juust about done putting that new jasper engine in. Just gotta hook up the fuel and vac lines (FUN). Ill prolly run the wetter when its done (hopefully today pff).

maybe mr. nickeleye could step and inform us on the actual facts of the cooling system and what affects boiling points directly.. i would hate to misinform others.. is it the radiator cap or the ethylene glycol that affects the boiling point. thanks

My experience, and more so, my research, has indicated that they both have good effects on raising the 'boiling point'.

Each pound of cap pressure raises the boiling point 3.25-degrees X cap pressure. So, if you're running a 15-lb. cap, then you've effectively raised the boiling point of your system 48.75-degrees or up to 260.75-degrees.

http://www.innerauto.com/Automotive_..._Pressure_Cap/

http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/66/0c044c66.asp

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/cooli.../aa081101a.htm

And all you never really wanted to know:
http://www.jcna.com/library/tech/tech0011.html