Water Wetter effectiveness?

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Shelby Cobra

I vintage road race a Corvette and thats what we all run in our race cars - distilled water and Water Wetter. No antifreeze/coolant allowed in the cars in case of a spill on the track. It does work.

I think the issue is antifreeze. The Water Wetter packaging says it will work best without any antifreeze, but also says a street engine should run at least 15% glycol in the coolant. If I had an aluminum block/heads/water pump I would run straight water with the Water Wetter, but rust would be an issue for my iron block/heads/water pump.

I know there are radiator additives out there that will control rust...perhaps that is the answer for a street car, straight water, an anti-rust additive, and Water Wetter?

Originally Posted by Jamo

Seems to me that all this means is that you have some other issue going on...probably the shrouding as you say. too many other examples of it working, and it does best only with water. As noted...you can sneak by with it on the track, but you can't use anti-freeze/coolant.

Box stock 5.0? What thermostat? I run a 180 and I run the fan when it gets to about 75-80C...easier to keep something cool when it's already cool.

I've never pulled the thermostat, Jamo...that's next on the list. I suspect it is an 185* unit, as on cool days the coolant temperature never exceeds 185* once the engine is warmed up. Driving in this hot, humid environment, with all the stop 'n' go traffic on the hot multi-lane freeways, HAS to be hard on a cooling system. I notice that once I am up to road speed, not running the fan, that I have to be careful about how closely I follow the vehicle in front of me, and particularly if that vehicle is large and blocks the free airflow into the fishmouth/radiator opening. Once I see the temp hit 200* I switch the fan on, but without the fan I have seen the engine run at 210*-220* on the highway at freeway speeds, even without a large vehicle in front disturbing the airflow into the radiator.

I worry about being stranded with a burst radiator hose once the temp gauge hits 230*....

The shrouding is number one on the list for upgrades during the winter storage season!!!

Cheers! Great discussion about a topic I had planned on posting anyway

Dugly