Coolants (Street)

[SKITTLES]

So I had a quick glance at this thread, and read some replies..

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/351160-alternative-to-engine-coolant/page__pid__5634858#entry5634858

Does that mean that I should put distilled water in my radiator and not coolant?

On the street, does it make a massive difference?

[89CAL]

No no no

They will be talking about outlawing certain coolants in favour of a non glycol based coolant. Use coolant. Theres no reason not to on the street.

That reg is probably to prevent contaminating the track if some part of the cooling system let's go

[SKITTLES]

No no no

They will be talking about outlawing certain coolants in favour of a non glycol based coolant. Use coolant. Theres no reason not to on the street.

That reg is probably to prevent contaminating the track if some part of the cooling system let's go

Ahkay.

I read it in the context that "water has better cooling than coolant".

So coolant with glycol is the best way to go in regards to good cooling?

[89CAL]

Coolant doesnt boil or freeze as easy as water which is why it is used. Tap water is bad for running through your block as it may cause rust/hot spots due to contaminants. Distiller water is usually mixed with concentrate coolant

[.:: GimpS-R34 ::.]

This man Callan.. He knows..

Basically answered it all for you.. Don't use tap water because it contains minerals and added chemicals for safe consumption. But the car does not want this. I use Redline Water Wetter mix with Distilled Water and 30% Glycol Coolant as it's used in street too so it was an anti-freeze/boil included..

If you are on the street and not thrashing your car a bit then just normal coolant will be fine

[mad082]

unless your cooling system is brand new and totally clean running distilled water won't make much difference since most cars cooling systems will have a fair bit of crap in them that will make the water dirty (so to speak).

a lot of people would freak out if you told them you were only running straight water since they forget that the more pressurised water is the higher the boiling point. at 1 bar (which is roughly what most radiator caps are rated at, or 2 bar if you want to be technical and take into account atmospheric pressure) water boils at about 120 degrees so it is more than fine to use.

[Duncan]

spot on....in fact I have seen water temps at 130 with a 1.3 bar cap. Obviously it boils immediately the cap opens.

But anyway.....the bottom line is that the skyline cooling system is reasonable even in a hot climate....so you do not need any more than what the factory specifies (coolant and a 0.9 bar cap). If you have heat problems with the standard setup on the street there is something wrong with the system, and changing coolants will only mask the real issue. Look into cleaning or replacing the radiator, and make sure the water pump is good. Even more important, if you have changed the coolant before it started getting hot make sure it was bled properly.

[mad082]

spot on....in fact I have seen water temps at 130 with a 1.3 bar cap. Obviously it boils immediately the cap opens.

But anyway.....the bottom line is that the skyline cooling system is reasonable even in a hot climate....so you do not need any more than what the factory specifies (coolant and a 0.9 bar cap). If you have heat problems with the standard setup on the street there is something wrong with the system, and changing coolants will only mask the real issue. Look into cleaning or replacing the radiator, and make sure the water pump is good. Even more important, if you have changed the coolant before it started getting hot make sure it was bled properly.

bingo

[REMANIS]

One full bottle of water wetter and distilled water for the win!