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Draning coolant for a more track frendly mixture

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Old 03-27-2012, 06:13 PM
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Default Draning coolant for a more track frendly mixture

I have a track day next month and i want to drain my coolant and add distilled water with water wetter. how do i get all of it out? iv pulled my radiator several times, but how do i get all of the coolant out of the block and heater core? Would it even matter if some is still in there? sorry if this a newb question
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Old 03-27-2012, 06:59 PM
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Just drain fill, drain, fill with final mixture.
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Old 03-27-2012, 07:46 PM
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After reading the water wetter specs, is there any reason not to just run water and water wetter in a location that never sees freezing temperatures?
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Old 03-27-2012, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by olderguy
After reading the water wetter specs, is there any reason not to just run water and water wetter in a location that never sees freezing temperatures?
I know most racecar guys do this, including me. I fill with anti-freeze in the winter though.
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Old 03-27-2012, 10:16 PM
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You can do this with just the hose, but distilled water is cheap enough.

Get a few gallons of distilled water
Drain your coolant, refill with distilled water
Run your car until the thermostat opens
Drain your coolant, refill with distilled water
Run your car until the thermostat opens
Drain your coolant, refill with your desired mixture
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Old 03-27-2012, 10:46 PM
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Not saying you can't do ^, but who knows what crap is in the city water. Most places I've lived the water is hard as hell. I do not want that stuff in my motor. For the price of distilled water-use it. Unless you're stuck on the side of the road somewhere.
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Old 03-27-2012, 10:46 PM
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Wouldn't the using the garden hose be bad? getting minerals and metals in the system can cause ---- to build up?
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Old 03-28-2012, 02:04 AM
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Distilled water for it being metal ion free is pretty useless, there is "some" metal in the system already and it will not be "distilled" after only a couple of seconds.
Getting water saturated with junk is not the smartest idea but if you worry about buildup, boil it, let it settle and then filter. If distilled because it's convenient (cute bottle or whatever), go for it.

But I'm used to food grade water from the tap, not the brown chunky stuff some need to settle for.

Regarding coolant, what should the pH in the system be? Is there any buffers in WaterWetter (I use a cap of soap as hillbilly equivalent)?
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:55 AM
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Originally Posted by NiklasFalk
Regarding coolant, what should the pH in the system be? Is there any buffers in WaterWetter (I use a cap of soap as hillbilly equivalent)?
Found a collection of info that i find nerdy enught for my taste.
http://www.overclockers.com/pc-water...istry-part-ii/

Tolyltriazole: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/50...triazole_.html for the one who want to mix their own, but how much and in what ratio to the Sodium molybdate... Buying WW cost more but you don't have to think a lot (unless you have problem with the ethers conflicting with hoses or rubber).

Last edited by NiklasFalk; 03-29-2012 at 10:11 AM.
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Old 03-31-2012, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by olderguy
After reading the water wetter specs, is there any reason not to just run water and water wetter in a location that never sees freezing temperatures?
Nope, not really. I still have to add some glycol back to mine generally around October like last year though. Im too lazy to dig it out of the trailer after I get home from the track.

Regarding coolant, what should the pH in the system be? Is there any buffers in WaterWetter (I use a cap of soap as hillbilly equivalent)?
Water (generally speaking) is slightly acidic. Only do you find absolute neutral after very expensive and time consuming processing steps. That said, most the water additives like Water Wetter have some corrosion inhibitors AND surfactants. As a bonus, surfactants tend to be basic, which raises the pH to be slightly basic, and that is desirable. Scaling should be a non-issue as long as you use a surfactant.

<-knows too much about water generation
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Old 03-31-2012, 05:17 PM
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I wouldn't worry about it, just drain what comes out and replace with distilled water + water wetter until the system's full again. A little antifreeze left in the system will guarantee you have some corrosion protection and some lubrication for the water pump.

If your cooling capabilities are so taxed that 10% antifreeze puts you over the edge, then that's the problem you need to address. Better radiator, ducting, reroute, whatever it is you need to do.
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