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Coolant % in a warm/hot climate?

MoparThunder

MoparThunder

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I was wondering what % coolant to water do you use if you live in a warm/hot climate? Also do you use a thermostat? Thanks
 
If you run a 160 thermostat and the engine runs over that......you have NO thermostat, in effect. The coolant is circulating back and forth between the engine and the radiator and does NOT have time enough in the radiator to cool down. A 180 or 195 would change that. The coolant would stay in the radiator longer. Motors run better hotter, they build better power and less chance of sludge and water in your oil when it is hotter too. If you car can't keep it cooled with a 180 or 195 you have other problems you have to look at.
 
Scatpack said:
I use distilled water and hy-per lube super coolant with no antifreeze with thermostat
Click to expand...

Distilled water "YES" but Hyperlube is "snake oil". It is literally soapy water with dye in it. Water Wetter is good, but not with aluminum heads (poor aluminum protection). Lucas & Royal Purple are the exact same formula with different dyes, so use either if you're running aluminum heads.

Now, if your area gets a little bit cold, you can blend "some" antifreeze in with distilled water & still use a bottle of one of the additives listed above. There is a freeze protection vs. % antifreeze chart on the back of many brands of antifreeze (50/50 goes down to -34F). Water Wetter is the most universally compatible additive, fyi

And moes is pretty correct the thermostat. Motors need to get up to about 180F. If you're in the desert, say 110F-120F, I'd run without a thermostat. Otherwise, 180F would be my suggestion
 
I'm running distilled water and just enough conventional green (Autozone) to have it at zero degrees. Living in Pa. you don't want to take a chance. Also I'm useing 180* T stat (440) It took one gallon in a completely empty system.

The more water in the system, the better it cools.
You could use just distilled water and add Water Wetter or Kool It.
20180218_173650.jpg
 
Thanks for all the information. When I lived in PA I did use a % to 0 degrees but now I am in Florida I will still use a 180 but use mostly distilled water. It did get to 26 overnight here a few nights so maybe I should go for a 30 degree %. This is all for the stock, iron headed original engine. For my aluminum headed engine I will go with just water and Royal Purple since I go down the track with it.
 
I go with 50/50 in Ohio for peace of mind. I also think even a little a/f is better than none for heat transfer, don’t know why.
 
I use Royal purple, purple ice. I also use, pure tap water. Our tap water is very soft. This has dropped my water temperature by 20 degrees and a lot less labor on the fans. I also run 190 degrees thermostat as this helps to clear up my idle. I do not run this in the winter. Hope this helps!!! -P
 
MoparThunder said:
Thanks for all the information. When I lived in PA I did use a % to 0 degrees but now I am in Florida I will still use a 180 but use mostly distilled water. It did get to 26 overnight here a few nights so maybe I should go for a 30 degree %. This is all for the stock, iron headed original engine. For my aluminum headed engine I will go with just water and Royal Purple since I go down the track with it.
Click to expand...

Well, water freezes at 32F and since you got down to 26F you NEED a little bit of anti-freeze. Most antifreeze is ethylene glycol & I suggest a little safety margin. This chart suggest you should run about 20%-25% antifreeze (+16F to +10F freeze protection). You should look at freeze point. "Burst Point" is the temperature freezing coolant would rip a hole in a larger steel pipe.
http://www.dynalene.com/v/vspfiles/templates/210/images/template/burstpoint_chart.jpg
burstpoint_chart.jpg
 
One gallon antifreeze, then fill with water.( Oh, do not go lower than 180 on the stat)
 
Like other said, about 1 gallon of green anti freeze then fill it up with distilled water and a bottle or two of Purple Ice/Water Wetter with a 180 thermostat. Dropped my temperature about 6 degrees in the desert.
 
50/50 mix of good old Prestone green and distilled water, 180 stat, correct timing, big fan with thermostatic clutch, and be sure your lower hose has the spring inside. Runs at 190 in 100 degrees with the A/C on
 
you have two conflicting needs
best cooling is 100% water with some water wetter
however corrosion will quickly get any aluminum parts and rust will eventually negate any coolant benefits, steel shim gasket is also toast
no thermostat passes too much coolant as posted above- if no t stat run a washer with various holes in them till you get it right- way too much work except on a race car
to cold a thermostat and the condensation in your oil will soon look like water in the oil- big problem
so 180 degree minimum and quite frankly once a thermostat is open it does not make any difference if it is 180 or 195 or 205 they all open the same
If you are only doing short trips go to the hotter stat- you want to get hot enough to burn off oil contamination
and gas mileage is better with a hotter stat
detonation control is the only reason to run a colder stat and if you need to do this you need to fix the underlying problem
read what TxDon said above, read it again
race car with frequent oil changes is a different answer
 
wyrmrider said:
so 180 degree minimum and quite frankly once a thermostat is open it does not make any difference if it is 180 or 195 or 205 they all open the same
Click to expand...
But they are rarely ever full open so it DOES make a difference.
 
50 50 year round. Distilled. Green coolant. 180 Stant Superstat.
 
wyrmrider said:
so 180 degree minimum and quite frankly once a thermostat is open it does not make any difference if it is 180 or 195 or 205 they all open the same
Click to expand...
Sorry, but that is absolutely incorrect. The thermostat is exactly what it is, it regulates the temperature of the coolant. Which resultantly regulates the amount of heat absorption. Without going into the technicalities of the thermodynamics, Whether you have a 160, 180, or 195 stat ( or, no stat at all) will indeed make a difference.
 
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