Looking for user experience with Water Wetter by Redline. Claims to reduce operating temperatures by 20-30 degrees by just adding contents to radiator. Any negatives or risk to GM warranty by using this additive? Thanks.
I'm doing the same to mine after taking the Z out of winter storage next week. I bought my Redline last year and never had a chance to install it but I've heard its great stuff.
Looking for user experience with Water Wetter by Redline. Claims to reduce operating temperatures by 20-30 degrees by just adding contents to radiator. Any negatives or risk to GM warranty by using this additive? Thanks.
Depending on "who" you listen to, Water Wetter doesn't work well when combined with Dex Cool. There are vastly differing opinions on the use of these two together. Apparently it works well with the "green" stuff but there's a controvery about it's usefullness with the "orange" stuff.
Depending on "who" you listen to, Water Wetter doesn't work well when combined with Dex Cool. There are vastly differing opinions on the use of these two together. Apparently it works well with the "green" stuff but there's a controvery about it's usefullness with the "orange" stuff.
Charlie
Redline does come with instructions that it's not to be used with other coolant's. The can is at home and I'll have to post the details later today.
This is why I come here and ask the questions. I can always get the information or guidance I seek. Look forward to getting more comments and valued information. I learn something new everyday about the Z 06.
Cobra4B; does the water wetter reduce your temps by 20 or 30degrees?
Really I don't know because in stop/go traffic commuting the temp is controlled by the fan settings... on track (which I haven't been this year) the temp is regulated by the thermal capacity of the cooling system, this is where the Redline would have an effect.
I drain and re-fill my coolant every 2 years... I just did it a few months ago and added a 180 degree t-stat, a bottle of watter wetter, and had my car dyno tuned w/ lower fan settings.
Really I don't know because in stop/go traffic commuting the temp is controlled by the fan settings... on track (which I haven't been this year) the temp is regulated by the thermal capacity of the cooling system, this is where the Redline would have an effect.
I drain and re-fill my coolant every 2 years... I just did it a few months ago and added a 180 degree t-stat, a bottle of watter wetter, and had my car dyno tuned w/ lower fan settings.
Yeah, unless your cooling system is already working at it's capacity, I don't see how it will do anything. The fans and thermostat regulate temp. If the water is cooler, the thermostat will stay closed until the water heats up to the thermostat set temp., then the car will run the same temp as usual. I assume this is a mod. that's only needed if you race.
When I installed a DRM radiator/oil cooler, I was advised to dump in two bottles of Water Wetter along with the distilled water and Dex. After running at Pueblo last weekend for 20 minutes flat out my oil temps were at 235/237 and water at 210/217. With the OEM radiator, my water temps were in the 260 to 270 range with the oil around or just short of 300.
Yes, the radiator/oil cooler has made a significant difference, but I still feel (irrational I know) that the Water Wetter contributed to that result as well. It's I just, flat, cannot quantify how much.
From what I recall, the temperature drop is reduced by increasing concentration of anitfreeze. It's intended puropose is for cars running water only... if I remember correctly. I ran it with no ill effect in my 96 GS, but because I ran antifreeze in a 50/50 mix, the temp drop was predicted to be faily small. All this information is on bottle.
DYNO TEST RESULTS
Dynomometer tests performed by Malcolm Garrett
Racing Engines showed significant improvements in
coolant temperatures using WaterWetter®. These
tests were performed with a Chevrolet 350 V-8 with a
cast iron block and aluminum cylinder heads. The
thermostat temperature was 160°F. The engine operated
at 7200 rpm for three hours and the stabilized
cooling system temperature was recorded and tabulated
below:
Cooling System Fluid Stabilized Temperature
50% Glycol/ 50% Water 228°F
50/50 with WaterWetter® 220°F
Water 220°F
Water with WaterWetter® 202°F
These numbers are similar to the temperatures
recorded in track use and heavy-duty street use.
Last edited by UstaB-GS549 : 03-14-2006 at 07:40 AM.
Water Wetter does work. I 've used it in a number of older cars, including several Jaguar XKE's I've owned, and it definitely reduces operating temperature.
Water Wetter works by reducing the surface tension of the water/coolant mixture. Some basics -- water is the most efficient coolant you can use in your engine. Water alone will transfer more heat faster than anti-freeze will. The problem with water is that it boils at 212 deg. F. You can increase that temperature somewhat by adding pressure (the pressure cap on your system), but it still boils at a relatively low temperature. The other problem with water is that it is corrosive. Also, it freezes at 32 deg. F. Not good things for cars.
Anti-freeze (usually a glycol compound) does not transfer heat as well as water. Water is better. But Anti-freeze has two properties that make it good for cars. 1. It doesn't freeze until it gets really, really cold (way below freezing for water). 2. It has a much higher boiling point then water. But running pure anti-freeze will not cool the car as well as water does. The other advantage of anti-freeze is that it provides anti-corrosives that protect the metal in the engine.
So, the compromise -- some combination of water and anti-freeze. The water give the best cooling. The anti-freeze protects against freezing, boiling and corrosion.
So where does Water Wetter come in? Any liquid flowing through a system is subject to turbulance. This causes the liquid to detach from the walls of the tubing. When there is a gap between the coolant and the walls, heat transfer is greatly reduced. Water Wetter reduces the surface tension of the liquid, allowing it to maintain contact with the surfaces in the engine and, most importantly, in the tubing in the radiator, to optimize the heat transfer between the liquid and the metal surfaces of the radiator and engine block. Water Wetter also contains anti-corrosion additives, like anti-freeze.
One of the problems with anti-freeze as well is that it is very, very slick when it's on the ground. Some tracks require cars to run only water in their engines, in case a hose lets go. Adding water wetter helps increase the boiling point of the water, adds anti-corrosion protection, and helps the water work most efficiently.
All that said, I'm not that familiar with the properties of DexCool. It's possible that it already reduces the surface tension of the mixture, thus minimizing the impact that Water Wetter might have. I'll see what I can find out on that.
For most cars, the best compromise is a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water, with a bottle of Water Wetter added for good measure. If you want more cooling, and you're not worried about freeze-up in cold weather, you can go as high as 70/30 water to anti-freeze, depending on the anti-freeze, and still get better boiling point and corrosion protection. YMMV, but be sure to read the instructions on the label of your anti-freeze and follow manufacturer recommendations.
Hope that helps explain. NAYYY, just a satisfied customer.
Before I went to Watter Wetter, I emailed a question to Redline. This was 3 years ago. The response was to use approximately 15% DEX, +/- with the water wetter & distilled water. This is due to the low winter temperatures we experience at times and minimal use & storage. I have not had any problems or moments of temps anywhere outside the normal temperature range even during 20 minutes of track time going "my" fastest at Spring Mountain in Pahrump, Nevada.
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