running a little hot

[brackie1]

well its summer and the same old question arises. How can I make my car run a little cooler. Has any tried Evans waterless coolant. I have been reading about it and it sounds interesting.

[So Cal Mark]

we had a customer bring us a batch of Evans to put in his car. Lots of effort to convert as the system has to be completely water-free first. Since you can't combine Evans with water, future cooling system failures would be an issue. So I'd suggest completely re-furbing the cooling system before you convert. You also need to carry at least a spare gallon with you in case of a roadside event where you need fluid for the cooling system
Now, the customer brought the car back in after we put all new hoses, water pump, rebuilt radiator and Evans in the system. This car also got a rebuilt cylinder head at the same time.
It's been 700 miles since the conversion. We removed the radiator cap and found a mound of gray sludge on the underside of the cap.
Needless to say I'm less than impressed with the stuff

[lglade]

I have Evans coolant in my car now, and Mark is correct about it being expensive (about $180 if you do it yourself which includes the cost of coolant and the water purging fluid) and therefore the need to really get your cooling system up to snuff before making the conversion. It does seem more prone to leaks, so every joint in the system needs to be tight and you should plan to thoroughly flush your system before making the conversion.

But you can still mix Evans with water in an emergency (so you don't have to carry a spare gallon in the trunk). But if you do mix it, you'll lose the anti-corrosion benefits, and you'll have to start all over from scratch by purging all of the water from the system again ($$$).

I like it...no gray sludge yet (knock on wood), and my system seems to run a bit cooler than before, but I can't necessarily attribute that to the new coolant. My old heater core had been bypassed, and I installed a new one, so it may not be the Evans that's letting my system run cooler. I also removed my bumpers at the same time and installed Mark's chin spoiler, so I'm guessing the chin spoiler had the biggest impact on temperature.

Lastly, you can use test strips or a hydrometer to verify that you've purged the system of water. The test strips are pretty worthless, and so I ended up buying a hydrometer on eBay. Evans claims you never have to replace the coolant, so it may save some money in the long run. But I wouldn't count on that; I switched coolants to get water out of the system and hopefully avoid some corrosion.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x322ow1

[Fiatlanta]

Have seen a lot of discussion about this waterless stuff...is it really that huge of an issue on these cars?

[lglade]

Have seen a lot of discussion about this waterless stuff...is it really that huge of an issue on these cars?

If an owner keeps up with scheduled maintenance, then it's probably not a big deal at all. Replacing the heater core and valve was a PITA, and it was clear that the PO had neglected the cooling system. Not only was the heater core and valve showing lots of corrosion, but so were the two heater pipes. So I replaced all of the corroded parts and converted to waterless coolant in the hopes that it would help prevent future corrosion.

But I'm sure that good maintenance with the green stuff is all that's really needed.

[DieselSpider]

I have found that Engine Ice does live up to its claims of providing better heat transfer. On my motorcycle the cooling fan now only needs to run for a few moments when at long stops since I converted to Engine Ice and the temperature gauge stays swings down almost instantly the moment the fan comes on instead of continuing to creep up a bit with the fan running for a few minutes.

Engine Ice is 50/50 premixed with water and they recommend that you do a white vinegar flush of your cooling system before putting it in to gently clean everything up. Engine Ice is also non-toxic so its not a danger to pets if it spills and they drink it.

There is also the option of adding Red Lines Water Wetter to your standard coolant since its also supposed to enhance thermal transfer however I have yet to try it though I have heard many vouch that it also works quite well.

[Dawgme85]

The best thing is to ensure that the cooling system is clean, functioning properly, and is well maintained, including a properly functioning thermostat and radiator cap. If this is the case, most reputable anti freeze formulations will keep the engine operating within the correct temperature range and will include the correct corrosion inhibitors to avoid internal corrosion. Keep it clean, maintain the correct 50-50 ratio, and change the coolant every couple of years for trouble free operation. There is no silver bullet; if the system gets out of whack, somehow, the best thing is to fix the problem correctly to get it healthy once again.

Running an engine too cool can also create problems with the combustion cycle such that less power and/or more deposits are produced. YMMV.

[brackie1]

All great info. Sounds like getting the engine completely flushed is more of a problem than I want to get into. After I posted , I read some additional info that sounded really bad. I think I will pass on it.

[brackie1]

In doing some research I ran across this website that did a comparison study on radiator coolant additives. They tested 3 different brands and the study is interesting. They were able to basically add 1 oz. of additive to 1 quart of coolant and saw a 20 degree drop in temp. If any one is interested the website is www.superstreetonline.com the article is cooling system additives.

[lglade]

All great info. Sounds like getting the engine completely flushed is more of a problem than I want to get into. After I posted , I read some additional info that sounded really bad. I think I will pass on it.

Don't be afraid to flush your cooling system. If you install the "T" fitting in the heater hose, then bleeding the system is relatively easy. And getting your temperature under control needs to start with a clean system.

[KevAndAndi]

What state is your radiator in?

My engine was running slightly hot, and I decided it was time to ditch the original rad. Got an aluminum one and the engine runs considerably cooler.

[RRoller123]

In doing some research I ran across this website that did a comparison study on radiator coolant additives. They tested 3 different brands and the study is interesting. They were able to basically add 1 oz. of additive to 1 quart of coolant and saw a 20 degree drop in temp. If any one is interested the website is http://www.superstreetonline.com the article is cooling system additives.

Great idea, I am going to look into this. A few degrees decrease would be good, especially with the heat we are getting this year up here in New England. Does anyone know of a reason that any of this would be incompatible with our systems? I don't see anything unique to ours that would preclude its use. Thanks for sharing.

Pete

[DieselSpider]

You want the cooling system to run more efficiently without defeating the set temp of the thermostat. The biggest edge police for years have had in chasing down miscreants has been the more efficient cooling systems that they put into Police cars. Better cooling efficiency means more stable engine temps and longevity. A more efficient coolant is not going to override the thermostat.

Flushing the cooling system with a mild white vinegar flush followed by a distilled water flush every 2 years is one of the best ways to keep a water mixed cooling system running effectively. White vinegar is a great cleaner for your cooling system, coffee pot, windows, etc and also works well as a rust remover.

After the flush using a good quality coolant with a wetting agent already in it or adding your own wetting agent can give you an edge if you live in an extremely hot humid climate which challenges cooling systems. As I mentioned before switching to Engine Ice has kept engine operating temps more steady in the operating range and has eliminated large swings in temperatures during long traffic stops which is really great when you drive where roadway temps can hover at 115+ degrees much of the year.

[Fiatlanta]

Only been driving it a couple days, but they've been hot, humid Georgia summer days. Temp has stayed around 190+/-

Previous owner kept pretty good records, which show a radiator job done late last year...not sure if it needs a flush now , but I may end up just doing all the fluids anyway, just to have a known starting point going forward.

[TX82FIAT]

+1 on the cooling system flush every two years. If you flush the system every two years I'm not even sure it needs the vinegar step.