Looking for opinions on a product I heard about called Water Wetter??? Has anyone used it? Are there any advantages?

Thanks in advance.

J.P.

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1969 Camaro RS/SS 350

It's a cooling system additive that enhances the heat transfer ability of your anti-freeze. Having said that, it's a waste of money. You should make sure your cooling system is up to snuff in which case everything works fine as it is.

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Rick Dorion
69 RS Conv,355,M20,4.10's

If you live in a climate where freezing protection is necessary then anti-freeze is the way to go. Just follow the manufactures directions.

If freezing is not a concern then using distilled water with either a water soluble oil or Prestone anti-corrosion inhibitor is the best.

There is no better fluid to transfer heat than water.


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The Red Beast http://www.geocities.com/casanoc

[This message has been edited by CarlC (edited 07-13-2001).]

Anti-freeze is a good idea regardless - it not only depresses the freezing point substantially, it also raises the boiling point (as does the slight pressure the system is under). And it provides good corrosion protection to the cooling system components, as well as lubrication for the water pump seal. Water Wetter contains a wetting agent that reduces water's cohesiveness (it's tendency to cling to itself - bead-up - and not "wet" the surface). By doing this, it SLIGHTLY increases the heat transfer to the water, as Rick said. Its value is questionable, and to remove the anti-freeze from the system would be a mistake.

Rick's right - if the slight margin of protection that stuff provides is necessary, you've got other cooling system problems you should be taking care of.

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Huck
355 SBC powered '87 Chrysler Conquest TSi - 10.3:1, Vortec heads, XE 268H cam, HEI, eq. length shorties, Performer RPM intake, 750 Edelbrock (1407), T-5 and 3.54:1 posi indep. rear

Thanks for the info guys, I'll reconsider.

Don't forget that a 50-50 mix of antifreeze not only provides all the water pump seal lubrication and corrosion protection your system requires (priced a new radiator lately? changed a heater core lately?), but also it won't boil (and puke on the ground) until it reaches 265 degrees. The difference in heat transfer thermal efficiency between plain water and 50-50 antifreeze is minimal at best, and if a 265-degree boiling point isn't enough, there are other far more serious problems than coolant type. Nothing beats a complete stock, fully operational cooling system. "Band-Aids" like "Water-Wetter" just postpone the inevitable - it may help reduce bubble formation where the coolant touches the hot wall of a coolant passage, but it's still the radiator that has to transfer the heat to the air, and a typical old scaly radiator is about 50% as efficient in transferring heat as a new one. With a radiator in GOOD condition and ALL the original elements of the stock cooling system in place and functioning properly (radiator seals, shroud, fan, clutch, etc.), the stock cooling system will do the job. If you add more engine, that's more heat rejection to the coolant, and you may need more radiator - leave the rest of the system in place, as it all has to work together as a system (like it was designed and developed to do). When you start removing parts of the system (like shrouds, fans and clutches, for instance), the efficiency of the "system" is drastically reduced, and (surprise!), you have "cooling problems", which keep outfits like Griffin, Be-Cool, Spal, and Flex-A-Lite in business selling fancy stuff that doesn't work as well as the stock complete cooling system did originally.

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JohnZ
'69 Z28 Fathom Green

Thanks JohnZ,

That's my problem though, my all stock 24 gal/min radiator, new water pump, new heater core, 160 degree thermostat, new stock hoses, stock non thermostat fan make the temp creep up when stopped at a light. As soon as I start moving the temperature comes right down.

The motor is a 350 bored 30 over with a stock cam with less than 200 miles on the rebuild. I'm hoping it just needs to break in.



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1969 Camaro RS/SS 350