What is in your radiator?

[SSLance]

What are those of you that track day or autocross your cars regularly running in your radiator?

I know that distilled water with some sort of water wetter is preferred for a couple of different reasons in cars that see track time, but I'm curious how many of you that also drive your cars on the street or live in inclimate weather run an antifreeze mixture in yours?

I have to remove and replace a 30 year old heater core that failed a couple of weeks ago, so I'll have my cooling system open and this got me to thinking what I should do since I plan on several more track days next season. First thing I'm going to do is test my coolant for electrolysis to see if that's what made my heater core fail or if it was just age.

[TheJDMan]

Lance,
Given your temperature in KC right now I suspect you have no choice but to refill with anti-freeze. I'm currently using a NAPA brand extended life 50/50 premix. My first priority is to keep the cooling system from freezing. Track day use is secondary at this point.

[SSLance]

I keep the car in a heated garage, but on the odd chance that something happens or it has to move you are correct for the winter anyway. Some friends of mine that race in Chump went to St Louis a couple of weekends ago and had temps in the mid 20s overnight the first night...and had to put antifreeze in their car.

I remember back in the day the drag strips used to not let you run if you had antifreeze in your system and I've seen what a blown radiator hose and antifreeze does to an autocross track.

I don't think I've ever seen it discussed though in regards to our PT cars and the track days and autocross events we run...

[dale68z]

I run Evans coolant. Believe me, it is slippery.

Non corrosive, low pressure, boils at 375 degrees, run it forever

http://www.evanscooling.com/news-and-events/jay-lenos-garage/

[speedjohnston]

If you dump anti freeze on a track, you will not make any friends that day. Lol (but definitely don't break your block).

[Yelcamino]

I know it's a PITA, but why not run the anti-freeze mix in the cold months and R&R it for water/wetter mix in the warm months?

[GregWeld]

The track days I run ask you NOT to run anti freeze... just distilled water (and some water wetter). Because if you drip or spill on the track anti freeze doesn't just evaporate.

I've run EVANS -- but this creates different issues because you can't have ANY water or anti freeze in the system. Best if this is a "new" build and you're starting from scratch. And IIRC it's very expensive stuff. Then - if you have an issue... on the road or at the track... chances are nobody has any if you need some.

If it was me - figuring that you don't drive this car in the winter (as in it's not a DD)... and it's stored inside... I'd run distilled water and a bare minimum of anti freeze... and one bottle of Water Wetter. Water Wetter is a surfactant... it just makes the water molecules contact more surface area which helps take away more heat. The stuff is pretty effective. Plus you need lube for the pump etc.

Sutton may have some other ideas -- but my guess is anything he was involved with was stored in heated garages. LOL

[Revved]

I run Evans coolant. Believe me, it is slippery.

Non corrosive, low pressure, boils at 375 degrees, run it forever

http://www.evanscooling.com/news-and-events/jay-lenos-garage/


I did a buy in for Evans a few years back when I did that first 1000+ hp Super Snake upgrade that went to Phoenix figuring it could use any little extra cooling I could get. I did two cars with it... one on a fresh motor and radiator... one on an existing engine that I flushed with the prep solution, drained and installed a new radiator. I blew out the heater core on both cars and ran prep solution through it. Both engines had coolant petcocks in the block so they were well drained. Within 6 months both cooling systems looked like murky mud. Nothing thick and chunky like old coolant...just brown and muddy looking. No previous engine or cooling failures on each... coolant that came out of them was in good condition.

I've never used it since. I think I still have some on the shelf and yes at $35ish a gallon its not cheap but a lot of "premium" coolants have come on the market in the last couple years that aren't much cheaper. I think if you buy the BeCool premium coolant in gallon bottles its around $30/gal. I always buy a couple 5 gallon pails when I order a radiator since they discount the shipping.

[SSLance]

I know it's a PITA, but why not run the anti-freeze mix in the cold months and R&R it for water/wetter mix in the warm months?

Well, I was wondering about this but like others have brought up...was concerned about residue left over from one having na effect on the other?

I can't see ever getting a cooling system completely flushed of one or the other.

My complete cooling systems was new and fresh (except the heater core) when I put this engine in 6 years ago and it has never had a cooling issue. The engine will maintain 180 degrees on a 100 degree day, idling in traffic with the AC on with just a 50\50 mix of off the shelf antifreeze.

Here's what made me think of this more than anything, I know people dragging their cars home from OUSCI right now and traveling into sub freezing temps along the way. Is the only option running straight water at OUSCI and then adding antifreeze back to the system for the trip home in the trailer?

It is time for a flush on new coolant though so I'm reviewing my options now. Thanks for all of the input and please keep it coming.

[BMR Sales]

I've spun on AntiFreeze spilled during a Race - pretty scary, as I didn't see it coming. Imagine going through a High Speed Sweeper in a Pack of Cars and suddenly everyone is doing almost identical spins (and nobody hit anything.)

[TheJDMan]

Lance,
Your comment about the cars coming home from OUSCI into cold weather reminded me of an experience I had with my Camaro shortly after I purchased it in 1973. I was attending school in Phoenix at the time and I had filled the radiator with straight water since it never got cold there. I headed home to Kansas for Christmas and by the time I reached Flagstaff the heater was no longer blowing even warm air. I stopped at a service station to find out why and after a quick look around found ice in the radiator. I was able to pull the car into the station's garage where we drained the cooling system and refilled it with proper anti-freeze. I have never run straight water since.

Switching back and forth between water and anti-freeze will be a real pain. Unless there is a specific rule that states I have to run water only, I will stay with the 50/50 pre-mix.