radiator fluid help
 

So I've decided to change out my radiator fluid. I'm thinking about making it a 60/40 distilled water/radiator fluid mix with some royal purple ice or redline watter wetter added in there. Anyone see any problems with these numbers? Any tips? Also, which radiator fluid would you guys recommend me using. Im not planning on using premix.

Also, when changing out the fluid, how much fluid is actually drained? I am wondering how much empty volume there will be for me to occupy because i know some of the fluid remains in the motor.

thanks in advance,
Sam

In warmer climates a lower percent of antifreeze can result in better heat transfer. On the other hand, I've read that having different metals in the rotary engine "stack" makes it susceptible to galvanic corrosion, in which case a higher concentration of corrosion inhibitors would be useful. I'm planning on 50/50 even though it never gets much below freezing here. The water wetter makes sense to me.

You can go with 0 pressure NTP coolant, I made the switch.

Minimum....
 

Fifty/fifty is the absolute minimum concentration you should consider - corrosion rates go skyward below that. :eek:

The "stack" design of the rotary has always had cooling system corrosion problems, if you wanted to make a design that has "issues" you could not do a better job - stack alternating plates of aluminum and iron in a hot electrolyte for a couple of years - destined to corrode, given any little chance!

The watter wetter fluids are designed for use in straight "water only" systems, they will do ZERO in a good antifreeze mix.

S

wow, you post and you learn! :)

I appreciate all the advice. Im guessing ill just stick it out with 50/50 (at least) then. Are there any differences in the radiator fluids? Any particular brands u recommend? As you can probably tell, im not too firmiliar with this aspect of the car. :o

Sam

really? http://www.royalpurple.com/prodsa/prpice.html

I use the Evans NPG+ coolant too. You just have to make sure you flush all the old coolant out. Check out http://www.pineappleracing.com/Prod-EvansNPG.html..... Here is part of what they say on the site......

"Evans NPG+ is a special waterless coolant with a 375 degreeF boiling point at zero psi and does not freeze until -70 degreesF (it contracts and gets 'slushy'; not really freezes). Because it is non-aqueous (no water), corrosion is virtually eliminated and there is no need to change it yearly. In fact, it has been tested for hundreds of thousands of miles with no signs of degradation, according to Evans. While the initial cost is high, compared to ordinary coolant, it is a bargain over the life of the vehicle.

Ordinary coolants operate at the verge of boiling, which puts them at high risk of localized boiling at hot-spots within the engine, even when coolant temps otherwise appear moderate. Any localized boiling interrupts heat transfer and potentially creates a cycle that leads to overheating (hot spot gets hotter and hotter, until it gets out of hand). Ordinary coolants also require the system to be highly pressurized to raise the boiling point to the required operational temperature. This puts stress on all the cooling system (seals, hoses, etc.) and poses an additional risk of a leak that depresurizes the system and drops the boiling point of the coolant below operational temperatures. Evans NPG+ coolant, on the other hand, can be run at zero pressure and has a remarkably high boiling point of 375 degreesF. Because its boiling point is so high, localized boiling is eliminated and overall heat transfer is greatly improved. What you will notice is (1) your vehicle will get up to operational temperature in about half the time, (2) it will then stay right in the optimum temperature zone even when driven well beyond what ordinary coolants could endure."

*** my bad, NPG

Sounds interesting.

Did you switch to a no-pressure system? It's unclear from their info whether or not this is necessary. They say you "can" but not clear on whether or not it's necessary....?

When I did it :

Fully Drain system (includes cranking engine but not running) $0
Refill System with Prestone Pet-Safe Coolant ~$40
Run the car till engine comes up to temp $0
Fully Drain System (includes cranking engine but not running) $0
Let the system air dry over night $0
Fill with NPG+ $$$
Run system with regular radiator cap ( i did for a week ~250miles) $0 + Gas
Cut Spring off radiator cap (making the system zero pressure) $0

The reason they/I say run with the cap for a while is to help get all the air pockets out.

It doesnt really cost that much extra and is far better than normal 50/50 mix!

50/50 is good since distilled water has better coolant properties than anti-freeze (its just there to prevent freezing)