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[Lizzie_Zoom]

It is obvious that water is both a cooling friend and a corroding enemy to an internal combustion engine.

So, the thought has again ocurred to me; why use water when it can cause so many problems in our engine's??

Now I'm sure many have thought this out before, and I may be missing something here, but could there be an alternative to water? :-/ :-/ :-/

Your thoughts please.

[MikeDundee]

It is obvious that water is both a cooling friend and a corroding enemy to an internal combustion engine.

So, the thought has again ocurred to me; why use water when it can cause so many problems in our engine's??

Now I'm sure many have thought this out before, and I may be missing something here, but could there be an alternative to water? :-/ :-/ :-/

Your thoughts please.

Think thats why the water is mixed with anti-freeze, which also contains anti-corrosion properties. However, I saw a bloke the other day putting straight water into the coolant tank of his astra .....did advise him that it should be mixed, really he said

[nick v6]

It is obvious that water is both a cooling friend and a corroding enemy to an internal combustion engine.

So, the thought has again ocurred to me; why use water when it can cause so many problems in our engine's??

Now I'm sure many have thought this out before, and I may be missing something here, but could there be an alternative to water? :-/ :-/ :-/

Your thoughts please.

orange juice

[Tonka.]

WD40 

[TheBoy]

Water with an antifreeze mix works very well, as long as changed regularly.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Water with an antifreeze mix works very well, as long as changed regularly.

Well yes TB, but it is far from perfect as we all a know with bits of our engines regularly requiring expensive replacement due to the effects of coming into contact with water and corroding even with anti-freeze mixed in. Surely some genius could come up with something a lot better? :-/ :-/ :-/

[Jimbob]

ready mixed antifreeze 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

ready mixed antifreeze 

Does that completely stop corrosion of parts Jimbob? :-/

[JamesV6CDX]

It still contains water - water is fine as long as it's mixed with the correct antifreeze level.... 

[Kevin Wood]

I guess you have to bear in mind that there's 10 litres of the stuff in the cooling system, that the risk of spillage is relatively high in the event of a collision and that water actually has a pretty reasonable specific heat capacity http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-heat-fluids-d_151.html and is non-toxic.

It's also cheap, abundant and, as said, it can be made inert with respect to corrosion relatively easily.

I believe WW2 aircraft engines used to use neat ethylene glycol to allow higher temperature use but that is toxic, of course, especially when used neat, and has much less heat capacity so you need more of it (or a higher flow rate, at least) to shift the same amount of heat.

Kevin

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I guess you have to bear in mind that there's 10 litres of the stuff in the cooling system, that the risk of spillage is relatively high in the event of a collision and that water actually has a pretty reasonable specific heat capacity http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-heat-fluids-d_151.html and is non-toxic.

It's also cheap, abundant and, as said, it can be made inert with respect to corrosion relatively easily.

I believe WW2 aircraft engines used to use neat ethylene glycol to allow higher temperature use but that is toxic, of course, especially when used neat, and has much less heat capacity so you need more of it (or a higher flow rate, at least) to shift the same amount of heat.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, now that you, Jimbob and TB seem to suggest that there is no alternative at the moment I'll have to accept that

As for glycol, yes the Spitfire for instance used pure ethylene glycol, but as the header tank was very exposed, at the front, on top, of the engine, to enemy fire and the Merlin III, used in the MkI Spitfire, would quickly seize up of course!!   Apparently the other problem was it was very inflamable and when hit by enemy bullets would often start an engine fire!  

With the Merlin XII used for MkII Spitfire's Rolls Royce designed the system to take a mixture of ethylene glycol with water, and this reduced the risk of fire.

[MikeDundee]

I guess you have to bear in mind that there's 10 litres of the stuff in the cooling system, that the risk of spillage is relatively high in the event of a collision and that water actually has a pretty reasonable specific heat capacity http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-heat-fluids-d_151.html and is non-toxic.

It's also cheap, abundant and, as said, it can be made inert with respect to corrosion relatively easily.

I believe WW2 aircraft engines used to use neat ethylene glycol to allow higher temperature use but that is toxic, of course, especially when used neat, and has much less heat capacity so you need more of it (or a higher flow rate, at least) to shift the same amount of heat.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, now that you, Jimbob and TB seem to suggest that there is no alternative at the moment I'll have to accept that

As for glycol, yes the Spitfire for instance used pure ethylene glycol, but as the header tank was very exposed, at the front, on top, of the engine, to enemy fire and the Merlin III, used in the MkI Spitfire, would quickly seize up of course!!   Apparently the other problem was it was very inflamable and when hit by enemy bullets would often start an engine fire!  

With the Merlin XII used for MkII Spitfire's Rolls Royce designed the system to take a mixture of ethylene glycol with water, and this reduced the risk of fire.

Well at least we don't have to worry about getting shot at  .......

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I guess you have to bear in mind that there's 10 litres of the stuff in the cooling system, that the risk of spillage is relatively high in the event of a collision and that water actually has a pretty reasonable specific heat capacity http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/specific-heat-fluids-d_151.html and is non-toxic.

It's also cheap, abundant and, as said, it can be made inert with respect to corrosion relatively easily.

I believe WW2 aircraft engines used to use neat ethylene glycol to allow higher temperature use but that is toxic, of course, especially when used neat, and has much less heat capacity so you need more of it (or a higher flow rate, at least) to shift the same amount of heat.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, now that you, Jimbob and TB seem to suggest that there is no alternative at the moment I'll have to accept that

As for glycol, yes the Spitfire for instance used pure ethylene glycol, but as the header tank was very exposed, at the front, on top, of the engine, to enemy fire and the Merlin III, used in the MkI Spitfire, would quickly seize up of course!!   Apparently the other problem was it was very inflamable and when hit by enemy bullets would often start an engine fire!  

With the Merlin XII used for MkII Spitfire's Rolls Royce designed the system to take a mixture of ethylene glycol with water, and this reduced the risk of fire.

Well at least we don't have to worry about getting shot at  .......

Speak for yourself Mike, you should live in these parts where the red indians can be hostile!!

[andyc]

in all my cars i use Distilled water, Antifreeze and water wetter.

Andy

[platty]

in all my cars i use Distilled water, Antifreeze and water wetter.

Andy

Do you think this has any noticeable effect?