email from Bill Bradley states:


There is an interesting thread on the Stewart Components web site that leads
to a Mazda tech board. Seems a fellow used water wetter in his Mazda and
globs of gelatinous goo appeared in the cooling system. He talked to the
engineers at Red Line and they told him at low pH the silicates in WW
precipitate out and congeal. They attributed the low pH to the 50/50 mix of
water and glycol type anti-freeze and recommended he use the minimum amount
of both anti-freeze and water wetter to make it work. Sounds like snake oil
to me.

I installed the aluminum radiator I got from you a couple of weeks ago. I
also installed a Reman GM correct pump with a cast iron impeller ( I am a
believer in the cast impellers over the stamped sheet metal ones). Prior to
this the car wold not idle for any period of time without the temp going up
and would run about 210 on the highway on a warm day. Once the temp went up
it would not come down again. This has been true for all three midyears I
have owned with c/b radiators.

I am happy to report the temp now stays at about 180 ( with a 160 thermostat)
and after shutting it off, the temp will come back to 180 in about 2 miles of
driving. I wish these would have been available 20 years ago when I was
driving both my 66 coupe and my 64 convertible to work every day and had to
constantly watch the temp gauge..

Bill Bradley

 

I am happy with the Dewitts Radiator I installed last month in my '65 SB.

I had a c/b replacement in mine which was in poor shape. It was causing temps to easily run up to 200+. Since I installed the new radiator last month my car hasn't topped 180.

The real test will come the next time I am in stop and go traffic on a 90 degree day.

Ryan

 

I am soon to be in the Dewitt's Rad Club. I Will receiving my Dewitt's rad this Friday. I Plan to take my IR Gun and measure temps before removing the BeCool at different places along the water cooling route. After installing the Dewitts I will take new readings and compare.

As of now the water pump is a Stewart Stage 2 Hi flow pump with the 160 Degree Thermo with the recomended drilled out hole in the top for water bypass. I Don't know how the Dewitt's will react to this pump but like the Duke Says, Stock is ware it's at. Will see if the Rad likes this pump or not..

 

Wow... a real scientific study.... :crazy: I can hardly wait.... :D let me get my popcorn and beer... :yesnod: and my favorite "easy" chair.... this is gonna be good..... :boxing

Mark, becareful with that IR gun.... don't point it down.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I drained as much of the old fluid out of my engine prior to the install of WW. In the old copper rad it reduced my engine temp on the gauge by over 20 degrees. It would stay cool enough at idle but heat up on the fwy. Even though the old radiator checked out fine I still suspected that the 37 year old thing just was not up to the job anymore. I installed a BeCool alum radiator, a 160 hi-flo t-stat, used two bottles of WW and regular tap water. No antifreeze is used. It does not overheat anymore, neither on the fwy nor in 90 degree stop-n-go traffic. I like alum radiators and have had zero problems using Red Lines WaterWetter. I like the stuff and will continue to use it. :cool: :seeya :seeya

 

Heh MasterDave,
Are you useing the stock pump?? and is the Becool a Small Block or a Big Block BeCool Rad?? I was told by BeCool that with a slight mod I could fit a BB Becool in the SB Frame. Which one did you use??

 

Stock (whatever ya get at Schucks) waterpump. I got the replacement rad from Summit #BCI-60003 for a sbc. I use a Flex-a-lite 7 blade fan. Just for my own peace 'n security I installed the Perma-Cool #PRM-19115-P3P electric fan mounted as a puller and hooked to a toggle switch. I rarely turn it on, usually while pulling into a show 'n shine just so it'll cool a little more prior to opening the hood. Remember, ya only need antifreeze if you think your water may freeze. I never use it due to it being in a heated garage in the winter and I don't think it'll freeze up in the Seattle spring/summer/fall weather anywhoo.

 

I'm happy with the setup I have now. a dewitt radiator,stock fan and clutch,shroud, and I went with a stewart water pump because I liked the idea of a 3/4" bearing and it would still fit the 5/8" fan clutch.
runs 180 with a 180 thermostat, a little warmer after a shutdown but cools down quickly. Haven't driven it in tempertures over 90 degrees. (just doesn't get that hot around here).
rod

 

Quote - "There is an interesting thread on the Stewart Components web site that leads to a Mazda tech board. Seems a fellow used water wetter in his Mazda and globs of gelatinous goo appeared in the cooling system. He talked to the engineers at Red Line and they told him at low pH the silicates in WW precipitate out and congeal. They attributed the low pH to the 50/50 mix of water and glycol type anti-freeze and recommended he use the minimum amount of both anti-freeze and water wetter to make it work. Sounds like snake oil to me. "
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This same thing happened to me recently. I did not get "globs" of gel. Instead, I got small circles of gel. IT SCARED THE POOP OUT OF ME !!!! I thought I had oil in the antifreeze !! I was praying that I had a bad water pump bearing/seal. When I posted the situation, many folks on this board also thought I had oil and rightly so !!

I was a proponent of WW -- not any more.

Now how exactly do I flush that stuff out of the system ?? I have to believe that there will be some residue left behind. ISN'T THAT JUST GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!

john lolli

 

Dave - you should seriously consider using anti-freeze instead of straight water; not for freeze protection, but to protect your investment in your radiator. The additive package in anti-freeze includes specialized corrosion inhibitors, which are particularly important with aluminum radiators, as they can't be repaired. When they start leaking, they're dead (and so is your wallet).

 

I'll 2nd johnz on that. Todays gylcol has a lot more in it than just antifreeze. The reason all the warning stickers and lables are on the old aluminum rads is because the products sold back then didn't have enough anti corrosives and such in them to handle aluminum. Certainly straight water doesn't either. All of them today do have it and at least some mixture should be used. A diluted system should be the last resort when fighting a heat problem.

 

Nice looking 65 !