Radiator Additives
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
From: Mo
Radiator Additives
Do those radiatior additives that claim to lower running temps 20 degrees really work ? My 92 vette runs cool enough in the summer with the air on 200/210 at extended idle. Without the air(both fans) on it goes to 230 after extended idle. I know this is normal but I dont like the higher idling temps during the summer. It gets very warm with high humidity here in Missouri during the summer. Thanks :reddevil :)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,022
Likes: 37
From: SW Fla
Re: Radiator Additives (oldtimer)
I just recently pulled my radiator and cleaned it, flushed the cooling system, added new fluid and a bottle of water wetter, and it runs a little cooler. I plan to get a 160 themostat and reprogram the fans sometime. I did that on my old vette and it would never get above 190. Hope this helps some. :)
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,160
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: Radiator Additives (oldtimer)
The Water Wetter helps a little, but it wont help as much as it can if you dont run almost all water in your coolant.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 18,727
Likes: 711
From: Bergen County, NJ
Re: Radiator Additives (oldtimer)
Do those radiatior additives that claim to lower running temps 20 degrees really work ?
20 Degrees cooler in the summer heat is not attainable from a $5 bottle of 'fluid'.
Anyone get those results????
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Boynton Beach Fl
Re: Radiator Additives (Wayne88)
I used an additive called 40 below. Was right around $23.00, also used distilled water only and 160 therm. Never goes past 190 even sitting in traffic. Worked for me.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Red Deer AB
Re: Radiator Additives (monkeybusiness)
Correct me if I'm wrong (newbie alert), but isn't running straight water a bad thing to do? Doesn't coolant help protect against corrosion as well as the whole cooling thing? I know I've heard a lot of hype with these Water Wetter type products, but do they protect against corrosion as well? And if so, is one little bottle in a rad good enough to replace a good 50/50 mix of coolant? Not sure it's something I need, as we don't tend to get that high of humidity around here in the summer, so as long as the fan kicks in to get SOME sort of airflow, I should be safe, but the question about corrosion remains.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 827
Likes: 1
From: Henderson NV
Re: Radiator Additives (Canucklehead)
Ryan, you hit the nail squarely on the head! Straight water will literally destroy a radiator, and water by itself has a low boiling point! Ask any old timer what his radiator looked like in the days before it became common practice to run a 50/50 blend of coolant. Rust for days! Now with the aluminum block/heads/radiator combos, straight water will turn the fluid black with corrosion residue. A proper mix of coolant will protect any engine and BTW, modern engines are designed to run at high temperatures. That is a fact of life. All coolant mixtures should be changed every two years to maintain its protective properties. A simple switch to turn on the fans (manual or one that grounds the ECM) earlier on very hot days and/or in heavy traffic is cheap, effective and trust me on this, it works! I don't waste money on all the stuff that makers of "snake oil" claim as beneficial to my car. The next time that you are in an auto parts store, take a moment to make note of all the additives available for your radiator, engine oil, transmission and fuel tank. It is there for a purpose; to make someone a profit and I just flat do not believe most of the maker's claims! :skep:
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,268
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota in the summer, Las Vegas in the winter
Re: Radiator Additives (oldtimer)
This is what I like about the forum: lots of opinions and no one being disrespectful of those with whom they disagree. This is an issue I need to address this year. My coupe runs very hot at idle but fine at highway speeds. I pulled my radiator two summers ago and got lots of sand out of it ( it WAS a Southern car). I'm still not happy with the high temps at idle. I have a very good GM mechanic who is an independent now. I will likely go with his recommendations.
Keep these threads coming, brothers! :thumbs:
Keep these threads coming, brothers! :thumbs:
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Re: Radiator Additives (Canucklehead)
Water by itself will cool better that a 50/50 mix but water alone will damage the cooling system. Anti-freeze coolants in the proper ratio like 50/50 will protect against corrosion and the formation of rust.
I use distilled water in my 92 (service manual procedure) along with a good ethylele glycol (green) anti freeze. If the cooling system is clean, the thrrmostat is working properly, the water pump is in good shape, and there is no debris clogging the radiator fins, you should not have any cooling problems. I had heard somewhere that Water Wetter does not last the life of the coolant fill but is only effective for 6 months or so. GM has since discontinued the use of those cooling system pellets that were added to a coolant change. They were supposed to provide anti-corrosion protection and water pump lubrication but for whatever reason, GM issued a bulletin to discontinue their use.
Radiators can wear out after a number of years and lose the ability to cool properly. Eventually some of the tubes in the core will fill up with crud, the wall thickness of the tubes will shrink and lose the ability to transfer heat properly. New OEM units are much better than those units of say 30 years ago but still a radiator with 200K miles on it will not do as good a job as a new one.
I use distilled water in my 92 (service manual procedure) along with a good ethylele glycol (green) anti freeze. If the cooling system is clean, the thrrmostat is working properly, the water pump is in good shape, and there is no debris clogging the radiator fins, you should not have any cooling problems. I had heard somewhere that Water Wetter does not last the life of the coolant fill but is only effective for 6 months or so. GM has since discontinued the use of those cooling system pellets that were added to a coolant change. They were supposed to provide anti-corrosion protection and water pump lubrication but for whatever reason, GM issued a bulletin to discontinue their use.
Radiators can wear out after a number of years and lose the ability to cool properly. Eventually some of the tubes in the core will fill up with crud, the wall thickness of the tubes will shrink and lose the ability to transfer heat properly. New OEM units are much better than those units of say 30 years ago but still a radiator with 200K miles on it will not do as good a job as a new one.
