Mike's LS3

Do water wetter products really work? What is the best water/coolant ratio for the street? 70/30? Just wondering if it is worth it.

Turbo6TA

Water Wetter is used a lot by the modified Buick Grand National guys that run lots of boost. Water Wetter works very very good only when mixed with nothing but pure water.

However, these Buick GN drag racers are not normally driving there cars on the street. Since [your] car is a street car, you need to run coolant in the engine ... and that presents the problem ... You are wasting your money buying Water Wetter if your going to mix it with [any amount] of coolant.

Bottom line ... Forget the Water Wetter for your C6.

If your engine is running hot, find out the reason it's running hot.

HOXXOH

Here's an independent test, but it really doesn't apply to Vettes that loaf at 1700 RPM at 75 MPH or the problems of higher ambient temperatures.
I have no concerns at 75 F. It's when I get in slow and stop 'n go traffic when outside temps are 100+.

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how...tem-additives/

timd38

Water Wetter works with coolant, but its effectiveness is less. It also helps stop corrosion cause by dissimilar metals. Roy Howell designed that product and I know him very well.

AORoads

Off and on, for different cars I've used WW with what I'd call limited benefit. It may be there in a few degrees of coolant temp difference. But it is very slight. I ddin't know about the effectiveness being less for cars with regular coolant in the system. I guess that explains it.

dmaxx3500

start by

1.flushing the cooling system [and heater core]
2.replacing the thermostat
3.cleaning the outside ''cooling stack''

do these things and it should run like new

WW7

I can verify that with a 50/50 mix I saw NO change in my coolant temps when using water wetter..WW

RobJoy

Noticed the cooler in front of the radiator on my C-6 Z51 LS-3 packs a lot of road debris (leaves, etc.) between cooler and radiator. I usually check it late fall, early winter and clear out the debris with a stick or piece of stiff plastic. I don't use a screwdriver or other metal so I won't bend cooler or radiator fins.

Mike's LS3

Thanks guys for your responses. From the article link Hoxxoh provided, it seems that Red line water wetter is best all around when used with 30/70 coolant/water mixture. Water wetter products are most effective when used with straight water.
I am going to use the Red Line water wetter with about 30/70 coolant/water and update this post.

mcm95403

Exactly! You only need "coolant" as anti-freeze. If you don't live in or drive during freezing temps, there's no need for it. The less coolant you run with WW the better off you are. I just wish they still had the original pink crystal stuff - that was MUCH better than the liquid.

96GS#007

I run 10% antifreeze, distilled water, and 2 bottles of WaterWetter. Never noticed much of a difference on the street.

Biggest benefit was switching to a Dewitts radiator. On 100* track days, my coolant temps dropped from 250*+ to high 21x*-low 220s. Temps dropped ~10* on average on the street and it clearly takes longer for coolant temps to climb when sitting in traffic.

Vette_Fan

With tons of threads here, it's been said before that changing thermostat doesn't do anything.

Couldn't you use a wire hanger bent up the way you wanted?

Maybe less coolant more water will do the trick.

That makes sense - especially in the Summer/Hot areas. What confuses most people is the word "Coolant" used for Antifreeze - makes us believe it actually cools the system.

xBoostx

My fix was dual core and dual fans when I had heat problems WW didn't help fend off the heat.

Vette_Fan

Since you also live in the Bay Area, I'd like to see what your findings/results have been. As said before, the coolant only works as "antifreeze" - water alone has better cooling capability than the "Coolant." And since we live in the Bay Area, it never freezes here, hence 50/50 may not be needed. But instead, 30/70 sounds like a better bet cuz it does get hot here, and Vettes get real hot. I'm currently running 220+ just driving locally.

Very interested to learn about your experience. I too am going to be doing a flush and will go with 30/70 (coolant/distilled water) + 1 bottle Water Wetter (maybe 2 bottles).

HOXXOH

Your trip to Vegas is going to be a real eye opener to what hot really is.
https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...est-cities.php

0Tom@Dewitt

Well I wouldn't go that far. Today's five-year Coolants/Antifreeze has a lot of good things in there, like pump and seal lubrication, anti-foam, and the surfactant that ww does. The most important thing is the inhibitor package that prevents minerals and chemicals from eating the aluminum. WW says there is an inhibitor in the product however I question if 8 oz of anything in 3-4 gallons of water can protect it. I do agree the higher the water content the more heat rejection. I wish someone would do a test of straight water, then add the ww to see what changes. That is how to determine what the product is actually doing.

Vette_Fan

Oh! I know. A few years back, I was about to begin a new job. They gave me 5 days to start. I figured once I begin, I won't have time for personal life for a while, so why not make a trip to Vegas & LA. I think it was around this time of the year (May). Man, every day going to the car in the open parking lot was like a scary thought from a chilled AC hotel room. The car was like 150 degrees inside, the body of the car couldn't be touched, you'd burn your hand. You could fry an egg on it. So I know what you're talking about. I gave up on the trip to LA cuz couldn't drive in that heat (spent all 5 days in Vegas, mostly indoors).

Now, trying to attempt that same trip again - in my C6. Funny thing I rented a Malibu or Corolla from the Bay area to Vegas and back, and was never worried about its heating issues - with full blasting AC all the time.
Why are Vette so sensitive to heat, the temps just jump up ridiculously even on a normal day. That's why thinking ahead... I just want my car to run cool.

Mike's LS3

Tom what is the coolant capacity of your full size corvette radiator. I only removed about one gallon of 50/50 pre mix dexcool and added one bottle of the Red Line water wetter with the remainder distilled water into full size DeWitt radiator in my corvette? Any issues doing so?


Click onto the link Hoxxoh has in post #3. Interesting test results using water wetter products.

0Tom@Dewitt

No, not really. Did you see any drop in temperatures?

Mike's LS3

A few degrees in stop and go traffic, but I need more driving time since I only had Red Line water wetter less than a couple of weeks. I drive the car only on weekends.

What is the measured capacity of the full size corvette DeWitts radiator?