replacing coolant with H2O?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Mt. Airy MD
replacing coolant with H2O?
If I want to just go to a local test and tune, do I have to worry about replacing my coolant with water? Don't want to get myself into trouble and the track website doesn't speak to it. Not having been down a track before maybe its something that is understood and I just don't know.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the feedback.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 202
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From: Central Pennsylvania
Never knew that. I've never changed out my coolant for water. Not only would this go against the whole purpose for developing coolant in the first place (higher boiling point, I would assume), but given the aformentioned, would this have any effect on performance? Or would the temperature of water and coolant rise and cool at the same rate?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Mt. Airy MD
The point behind running it at the track vs antifreeze is in the event of a busted hose or some other failure, you aren't coating the track with anything other than water.
The science behind modern coolant I'd have to leave to someone else but to my knowledge its not to increase the boiling point. Aside from removing heat from your engine its other purpose is to avoid catastrophic failure of internal engine components when the outside temperature goes below 32*F. I'm sure modern coolant has a host of other benefits for your engine as well but like I said someone else would have to chime in on that.
The science behind modern coolant I'd have to leave to someone else but to my knowledge its not to increase the boiling point. Aside from removing heat from your engine its other purpose is to avoid catastrophic failure of internal engine components when the outside temperature goes below 32*F. I'm sure modern coolant has a host of other benefits for your engine as well but like I said someone else would have to chime in on that.
Last edited by pluslt; Jun 11, 2011 at 09:36 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: Central Pennsylvania
The point behind running it at the track vs antifreeze is in the event of a busted hose or some other failure, you aren't coating the track with anything other than water.
The science behind modern coolant I'd have to leave to someone else but to my knowledge its not to increase the boiling point. Aside from removing heat from your engine its other purpose is to avoid catastrophic failure of internal engine components when the outside temperature goes below 32*F. I'm sure modern coolant has a host of other benefits for your engine as well but like I said someone else would have to chime in on that.
The science behind modern coolant I'd have to leave to someone else but to my knowledge its not to increase the boiling point. Aside from removing heat from your engine its other purpose is to avoid catastrophic failure of internal engine components when the outside temperature goes below 32*F. I'm sure modern coolant has a host of other benefits for your engine as well but like I said someone else would have to chime in on that.
I was just curious if that would effect performance.
If they do it at Pinks, I'm going to assume there are some pretty knowledgeable tuners and mechanics present that obviously don't object -- maybe I'm over thinking it.
I mean, I would imagine you wouldn't want to use it all the time since, as you eluded to, there are mechanical reasons for coolant, like lubrication and non-rusting of the pump and such, but if there aren't any short term performance impediments then I guess it's no big deal.
Anyone else know whether water heats faster and cools slower than coolant?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,022
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From: Concord NC
St. Jude Donor '10
Most racecars run straight water for coolant, with those that are the exceptions running something like Evans coolant. Coolant is EXTREMELY slick when spilled, I've seen EMT's get injured slipping on coolant (which was against the rules to have.....) after a bad wreck at the track while trying to assist someone who hit the wall.
Between racing and growing up on a farm using water in all of our leaky equipment radiators, I've never had a single issue using water. If you're racing, throw in some Water Wetter to break the surface tension and it'll outperform coolant. Just don't forget to drain before it freezes or you're in for a mess of trouble.
For what its worth, its almost universally not expected at a 'Street Legal' drag racing kind of event. Large national points events and the like often mandate no coolant. Usually, if you're to the point of not being able to run coolant on the drag strip....you're probably deep enough in that you'll be aware.
Between racing and growing up on a farm using water in all of our leaky equipment radiators, I've never had a single issue using water. If you're racing, throw in some Water Wetter to break the surface tension and it'll outperform coolant. Just don't forget to drain before it freezes or you're in for a mess of trouble.
For what its worth, its almost universally not expected at a 'Street Legal' drag racing kind of event. Large national points events and the like often mandate no coolant. Usually, if you're to the point of not being able to run coolant on the drag strip....you're probably deep enough in that you'll be aware.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: Central Pennsylvania
Most racecars run straight water for coolant, with those that are the exceptions running something like Evans coolant. Coolant is EXTREMELY slick when spilled, I've seen EMT's get injured slipping on coolant (which was against the rules to have.....) after a bad wreck at the track while trying to assist someone who hit the wall.
Between racing and growing up on a farm using water in all of our leaky equipment radiators, I've never had a single issue using water. If you're racing, throw in some Water Wetter to break the surface tension and it'll outperform coolant. Just don't forget to drain before it freezes or you're in for a mess of trouble.
For what its worth, its almost universally not expected at a 'Street Legal' drag racing kind of event. Large national points events and the like often mandate no coolant. Usually, if you're to the point of not being able to run coolant on the drag strip....you're probably deep enough in that you'll be aware.
Between racing and growing up on a farm using water in all of our leaky equipment radiators, I've never had a single issue using water. If you're racing, throw in some Water Wetter to break the surface tension and it'll outperform coolant. Just don't forget to drain before it freezes or you're in for a mess of trouble.
For what its worth, its almost universally not expected at a 'Street Legal' drag racing kind of event. Large national points events and the like often mandate no coolant. Usually, if you're to the point of not being able to run coolant on the drag strip....you're probably deep enough in that you'll be aware.
I've been at a few test an tunes and never had to.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: York PA
If I want to just go to a local test and tune, do I have to worry about replacing my coolant with water? Don't want to get myself into trouble and the track website doesn't speak to it. Not having been down a track before maybe its something that is understood and I just don't know.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the feedback.
This is what I do.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Mt. Airy MD
At the moment I'm trying to figure out what to do about a helmet. Don't want to buy one for a just a couple trips so I'm looking for one of my buds to let me borrow one of the motorcycle helmets.
Who knows though I might end up getting hooked, although I couldn't afford to support a drag racing habit.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 235
From: Rockledge FL
WHen I raced motorcycles it was the same thing. We were not allowed to run coolant because it would make the track slippery if spilled out. We ran straight water with water wetter in it. I never noticed any differences in temps though. I did however see people go down when they would a coolant induced slick spot from someone who didnt follow the rules and crashed.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: chandler az
Never knew that. I've never changed out my coolant for water. Not only would this go against the whole purpose for developing coolant in the first place (higher boiling point, I would assume), but given the aformentioned, would this have any effect on performance? Or would the temperature of water and coolant rise and cool at the same rate?
I would be more concerned about doing this on a iron block engine over an aluminum engine. Antifreeze also prevents corrosion.
