Cooling System Additive

RPMagoo said

For the record -- I plan to run tap water and some type of additive - Water Wetter, Purple Ice, Lucas Super Cool -- OR -- ?? (TBD), during the summer months, because it works for me. - Yes I probably should spend more $$, and find the real root of the problem. -- In the cold season, I will use 50% water and 50% anti freeze. -- Thanks to all for the input - several good ideas were presented, and that's the real value of this Forum.

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Be careful with the water you use... many tap waters have so much mineral content that it will put a LOT of deposits in the engine and radiator and you will end up with a bigger cooling problem. It would be much wiser to go to the grocery store and buy distilled water; it costs very little by the gallon. Any additive that you list above is not going to correct high mineral content in the water.

BTW, Evans waterless coolant is just a simple glycol based coolant, nothing much different than regular antifreeze, so it is more of a product application 'discovery' than a special product. The reports of the heads running slightly hotter on average are correct; the glycol has a lower specific heat than water or a water/glycol mix, and so it transfers less heat per gallon of flow, but the average system temp is ultimately set by the heat transfer out of the system, mainly at the radiator. It does boil at a higher temp so getting all the water out does help lower any head temp hot spots, but this benefit is helpful in just certain engine applications. Like any glycol, Evans will break down with time and have to be changed out, just like regular anti-freeze.