What you guys use for coolant in your racecars?

Drinking water

Distilled water, not filtered, distilled.
Add just a touch of water pump lube.

VP Stay Frosty

Distilled or DI water with Walmart water wetter (provides the same benefits as claimed by VP).

Back when they held preseason Pro Stock meets at Baytown, TX, and Bob Glidden was Jeg's crew chief on his Dodge, they emptied the cooling system on the ground and it was the nastiness rustiest mess you ever saw. But when you get a new car every year and as many engines as needed don't guess you have to worry about corrosion.

Purified drinking water and Redline Water Wetter or VP/Lucas equivalent

Tap water (well) and one bottle Lucas Super Collant. 40/60 antifreeze right now.

Purified drinking water and No-Rosion corrosion inhibitor/coolant additive for aluminum radiators. Just to keep rust at bay.

https://www.norosion.com/tech_coolant.htm

water and lucas additve and Napa makes a water aditive that helps the rust part 1400 or 1500 I think

Aren't these additives just as slippery and hard to remove from the track as anti-freeze? Take care. Tom Worthington

The one I use is not.

quote:

Aren't these additives just as slippery and hard to remove from the track as anti-freeze?

My experience with Lucas Super Collant is that it evaporates with water when spilled out of my system on my garage floor. It’s the only product that I’ve tried that worked to keep water from turning to rust color. Water comes out in October the same color as it went in in May.

Purified drinking water is NOT free of the minerals that distilled water is free of.
The point is to protect your engine and cooling system from the electrolysis resulting from mineral elements contained in water.

"Purified drinking water" is simple tap water, filtered to get the big chunks out.

Distilled water only.

quote:

Originally posted by Goob:
Purified drinking water is NOT free of the minerals that distilled water is free of.
The point is to protect your engine and cooling system from the electrolysis resulting from mineral elements contained in water.

"Purified drinking water" is simple tap water, filtered to get the big chunks out.

Distilled water only.

Depends. This article led me to what I am using today. It's not as cut and dried as one might think.

https://www.streetmusclemag.co...ectrolysis-problems/

The link I posted before has the water info that came from research noted in the Jeff Smith article.

It comes down to this in my opinion. If what you are using works for you then keep doing it. I saw some erosion of my front motor plate. When I made the change I have had zero problems of erosion.

quote:

Purified drinking water is NOT free of the minerals that distilled water is free of.
The point is to protect your engine and cooling system from the electrolysis resulting from mineral elements contained in water.
"Purified drinking water" is simple tap water, filtered to get the big chunks out. Distilled water only.

Lucas Super Coolant states “If straight water coolant is used, tap water or softened water is recommended. DO NOT use distilled water unless mixed with 50% antifreeze”. I use softened well water from my tap.

quote:

Aren't these additives just as slippery and hard to remove from the track as anti-freeze? Take care. Tom Worthington

These "super coolants" are primarily wetting agents, which are surfactants, which are certain types of soap. And obviously are water based, so no they're nothing close to the mess ethylene glycol makes. Think dirty dish/bath water.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:

Lucas Super Coolant states “If straight water coolant is used, tap water or softened water is recommended. DO NOT use distilled water unless mixed with 50% antifreeze”. I use softened well water from my tap.

I'm no chemistry major, but I did ok in it. To not use distilled water seems like it may be for seal and pump lubricity. as far as inhibiting corrosion/electrolysis, distilled water is where its at. The chemistry is what it is.

https://rislone.com/blog/cooli...your-cooling-system/

This is the reason distilled or deionized isn't recommended.

^^^^^ Great article. I wouldn’t doubt that the Rislone Hy-per Cool Super Coolant is very similar to the Lucas Super Coolant in effectiveness for rust prevention in water only systems. Both do not contain glycol and recommended for racing.

I've been running VP Stay Frosty coolant with Amsoil coolant additive in it...works good for me, just have to drain it before thing get cold enough to freeze because it doesn't offer any freeze protection.