Water Wetter does work but it is not always necessary.
Water Wetter is a surfactant (and lubricant) that causes bubbles from
localized boiling to quickly recondense back into the surrounding water.
Localized boiling would otherwise cause a vapor barrier that would allow
the hot spot to get even hotter.
Race cars can benefit greatly from this because most sanctioning bodies
frown on antifreeze which is very slippery if spilled on the racetrack.
The only problem is that antifreeze already has these surfactants in it.
Many people think Water Wetter is great for all applications. I've even
heard people advised to use Water Wetter in water based cooling systems
that will never see temperatures anywhere near boiling.
It's great stuff but not necessary if you are using antifreeze.
Ed McGuirk
At 01:04 PM 7/1/2002 -0600, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 12:26:58 -0400
>From: Peter Macholdt <vze2846b@verizon.net>
>Subject: Timing and overheating
>
>After my winter program of modifications, I now find that the 250 is
>overheating in warm weather. It is fine at cruising speed, but at idle in
>traffic the gauge begins to creep up to red. I've got a electric fan that
>helps, but not enough. The cooling system is free from crud (only about 8K
>on a rebuilt engine. I'm running at GP2 cam, 9.5:1 compression with a sport
>header and 2 1/4' pipe out the back.
>
>The timing is set at 10 degrees BTDC (about 2 degrees ATDC with the retard
>connected). I'm wondering what will happen if I retard the timing to say 5
>degrees BTDC. What will it do to my performance (which is great now) and
>will it help in any significant way with the overheating.
>
>Follow-up questions:
>
>Does Water Wetter do anything to reduce temps (in practice, not theory)?
>
>Is it possible to have the stock radiator re-cored to provide more cooling
>area?
>
>Why doesn't an oil cooler cool the engine? I thought that one of the
>primary functions of oil was to transfer heat, yet I've been told that an
>oil cooler doesn't cool the engine much (street car).
>
>TIA,
>Peter
>'68 TR250 (love the performance, tired of planning routes to avoid sitting
>in traffic)
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