I've wondered about that, that's a good tip! Summertime around here we get a bumper crop of humidity. I must confess, I've even used ordinary tap water for a battery. Still tests fine and exceeds rated CCA 8 years later, not a good habit to get into, but any water is better than no water.
The correct water to use according to every manufacturer of engine coolants is deionized water. Both deionized and distilled water can be corrosive if used straight, which is what some guys have warned about. But you're not supposed to use it straight. And your question is about what water to MIX with antifreeze. Antifreeze contains additives to protect the engine from corrosive damage that might occur with straight deionized or distilled water. So the answer to your question is deionized water. Why not just buy the antifreeze premixed to begin with? Than you don't have to worry about getting the right water to use, the right water is already in it.
Blues, I will buy premix in the future based on what I've learned from you, but I have on hand several gallons on pure Prestone and want to use it up, hence the question of using distilled or soft water, and the pros and cons of both.
On the subject of, "Which is better? Deionized water or distilled water?" The answer is, "Both". The reason a coolant manufacturer might choose deionized rather than distilled in their 50/50 mix is because, starting with tap water, deionized water is a couple of times cheaper to make than distilled water. Since both types are good to use, it's just a good sense decision for the maker to go with the one that costs less. But for blending your own coolant from concentrate, I wouldn't drive across town to get deionized if I can get distilled across the street since neither one is a wrong choice.
Yeah, I was in Central Illinois on the River, used it for my golf cart batteries, radiators, snd washing cars. Elevated my high efficiency system...ran into a 35gal plastic tank with 12v pump. had more water than I could use. Next time, bigger tank.
So, maybe a dumb question, but you don't have a convenient place to screw in an anode, why couldn't you just drop it in the radiator and let it do its thing? Since they dissolve, there dhouldn't be any large particles to plug things up...
The anode has to have good solid electrical contact with whatever it is that is being protected, or it will be ineffective. In this case, the aluminum radiator. At least that's how I understand it.
After this "1/2 a flush" radiator drain & fill routine, now the lower radiator hose is cold even after a highway run. Air pocket or something? Top of radiator is hot as normal, hose pressurized, etc. But lower part of radiator cool to touch. Never had this happen with a full flush.
Finally dislodged all the dirt and trash you were trying to flush? I would pull the radiator and reverse flush it, see what comes out. Phil
I was in Paducah Kentucky one time and went to see Johnny Paycheck at some night club. They had these cute lil waitresses running around in short shorts selling some kind of drinks in test tubes called Alien Secretions. I think they should have been called "Boutique Reverse Osmosis Triple Distilled Unicorn Piss".
Wondered about that. I just bought a 5 pack of the anodes 2old2fast pictured ($30). Couldn't get one screwed in on my Bantam so I wired it dangling from the radiator cap with SS wire. I've also been buying the straight antifreeze thinking it was a better deal but will switch to premade next time. What about rain water?
I don't believe so, the engine internals have always been clean, the guy who rebuilt it wasn't the greatest but he was pretty meticulous about cleaning the block. The radiator is new, or near enough. It's just a little too cute by half this happens directly after partial drain and refill. On the other hand it didn't even crack 50° F. yesterday, maybe the engine never warmed up and this is normal with a radiator that actually cools, I dunno. Now that I think about it, the coolant mixture in the radiator turned nice and fresh green after the leak check and running a while, it's gotta have flow.
tell me about the ambient temperature in both instances. If it's really cold out, then the bottom of the radiator will be cool. If it's warm out, it will be warm.
Rain water is soft, should be excellent for batteries, cooling systems, laundry, houseplants, coffee, you name it. I was reading a little about sacrificial Anodes and that was the takeaway when it comes to boat hulls anyway. The "zincs" need to be directly installed to the surface itself and free of any paint or corrosion, grease, etc, like any electrical connection. Aluminum radiators are more easily damaged than copper or brass by electrolysis. Another thing to watch out for maybe is "stray voltage", loose, missing or corroded ground straps cause starter motors or lights and accessories to "search for a ground" that can send heavy current amperage flowing through the coolant/radiator. The radiator vendors have pictures of this type of damage and suggest a dedicated grounding strap to aluminum radiators, as this defect is not covered by their warranty. It's pretty distinctive too, with vertical black streaks running down the fins.
i use RO (reverse osmosis) water ($.25 a gallon at the water store) with the Prestone or storebrand regular antifreeze. seems to work fine for my older stuff. i haven’t changed the coolant in decades in my 41 cadillac. only top off as needed since car doesn’t have a overflow tank. My father lived in Ventura and would collect rainwater to use in his vehicles. with my OT driver I haven’t had to add and I have not changed the coolant in the Prius with 200,000 miles on it.
If the radiator is grounded to the frame & the engine block is grounded to the frame then metal in each becomes a common ground , doesn't matter if the anode is installed in one or the other as they're grounded together , similar example is aluminum cylinder heads bolted to the block share common ground , you only need one anode installed in either metal to protect both .
Yeah, it was 48 deg. What actually happened is the oil light sending unit crapped out so I was kinda checking everything out carefully looking for leaks or whatever. The top of the radiator was good and hot as normal, and the upper hose tight with pressure, but the whole lower third of radiator and lower hose was cool to the touch. Just seemed weird to me.
That's the radiator's job...as the coolant flows downward, the heat flows into the air passing through it. We never seem to check things when they're working right, to get a feel for it.
I'm so used to 90+ degree weather, thermostat is always wide open and the radiator is working hard... There's rarely a noticeable delta because the top is too hot to touch and the bottom is also pretty darned hot too!
Tap water/ distilled water depends a lot on where you live and the minerals in the water. If you live on the 1000 block of Roza Drive in Zillah Wa you positively don't want to use tap water as it will form scale in anything to no end. I used to have to dig about 50 lbs of what amounted to lime stone formed in the water heater every other year when I lived there. It's damned expensive compared to parts house antifreeze but the Genuine BMW blue antifreeze that you mix 50/50 with distilled water gets along with aluminum real well and does have a water pump lube in it. about 25 bucks a gallon though. My daily drive Beater 528 I requires it.
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