Antifreeze/Water Combo???

[Brett Slagle]

Hi all:

Is it true that a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water is better to run in your sled than straight antifreeze? If not 50/50, but a ratio what would you all suggest. I could be way off on this whole thing too. Input please. Thank you!

Brett

 

[winter brew]

Depends on what you buy, alot of them come premixed so no need to add water, but straight anti-freeze is best mixed 50/50 with clean tap water...avoid using distilled water.

 

[onlyrotax]

Hi all:

Is it true that a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water is better to run in your sled than straight antifreeze? If not 50/50, but a ratio what would you all suggest. I could be way off on this whole thing too. Input please. Thank you!

Brett

I have read that straight water cools an engine more efficiently than antifreeze so naturally a mix of 50/50 will cool better than straight antifreeze. I had a sled that tended to overheat on warmer days and fixed it by going from a -45 mix to a -20 mix, lowered the operating temp by 15-20 degrees according to the gauge. I have also found that these antifreeze additives like "Water Wetter" do actually work, lowered the operating temp in my truck by 15 degrees just by adding it.

 

[ADRENALINE]

As cooling systems vary from your truck to your sled, the theory still stays the same. A 50/50 mix is better...or 60/40.....whatever the bottle says.

 

[locknload]

Straight antifreeze will gel at cold temps, A 50/50 mix not only keeps the coolant from freezing but it raises the boiling point of the coolant to around 265 degrees in a sealed system. Straight water has a boiling point of 212. On most application I wouldnt mix anymore then 50/50 or whatever it takes to get it to test at -45 degrees f.

 

[Extreme-One]

This is a good topic. I try to run 50/50 in both my sleds and it seems to work just fine.
I wonder how many people test their coolant levels to see what the min temp is on the fluid. I was in Stanley last year and it was -30 to -40 that night and most of the morning and it got me thinking. The sled was fine and it was hard to start but the fluid was good to go.

 

[eddy]

50/50

Why no distilled water?

 

[winter brew]

water naturally absorbs minerals.....if you take out all the minerals it will tend to "leach" iron and other minerals from anything it contacts. May not ever cause any problem on a sled, but causes pitting and even holes through material in extreme cases. And tap water is easier to get.

 

[Trenchmaster]

Depends on what you buy, alot of them come premixed so no need to add water, but straight anti-freeze is best mixed 50/50 with clean tap water...avoid using distilled water.

I have to diss-agree with the tap water thing, always mix antifreeze with distilled or de-mineralized water. The minerals in tap water will plate out on metal heat exchange surfaces reducing the heat transfer and will also cause thermostats to corrode and stick. I just checked a jug of pre-mixed coolant in my garage, says right on the bottle "contains distilled water"

 

[Brett Slagle]

I appreciate the responses. Just curious about the tap vs. distilled water at this point. Any more input? Thank you very much. Brett

 

[Trenchmaster]

Use distilled water!

 

[winter brew]

I guess it's one of those Ford/Chevy things.....both are fine but everyone has their theories on what is better. I doubt either will ever cause an issue in a sled application....go with whatever you choose, just though I'd throw out what I have been tought by some people alot smarter than myself and the reasoning behind it.
I suppose if you lived in the desert southwest with their high mineral content and funny colored water then distilled might be a sensible choice. With the clean tap water around here I wouldn't worry. More than once I have had to use stream water on the mountain, silt and all.

 

[Trenchmaster]

I guess that the tap water you use would make a differance, I checked a jug of un mixed antifreeze and it says mix with soft water.

 

[eddy]

Soft vs Hard

The Mrs. has an opinion on this. Stop laughing! Ahem. Supposedly clothes steam irons have the same issue and really soft water with little or no minerals will not gum up the device while tap water with minerals is a real mess!

 

[Pinner]

How about the P.H. level ?