White sludge in oil

[Hipster]

Some racing organizations require running straight water instead of coolant because if your system dumps on-track, it's not as slick and greasy.

Coolant is no less dangerous than straight water. Yes, the boiling point is raised, but not significantly. Your coolant is under pressure to keep it from boiling in the engine. If you take the radiator cap off, the pressure drop causes coolant to steam just as bad as water. Whether straight water or coolant, you need to treat your cooling system with respect when hot.

The biggest problem with running straight water is that it causes corrosion inside your engine. You'll want to change the water regularly. If you can put a sacrificial metal in your cooling system and check it regularly, that might help. If I remember right, Cadillac put aluminum balls in their radiators back in the '90s.

Last time I checked something like that was still available. Much like zinc's for a boat. To kill electrolysis.

 

[92Raiderburban]

Are you really running just water?
You will not only kill that engine dead.
That is for sure.
Running just water went out in the 1930s.
It is also extremelly dangerous.
Any part of that system that gets plugged full of rust.
Which it will.
Becomes a steam bomb.
Constrained steam is deadly.
Automotive history is chock full of people who died from face burns because they poked a finger at a swelled radiator hose that was plugged.
Not to mention the history of steamboat and steamcar explosions.
And lets not forget about the women who got decapitated from pressure cookers.

Water, heated and under pressure, has an amazing potential energy.
Thats how nuke subs work.
Steam
Coolant raises the boiling point of water.
To a safe realm that the hoses, components, heads ,etc...
Wont explode.
All it takes is one little temporary blockage that holds that pressure back untill you apply some imbalance to that pressure.
just a touch will do it.
That is all it takes.
Just a touch of your finger.
Your next stop after a radiator explosion or a cold shock boil over is the local burn unit.
Thats where they pump you full of morphine for a couple of months while they try to keep you from dying from shock.
Then they decide which part of your ass or leg or whatever is left that they can maybe, maybe get a skin graft from
If you manage to fight off the infection,
And you still havent givein up and you just arent ready to die yet.
That is when the fun starts.
The morphine the ******* whirpool all of that.
The ******* skin scrubbing.
Buy some damn coolant cheap ass

Been doin this for generations. Never killed any engine. Pontiac 455s and Cadillac 472s included. Spare the rest of your opinionated jazz. Race cars use str8 water these dayz. At least to the track I've been to.

 

[Frank Enstein]

Where do you buy it? I don't even see it on Amazon. That sounds like some good stuff.



What's thge idea behind running the partial thermostat if it's going to be run through a tank of gas?

The stuff is sold on the local level. Check the Mom and Pop parts stores.

Fast rate of coolant flow to help scrub out the corners and ease of flushing afterwords.

 

[Frank Enstein]

^^^ This.

Seeing 220 on a gauge is not a problem if there's sufficient anti/freeze in it but people panic. Boiling over is another matter.

Just the anti-corrosive/lubricating qualities are worth using it.

Cooling systems are closed systems that need to develop pressure. I'm assuming the expansion tank is being run empty or it would suck whatever's left back in everytime the truck cooled off IF the cooling system is operating properly.

In jest, what's after checking radiator air? Muffler bearings and blinker fluid? LOL

There's quite a few mis-steps and possibly overlooking another problem.

I buy my blinker fluid by the case. Much cheaper.

 

[thinger2]

Been doin this for generations. Never killed any engine. Pontiac 455s and Cadillac 472s included. Spare the rest of your opinionated jazz. Race cars use str8 water these dayz. At least to the track I've been to.

Didnt realize you were talking about a race car.
I thought you were talking about a daily driver truck.
I know tracks wont let you run coolant.
I only brought it up as a warning to people who think you can run straight water in a daily.
Sorry about that confusion.
But everything thing I said about steam and being in the burn unit is absolutely true.
Not opinion.
Ive seen it up close and personal and it aint no fun pal.

 

[454cid]

I would think a hose would let go before any serious pressure could build. I've blown a hose off my radiator with just my garden hose that deadheads at about 60psi at the faucet. I've done just water on the street when I had a serious leak I didnt have time to fix.....bad idea though. Lots of corrosion.

 

[ChrsLytn]

Some racing organizations require running straight water instead of coolant because if your system dumps on-track, it's not as slick and greasy.

Coolant is no less dangerous than straight water. Yes, the boiling point is raised, but not significantly. Your coolant is under pressure to keep it from boiling in the engine. If you take the radiator cap off, the pressure drop causes coolant to steam just as bad as water. Whether straight water or coolant, you need to treat your cooling system with respect when hot.

The biggest problem with running straight water is that it causes corrosion inside your engine. You'll want to change the water regularly. If you can put a sacrificial metal in your cooling system and check it regularly, that might help. If I remember right, Cadillac put aluminum balls in their radiators back in the '90s.

The Tin Man had aluminum balls. Not many people know that. I'm pretty sure Dorothy and three or four munchkins were aware of it. And the wicked witch of the east, I know for a fact, rattled his cage a time or two.

 

[thinger2]

I would think a hose would let go before any serious pressure could build. I've blown a hose off my radiator with just my garden hose that deadheads at about 60psi at the faucet. I've done just water on the street when I had a serious leak I didnt have time to fix.....bad idea though. Lots of corrosion.

The radiator cap should blow into the coolant tank.
The problem is that crud and rust can build up and cause a blockage.
That lets pressure build against that blockage.
Any void or right angle becomes a steam pocket.
When that blockage fails from the pressure of that steam.
That super heated air water mixture will immediatly find its way to equalibrium.
Through the path of least resistance.
If you are lucky thats through the head gasket.
If youve been running pure distilled water and it ate your aluminum radiator it might just explode in your face and burn the **** out of you.
Coolant isnt some kind of a scam.
Spend the 15 bucks

 

[Schurkey]

I get a kick out of guys that deiberately run little or no antifreeze, then decide it's a good idea to go on a ski-trip to the mountains.

Years ago, I bought a pair of used, aluminum cylinder heads from some seller on eBay. Somehow, he "forgot" to mention that his race-car didn't use anti-freeze or corrosion protection of any kind.

I had the heads planed, and pressure-tested. They turned out OK, but were visually horrible especially before being machined. (These are the heads currently on my K1500 now.)

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[92Raiderburban]

Didnt realize you were talking about a race car.
I thought you were talking about a daily driver truck.
I know tracks wont let you run coolant.
I only brought it up as a warning to people who think you can run straight water in a daily.
Sorry about that confusion.
But everything thing I said about steam and being in the burn unit is absolutely true.
Not opinion.
Ive seen it up close and personal and it aint no fun pal.

yes its in a daily driver truck. But to say you cant run str8 distilled water is a lie. ive done it for all trucks and cars, so did my grandfather. yes corrosion can occur but thats why u do a cooling system flush every so often, regardless. And your "warning" is not needed. ANYONE who drives a combustion engine powered vehicle should know right of the bat you dont open the radiator when the engine is hot, unless you have a pressure release cap and towel to cover it when the steam comes out. previous job i worked at the idiot boss opened the cap and got 2nd degree burns from green antifreeze.The only difference with that and str8 h2o is the fact that anifreeze does not freeze solid at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. i live in Las Vegas, where it doesnt stay below 30 long enough to freeze water in the radiator. my GMT is a 3/4 ton with rear heat option (4 gallons of coolant required). Not gonna spend $30 on green stuff every time a leak via hose or radiator crack occurs, especially not when gasoline is nearly $4 a gallon over here.

If you are lucky thats through the head gasket.

yea maybe on a pos foreign car that's known blowing them from one time of overheating , but not no GM big cubes. Water pump gasket will go first, if pressure is great enough, its torqued way less than a head gasket. C'mon bro be realistic here LOL

If youve been running pure distilled water and it ate your aluminum radiator it might just explode in your face and burn the **** out of you.
Coolant isnt some kind of a scam.
Spend the 15 bucks

ran water in my all aluminum radiator for years in my square body. None of what you have claimed has ever happened. No one is saying its a scam. Only you are assuming that. green antifreeze is for the extra cold states that see snow for more than a few hours or days fo the year, Not Southern Cali, NV, AZ, Texas and anywhere else where it sees triple digits in the summer. Your situation is not equivalent to mine. Must be pretty cheap livin up there in Washington state.