Do you guys recc using special water like distilled or denatured to lower
the mineral content?

----- Original Message -----
From: John Rodgers <inua@hiwaay.net>
To: michael schiesser <drschiesser@bigplanet.com>
Cc: <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2000 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: 50/50 water/coolant ratio

> Michael,
>
> Running 100% coolant is to me a terrible idea. The heat transfer to a 100%
> solution is not as efficient as you might beleive. Follow the
recommendations of
> Bentley, the authority on the cooling system. Until perhaps recently,
water
> is/was the best heat collector/transporter from the metal of the engine to
the
> cooling radiator. Coolant (antifreeze, pump lubricant, coorosion
inhibitor) by
> itself is not very efficient for heat transfer. Only needed if you are in
some
> God-awful place like Umiat, Alaska in winter where it gets 60-70 degrees
below
> zero. Then thermal inefficiencies don't matter. At that point you are
trying
> everything possible to keep the engine warm enough to run.
>
> If you really want to do some good in the cooling department, go to a
50/50 mix
> or per Bentley, then add a bottle of Red-Line Water Wetter. The Redline
stuff is
> a wetting agent that brings about a greater surface contact of the water
in the
> coolant to the surfaces of the cooling system. This enhances heat transfer
both
> from the hot engine to the coolant and then from the coolant to the
radiator to
> the air passing through it.
>
> Just my view based on what I have learned over time about the science
> thermodynamics, how my van works, and how to take care of the van.
>
> Luck,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88GL Driver
>
> michael schiesser wrote:
>
> > John, I used to always mix coolant with water, especially in the summer
to
> > increase the heat capacity of the fluid, but my a vanagon mechanic told
my
> > always to use straight stuff, and thats waht I've been running on for
years.
> > (not to say I haven't had any probs with the cooling system, I ahve had
lots
> > of them. Does anybody have a solid recc on what are the conseqences of a
> > 100% coolant ration vs 50/50 water.
> >
> > I'm also interested in the recent posting on the non-aqueous coolant
that
> > ?decreases head corrosion?
> >
> > Michael Schiesser
> > 89 Westfalia
> > Seattle WA
> > Coolant to water ratio is out of balance. I can't say enough about this.
> > >You
> > >have to have the right amount of coolant in the water for the
resistance
> > >between
> > >the contacts on the low water level sensor to be correct for proper
> > >operation of
> > >the sensor and warning light. Of the top of my head, I think I recall
that
> > >it
> > >must be a 50-50 ratio. If the coolant is old, it can have it's effect.
> > >
> > >Coolant is no place to be chincy on the Vanagons. It's not THAT
expensive,
> > >and
> > >good coolant helps keep the internal working of the cooling system free
of
> > >corrosion and increases the life of the coolant pump. I now use
> > >bio-degradable
> > >DexCool (orange color) in mine - good for two years - , and I bleed the
> > >system
> > >with the tail end up. Procedure works great for me, and I don't have to
> > >hassle
> > >the bleeder valve up front.
> > >
> > >Hope this helps a bit.
> > >
> > >John Rodgers
> > >88GL Driver.
> > >
>