Which coolant additive?

[pismorat]

So after the BBC swap, my truck runs hotter. I went to an aluminum radiator, new hoses, HD fan clutch, 7-blade fan, new shrouds, running 1 gallon of antifreeze to the rest water, and here in SoCal it still gets hot. Going up a slight grade with no real load it will go right to 210+ degrees (180 thermostat). I haven't even been able to take it off-road yet for the fear of over-heating. I want to throw an additive in the coolant to try and give it some help, but which do people have the best results with?

1) Royal Purple Ice
2) RedLine Water Wetter
3) DEI Radiator Relief

 

[sweetk30]

first off its 50 / 50 mix.

then i would verify the temp at were the sensor is in the motor with a ir heat gun.

could be a bad sensor or gauge.

with that i had a built 400 sbc that ran 210 all the time no matter what i did.

 

[76zimmer]

what radiator are you running. Hows the water pump? Correct rotation? Correct sized pulley?

 

[pismorat]

Stock water pump (as far as I know), stock pulley, 2 row aluminum radiator with 1" tubes. Straight water cools better then anti-freeze, so that's why I am running it with more water...plus it doesn't get below 45 deg. here. Water under 15psi also doesn't boil until like 250 deg. I figured I'd throw an additive at it for fun.

 

[sweetk30]

ya i am born/raised in north east cold/rust belt.

 

[4X4HIGH]

You are very correct that water cools much better than "coolant". The reason being is that water is thinner than coolant and will absorb heat better.

I don't like running a 50/50 mix as Brett said to do BUT 1 gallon isn't enough coolant either especially since you're running an aluminum radiator. If you don't have enough coolant then electrolysis will eat the aluminum radiator. Most of our rigs will hold about 5 gallons of coolant so I like to run anywhere between 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of coolant and the rest water.

 

[sweetk30]

new york were i am it an get -10* - -20* easy at times. so we need it for freeze points.

 

[ccarley]

I've used Red Line Water Wetter in the past, and currently in my Suburban. I haven't had it up any hills yet... previously, it would warm up with a stock TBI 350 when it was 90 to 95 outside. On the gauge, it got up to 210 (going up hills while loaded), where I'm guessing normally it runs at the 180 mark.

I'll be testing it this weekend, heading out to Yosemite. So far, the running temps have been better, as in more consistant. Needle doesn't waver up & down around the 180 mark anymore.

In my old Jeep Grand Wagoneer, there was at least a 10 degree difference in temp after adding Water Wetter; it did help it run cooler.

Good luck!
Clay

 

[pismorat]

Thanks ccarley! I am hoping to see some results as well once I go this route. Also...I am running a very reliable SW mechanical temp gauge that I have checked. I may need to check the insulation on the tube next to the header...but I don't think that could be the reason for the temp increasing.