Anyone running propylene glycol coolant?

[ZRX61]

Same stuff is sold as Water Wetter & Ice etc.... but at twice the price of something like Sta-Clean used in big rigs. Stuff is good for 300,000+ miles. We use it in RR Merlins & they run 20deg cooler than with the regular ethylene coolant. I also run it in my Kaw 1100 & I have to check the fan still works every couple of years as it doesn't get hot enough to trigger the fan... I live in the Mojave Desert.

Or is there a warranty clause to a certain mileage?

 

[TMac]

If you do a bit of research, you'll find that there's no way under the same circumstances that prop glycol is more efficient than than ethylene glycol. Propylene is definitely safer, but less efficient in terms of heat transfer (viscosity) and freezing point. That's why ethylene is used in closed systems such as those in automotive use. Ask yourself this, if a manufacturer could deliver a smaller radiator (less cost) and something much less toxic by using a better coolant, why don't they?

 

[ZRX61]

We did research it. Under the same conditions where a Merlin will overheat when running the usual stuff, they don't when using this stuff. That's why they use this stuff in Reno Unlimiteds

 

[TMac]

There is science, and then there's anecdotal research. I'm glad it works for you. Distilled water has even better heat transfer and will work better than any glycol mix if there's no need to extend freezing and boiling points.

 

[Cruising68]

There is science, and then there's anecdotal research. I'm glad it works for you. Distilled water has even better heat transfer and will work better than any glycol mix if there's no need to extend freezing and boiling points.

This is true. I believe distilled water and water wetter gives you even better heat transfer. But no boil/freeze protection and no corrosion protection.

Used to run Evans Coolant in my dirt bike. The 450 4 stroke would overheat in the tight woods and the Evans doesn't boil until something like 350 degrees. It did NOT keep the bike running any cooler however, just prevented puking coolant causing it to overheat more easily.

 

[ZRX61]

There is science, and then there's anecdotal research. I'm glad it works for you. Distilled water has even better heat transfer and will work better than any glycol mix if there's no need to extend freezing and boiling points.

We mix it with distilled water.

 

[ZRX61]

This is true. I believe distilled water and water wetter gives you even better heat transfer. But no boil/freeze protection and no corrosion protection.

Used to run Evans Coolant in my dirt bike. The 450 4 stroke would overheat in the tight woods and the Evans doesn't boil until something like 350 degrees. It did NOT keep the bike running any cooler however, just prevented puking coolant causing it to overheat more easily.

I was under the impression that water wetter was just expensive propylene glocol, Evans definitely is.

My Kaw 11 engine is based on the '84 900 Ninja. When the 900's were new they had a habit of overheating & puking coolant. There were also a few grenaded engines.

Kaw came up with a brilliant cure for the temp guage reading high... They put a resistor in the wire going to the gauge, so you were blissfully unaware of how hot it was until it puked or went pop.

 

[Cruising68]

Water Wetter is a surfactant I believe. You only use a little. Supposedly it allows the fluid to better contact the aluminum and transfer heat better.

No doubt Evans is expensive. I would not recommend using it unless you were trying to address a specific issue like boiling coolant. Normally a boil over is a good sign something has gone wrong. Would hate to be driving down the highway with 350 degree coolant destroying my engine because I wasn't looking at the temp gauge