Marks71 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Would like some members opinion on this. I’ve been using distilled water in my coolant mix in my 69 Z/28 mainly because of the aluminum intake since 98. Also in my 64 Buick Special Deluxe with the factory cast iron 300ci. with factory aluminum heads, intake and water pump. I’ve been doing this mainly to decrease mineral deposits and corrosion. For some reason I decided to google it and read opinions from people that swear by it to one from a Rislone chemist saying It will totally destroy the cooling system. What are you using In your systems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC1of80 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Water. 50/50 mix from concentrate. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cny first gen 71 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Just plain water with apprx 50 percent mix of antifreeze if I have to add more I add antifreeze it's probably more antifreeze than water but yes just plain tap water. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I have used 50/50 plain tap water with antifreeze concentrate in my 70 Monte for 27 years and the same radiator the whole time. Over 80,000 miles over that time too. I change the coolant every 3-5 years. No issues. Engine builder recently said the engine looked really good upon disassembly. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jft69z Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I typically use distilled water. The Griffin aluminum rad in my Camaro is around 30 years old, no issues at all, same with the aluminum heads and intake manifold on it. In fact, Griffin recommends 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water. GM service procedures for newer vehicles typically say use 50/50 mix of coolant and clean drinking water, whereas some of the older procedures (90's vehicles) say 'preferably distilled water'. The service manuals for our first gens just say water and high quality coolant. Some sources say to use de-ionized water. Some other manufacturers say use distilled water, some say water, still others say to use their pre-mixed coolant (Honda, Toyota, etc.). Depending on what the factory service procedures say when I'm working on someone else's vehicles, I typically use their recommendation, which goes for the rest of the vehicle systems as well (trans, front/rear diff, transfer cases, etc). 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searsman Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Premixed 50/50.. covers to about -35 to -40 below. Not sure which water for the mix they use.. hope it isn’t salt water 😁 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragCat Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 As Joe said with Griffen, 50/50 and distilled. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobW Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I'm on well water that has some iron content. Softener system and filtration significantly reduces it but doesen't eliminate it. Distilled water always. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dtret Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 50/50 mix. Good old school green antifreeze. I have an Ionics water purifier hooked up to the whole house including outside water supply, with filtration system. Also works great if I was too wash my cars. No water spots. Same mix has been in my 88 Monte with aluminum heads for 18 years. Still looks and tests as good as the day I put it in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Peters Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I used to use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and tap water. I say used to because I no longer use tap water. The reason for this dates back to issues I had with my Model A Ford before I was forced to install a new radiator. For my Model A I never used any antifreeze but used regular tap water because since I have owned it, the car was never exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees. Model A Fords sometimes tend to overheat and their cooling system is not a sealed system so what doesn't spill out through an overflow tube boils out from around the radiator cap. When this would happen the leaking water would coat the engine compartment, hood and fenders with rusty water. A good Model A friend noticed this one day and said are you running tap water in your Model A and I answered yes. He told me to completely flush the radiator and block with a cleaning system and never put tap water in it again. The reason being is the iron in the water combined with the cast iron engine and head is what was creating the rust issues but mostly the iron in the water, not to mention the many other chemicals in tap water. He told me to only use DI water. Due to the many years of only using tap water, even doin the chemical flush of the system did not help the radiator and when I took the radiator to a radiator to have it restored the shop wanted over $1000 to restore the original radiator. This is when I purchased a new radiator and switched over to DI Water. With using DI water I have never had an issue with any rust in the system. rob 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montemedic Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I replaced my original factory 4 row brass copper radiator with another factory replacement in 2020, at age 50. It had a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. I used a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water this time as an experiment. I’ll let you know how it works out in 46 years. 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks71 Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 5 hours ago, BobW said: I'm on well water that has some iron content. Softener system and filtration significantly reduces it but doesen't eliminate it. Distilled water always. I’m on a well also. I have a whole house filter and a softener. Water from softeners using salt is not recommended for irrigation do to high salt content. I’m forced to use potassium in mine ($35/50lb. verses about $7/50lb. for salt) because when we built our house the plumber hooked all my hose bibs to the softener instead of just the one in front of my garage like I asked. So my water has a higher concentration of potassium, which the plants like, but not going to use it in my vehicles. Ron’s comment about salt water made me bring this up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jft69z Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 38 minutes ago, Marks71 said: I’m on a well also. That being the case, if it were me, I'd probably steer towards either some type of bottled water (distilled or drinking water available in gallon jugs), or just go for the pre-mixed coolant (which may cost a bit more). At least you may have a little better idea of the water quality, vs. the well water? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cny first gen 71 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 4 hours ago, Montemedic said: I replaced my original factory 4 row brass copper radiator with another factory replacement in 2020, at age 50. It had a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. I used a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water this time as an experiment. I’ll let you know how it works out in 46 years. I'll hold you yo that CK 😅 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks71 Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 1 hour ago, jft69z said: That being the case, if it were me, I'd probably steer towards either some type of bottled water (distilled or drinking water available in gallon jugs), or just go for the pre-mixed coolant (which may cost a bit more). At least you may have a little better idea of the water quality, vs. the well water? That’s what I do. I think I have about 10 gallons. Walmart carries it for about a buck a gallon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott S. Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I've questioned some of this "distilled" water before. Not sure if it's the water or just the container, but I had a few 1 gallon jugs that had brown sediment in them. Not sure if there's an expiry date for this stuff, but I haven't bought any from Super Store since. I think Walmart uses the same..... Could just be by territory ? Also, if you have aluminum components, there is a different A/F recommended for that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks71 Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 Some of my water is about 2 years old. Still crystal clear. Wasn’t aware of a specific antifreeze for aluminum though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 This is a great question!! I think I used 50/50 with my city water system. I think I have seen Pre Mixed 50/50 in stores. And now the question I have, how long between changes? I just looked and last time I did a coolant change was in 2009 about 16,000 Miles ago, when I replaced the heater core and many other things. WOW!! Is the proper disposal method still the storm drain? (I remember doing that in the late 60's and early 70's.) 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jft69z Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 1 hour ago, Marks71 said: Walmart carries it for about a buck a gallon. Yep, that's where I get it too. Never had a problem with it, so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searsman Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 14 hours ago, Marks71 said: Some of my water is about 2 years old. Still crystal clear. Wasn’t aware of a specific antifreeze for aluminum though. Yes, I wasn’t aware of this either, until this year. A friend has a pt cruiser that has aluminum material included in the engine. When you go into the parts store for antifreeze, there’s is a section that has recommendations on the jug for specific cars, Chrysler, ford, Chevy ect. On the radiator fill cap is a warning ⚠️ to use only a certain type of antifreeze. Non corrosive for aluminum… 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montemedic Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Your on Steve !!! I would love to be able to report my findings to you and the Club in 46 years. I would be 104 years old. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cny first gen 71 Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I'm sure I won't be around then so maybe report to my grandson hopefully he'll be interested and have my monte. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jft69z Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 The subject on radiators, water, coolant is quite complex nowadays. There is plenty of info out there from chemical companies that explain the different chemical compositions and the intended uses. The vehicle manufacturers all have their specs and requirements as well. Some use glycol based, silicate based, organic acid technology, , hybrid organic technologies, etc, all with differing colors to help distinguish between them. Some are NOT recommended for the copper/brass components of old cars (just because you put an aluminum radiator in, don't forget the heater core may still be copper/brass) Below is some info from the various radiator companies. Most agree that distilled water is preferred, some sources say they're all good with aluminum, and others further stipulate that the system should be fully closed (overflow bottle, no way for air to enter), as that accelerates corrosion. Plenty of info that will show you any & everything you ever wanted to know about coolants: https://usradiator.com/does-coolant-matter https://www.dewitts.com/blogs/news/14054309-what-coolant-should-i-use-with-an-aluminum-radiator https://shop.championcooling.com/articles/What-Coolant-Color-Do-I-Use https://www.griffinrad.com/tips.php https://www.chevronlubricants.com/en_us/home/learning/from-chevron/industrial-machinery/nitrited-or-nitrite-free-coolants.html Interesting reading, but says distilled water is bad (based on his buddy, a chemist), contrary to just about every other source out there. Still good reading: https://www.onallcylinders.com/2022/01/26/ask-away-with-jeff-smith-picking-the-best-antifreeze-for-an-older-vehicle/ More in depth articles from MOTOR magazine, a trade publication for auto techs, repair shops, etc. I've been a subscriber for at least 20+ years, always top notch, fact based info: https://www.motor.com/magazinepdfs/082004_04.pdf https://www.motor.com/magazinepdfs/081999_11.pdf https://www.motor.com/magazinepdfs/082010_08.pdf Another good article: https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/cool-it-what-you-need-to-know-about-your-vehicles-cooling-system/ A couple good reference charts: https://www.chevronlubricants.com/content/dam/external/havoline/en_us/sales-material/brochures/Havoline AFC Reference Chart.pdf https://images.oreillyauto.com/uploads/pdf/ad/SD_672 AFZ Comparison Chart-1.pdf https://www.sparkauto.com/resources/50/offers/BESFEBRUARY2017.pdf 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBMan Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Distilled water is stripped of minerals during distillation and, as a result, the metals in your engine and cooling system will be siphoned back into the water leaving your metals vulnerable and possibly weakened. This doesn't happen overnight but it definitely happens. The same is the reason why it's bad for you to drink distilled water; it sucks the minerals out of your body. I didn't read anything from anyone about using pre-mixed antifeeze. I use the pre-mixed antifreeze from NAPA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dtret Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I never looked because I don’t use it but what water is used in the pre-mix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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