Lately I have read several messages on the net re: use of distilled water in
cooling systems...in a word - DON'T.
Distilled or demineralized water is "ionically unbalanced" - so it goes
looking for ions to revert to a balanced state. Guess where the missing ions
come from?...the steel in your engine block, so you may end up with holes in
the block - I've seen engines using distilled water alone for coolant produce
rust-colored coolant in a short time. (Any chemical engineers out there can
verify this...) Mixing it with antifreeze reduces this effect, but the best
coolant mixure is clean tap water and good antifreeze in a 50/50 solution.
This provides a fluid with a higher boiling point than plain water.
WaterWetter (with or without water pump lube) is a good additive to further
increase heat transfer from the engine to the coolant...Use the distilled
water in your battery...
On the other hand, make sure your engine is operating at least at 180 degrees
F. ... cooler is not better. Gasoline internal combustion engines are
happiest at 180 to 200 F.
Thermostats do age and should be replaced about every 30,000 to 50,000 miles,
along with correct radiator cap of specified pressure. (Most LBC's should be
no more than about 7 pounds unless cooling system is brand new and can hold
15 pounds or more). (Mercedes-Benz has recently raised their requirements to
almost 18 pounds on all cars going back to 1968).
How do I know this? I am also a national technical advisor for Mercedes-Benz
Club of America - so I dabble in both LBCs (own a 1960 MGA Roadster) and
M-Bs....
Enjoy the net...especially the jokes(?) about Lucas...here's one I haven't
seen...
Why do the English drink their beer warm? Their refrigerators are made by
Lucas...
Cheers, George Murphy
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