Coolant discussion

[SKULLGRINDER]

Random question that got me thinking.


How many of you are running 100% distilled water with an additive like Water Wetter instead of a traditional 50/50 coolant mix?


In theory, water transfers heat better than antifreeze, so it should help keep coolant temperatures a bit lower. Of course, it also gives up the lubrication, corrosion protection, and boil/freeze protection that antifreeze provides.


I’m not asking because I’m looking for a band-aid for an unhealthy cooling system—just curious if anyone has actually tried it long-term on a trail-driven Land Cruiser.


I know it’s common in the racing world, but that’s largely because many race organizations prohibit glycol-based antifreeze, not necessarily because it’s the ideal cooling solution.


Has anyone here run distilled water and Water Wetter (or a similar additive) in a 30+ year-old Cruiser that’s spending hours on the trail with the A/C blasting in 104°F Arizona heat? If so, what were your real-world results compared to a standard 50/50 mix?

 

[aztoytec]

Not a Cruiser but my son runs distilled water with water wetter in his Miata that he daily’s and takes to the track. No problems here in Tucson () with AC. He does have an aluminum over sized radiator. We have changed it a couple times during repairs and haven’t seen any build up or rust.

 

[javelinadave]

50/50 Toyota pink coolant in my entire fleet of Toyotas

 

[Funner]

I think the inhibitors in antifreeze play an important role in keeping corrosion down on the various types of metal in the cooling system passages.

 

[blatant]

100 LL. 200 pink. stick with OEM.

 

[Living in the Past]

Curious when the pink and red antifreeze started. In 2002 I took my 89 FJ62 to a shop called Toyota West. Had a rough idle. Charge over a $100 a full inspection totally over $7,000 in work to needed to be done but nothing addressing my issue. One thing it said was I had the wrong green antifreeze. I always thought the change in the Land Cruiser on the 93 FZJ80. Those have a dual overhead cam made out of aluminium. When I bought it 1993 the PO always had serviced at Camelback Toyota. Base lining it I found the transfer case filled with automatic transmission fluid. Did they get the antifreeze wrong as well? This was prior to Murf's time there.

 

[LosAZ]

Curious when the pink and red antifreeze started. In 2002 I took my 89 FJ62 to a shop called Toyota West. Had a rough idle. Charge over a $100 a full inspection totally over $7,000 in work to needed to be done but nothing addressing my issue. One thing it said was I had the wrong green antifreeze. I always thought the change in the Land Cruiser on the 93 FZJ80. Those have a dual overhead cam made out of aluminium. When I bought it 1993 the PO always had serviced at Camelback Toyota. Base lining it I found the transfer case filled with automatic transmission fluid. Did they get the antifreeze wrong as well? This was prior to Murf's time there.

Answer from Claude.

Toyota switched from red Long Life Coolant to pink Super Long Life Coolant in 2004 . The pink coolant is pre-mixed and has a much longer replacement interval (typically 100,000 miles/10 years initially) compared to the red concentrate, which needed to be diluted and changed more frequently.

Also, I can’t imagine a Toyota dealership using green anti-freeze. Are they even allowed to stock it?

 

[OGBeno]

Answer from Claude.

Toyota switched from red Long Life Coolant to pink Super Long Life Coolant in 2004 . The pink coolant is pre-mixed and has a much longer replacement interval (typically 100,000 miles/10 years initially) compared to the red concentrate, which needed to be diluted and changed more frequently.

Also, I can’t imagine a Toyota dealership using green anti-freeze. Are they even allowed to stock it?

Yes. For old Toyotas and non-Toyota vehicles they are selling used.

 

[RHINO]

Random question that got me thinking.


How many of you are running 100% distilled water with an additive like Water Wetter instead of a traditional 50/50 coolant mix?

nobody should be, its not meant nor was it designed for that purpose except in short term racing applications.

water wetter has always said that for everyday cars its a cooling system additive, not replacement.

 

[OffRoadScott]

Okay throwing a wrench into the whole conversation. Who is or has used the Red Line Supercool Performance? Experience does not have to be with Toyota I just want to know your experiences with that product.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Random question that got me thinking.


How many of you are running 100% distilled water with an additive like Water Wetter instead of a traditional 50/50 coolant mix?


In theory, water transfers heat better than antifreeze, so it should help keep coolant temperatures a bit lower. Of course, it also gives up the lubrication, corrosion protection, and boil/freeze protection that antifreeze provides.


I’m not asking because I’m looking for a band-aid for an unhealthy cooling system—just curious if anyone has actually tried it long-term on a trail-driven Land Cruiser.


I know it’s common in the racing world, but that’s largely because many race organizations prohibit glycol-based antifreeze, not necessarily because it’s the ideal cooling solution.


Has anyone here run distilled water and Water Wetter (or a similar additive) in a 30+ year-old Cruiser that’s spending hours on the trail with the A/C blasting in 104°F Arizona heat? If so, what were your real-world results compared to a standard 50/50 mix?

Back in my SC days the best cooling mix for my 80 was a Ron Davis radiator, Water Wetter and RO water. In talking with Water Wetter engineers they assured me the additives and lubes in Water wetter surpassed the additives in my Toyota coolant. Truth I dont know but it cooled the best.

Today all my Toyotas run 100% Toyota blood but not 50/50. Toyota long life is rated at -50 I mix to -10 giving me less anti-freeze and more water.