Water only, no antifreeze-Problem?

[Cruiserdrew]

A general question on my FJ60. I am currently waiting on some new formed Toyota heater hoses from Cruiser Dan at American Toyota and will be replacing all of them soon. To get back on the road, I used the old hose with the clamp in a new spot and it's not leaking, but since I didn't want to put in antifreeze and then have to drain again in a week, I refilled with just water. Will that be a problem for one week's use? Any problems with corrosion or unlubricated water pump seals? At most it will see 50 miles of driving in that time. Obviously, in a week, I'm going back to the 50/50 mix once I get and install the new hoses.

One other thing that's interesting-My heater hoses are original Toyota factory hoses, you can tell by the cotter pin clamps. Amazing to me that they lasted 20 years and 190k miles! The old ones are very difficult to remove from the metal pipes.

 

[Landpimp]

I do it often, right now(3 weeks) I have only water in the 45LV, needs be be flushed again so why waste the anti freeze? prolly ran all my cruisers at some point with only water........no problems.

should mention in the winter if it gets even close to freezing.........not a good idea.

 

[swank60]

It may not be a problem for short term use, unless it's hot in your area, then you may overheat. I'm not sure about the lubrication issue. It might be pretty hard on the water pump.

To be on the safe side, consider using distilled water. It'll cool better, and may decrease your chance for corrosion.

 

[pismojim]

Relax and enjoy water's superior coefficient of heat transfer versus anti-freeze. In other words, your engine should run cooler.

 

[archie]

Most third world countries. where it does not freeze, run mostly on water. If I was to leave it in for a long time I would try to use distilled water to keep sedimentation down. Since it is only for a short time just use clean water and save some money. When I use work for a Pharmecuetical company I use to use their water for injection(the same fluid they mix to inject into your body) to mix with my antifreeze. It was not only super clean but PH balanced and sterile also!

 

[hj60]

Straight water is fine. Won't lubricate your water pump, so adding something like Water Wetter is a good idea. Distilled won't corrode as badly as tap, but eventually all liquid cooling systems get buildup in them. Fact of life.

 

[cahilc]

... but eventually all liquid cooling systems get buildup in them ...

Muriatic acid, the liquid cooling system buildup remover.

Be careful !!!

Cahil

 

[Landpimp]

not sure if this is true but I heard distilled water will not boil

 

[swank60]

not sure if this is true but I heard distilled water will not boil

It is true! I saw an episode of "Myth Busters" where they did a test with distilled water. They left some in a container in the micro for 5 minutes and brought it out - no boil. Then, they dropped something into it, and it basically exploded. Something about the addition of impurities that changes it's heating/boiling characteristics.

Next system flush I do, I'll go with distilled water.

 

[Landpimp]

LOL..............same place I saw it

I would guess however in a cooling system no matter how clean it is when you refill it.......there will be inpurities in the system.

It is true! I saw an episode of "Myth Busters" where they did a test with distilled water. They left some in a container in the micro for 5 minutes and brought it out - no boil. Then, they dropped something into it, and it basically exploded. Something about the addition of impurities that changes it's heating/boiling characteristics.

Next system flush I do, I'll go with distilled water.

 

[Benji]

I work in a science lab and only used Distilled water for the radiator. I have used Ultra pure water for kicks as well. It has a 2-micron filtration system, DI, and UV so no bacteria. Overkill, but free and fun.

And YES, DI water boils! How do you think they made the temperature index of degrees Celsius? Celsius is defined as the temp when water freezes 0 °C and when water boils 100 °C at sea level. This measurement system was made with ultra ultra ultra pure laboratory water. The more impurities you have in water the higher temp it takes to boil. That’s why you put salt in your water when cooking pasta. It doesn’t start to boil until a much higher temp so your pasta gets cooked faster. More salt (or solute) = higher temp, until it boils.

The reason DI water does not “boil” is because there is no surface area in the water to form bubbles. In chemistry labs, boiling chips are added to DI water so boiling is obvious, and so it does not “pop” or “explode” from the apparatus.

The SI (Système International d'Unités) scale for temperature is degrees Kelvin (K). Kelvin and Celsius have the same one to one unit ratio, however, K is based on absolute zero (the point at which matter i.e. atoms, electrons, stop moving). 0 K equals -273.15 oC. To convert °C to K just subtract 273.15.


Class dissmissed.

Cheers

 

[swank60]

I thought that adding salt to water made it boil more quickly (logic being that it lowers the boiling point) - isn't that the conventional wisdom that we were all brought up with? Man, this is going to throw me off...

And with that logic (that it takes more heat to boil dirty water, if I read it right) doesn't it stand to reason that a dirty cooling system would cool more efficiently?

I just have to ask - your whole post seems to be the exact opposite of what I've always thought - kind of a brain grinder.

 

[Benji]

Salt (the solute) in water (the solvent) will increase the boiling point a few degrees i.e. 100 to maybe 110 °C depending on the concentration of solute. Salt water also freezes at a lower temp. instead of 0 °C it will be maybe -15 °C also depending on concentration. That is why they put salt on ice covered roads. The salt decreases the temp at which water freezes, thus it will freeze at a lower temp than 0 °C. When it's just below freezing out and salt is on the road, no ice is able to form becasue it takes a lower temp for the ice to freeze.

Salt in water boils at a higher temperature, thus decreasing the time it takes to cook pasta and such.

Saltwater = higher temp to boil and lower temp to freeze.

Salty Roads = Cruiser cancer.

Crud in your radiator = blockage which = no cool

http://www.wonderquest.com/water-boil-salt.htm

cheers

 

[swank60]

How 'bout them apples. Makes sense, I guess I just never gave it any thought.

I learned something today.

 

[Jonathan_Ferguson]

It is true! I saw an episode of "Myth Busters" where they did a test with distilled water. They left some in a container in the micro for 5 minutes and brought it out - no boil. Then, they dropped something into it, and it basically exploded. Something about the addition of impurities that changes it's heating/boiling characteristics.

Even normal Water when heated up in a Microwave Oven will just exceed 100 C before Boiling.

And YES, DI water boils! How do you think they made the temperature index of degrees Celsius? Celsius is defined as the temp when water freezes 0 °C and when water boils 100 °C at sea level.

Water starts to Freez from 4 C.

 

[cahilc]

Get water to boil ???

Myself, I'd try 30 mBar's of vacuum. I believe water will boil in 28 mBar's of vacuum so 30 ought to be just peachy.

:+)

Sorry, just couldn't resist the urge,

Cahil

 

[Jim_Phillips]

IIRC, in an 80% vacuum, water boils at 35c

If you have a rear heater, don't forget to change the rubber sections that take the hot water to the heater and run under the truck. They get a lot of dirt / salt / corrosion and failed on my last 2 cruisers.

Jim

 

[slofj60]

thought i'd add my 2 cents.

i replaced my water pump, thermostat and hoses. don't know what i was thinking (probably wasn't) but i refilled with 100% coolant!!! . couldn't figure out why my 60 was running hotter than before the pump replacement. asked my mechanic and he said that coolant doesn't cool as well as water which is why i'm running hotter.

so, i'm draining some coolant and adding some water. 50/50

chris

 

[IDave]

I thought coolant has rust inhibitors that you might want in your system. It seems like water alone is asking for it....

 

[pismojim]

I thought coolant has rust inhibitors that you might want in your system. It seems like water alone is asking for it....

Original post regarded using water alone for only a week.