What is in your radiator?

[SSLance]

What are those of you that track day or autocross your cars regularly running in your radiator?

I know that distilled water with some sort of water wetter is preferred for a couple of different reasons in cars that see track time, but I'm curious how many of you that also drive your cars on the street or live in inclimate weather run an antifreeze mixture in yours?

I have to remove and replace a 30 year old heater core that failed a couple of weeks ago, so I'll have my cooling system open and this got me to thinking what I should do since I plan on several more track days next season. First thing I'm going to do is test my coolant for electrolysis to see if that's what made my heater core fail or if it was just age.

[TheJDMan]

Lance,
Given your temperature in KC right now I suspect you have no choice but to refill with anti-freeze. I'm currently using a NAPA brand extended life 50/50 premix. My first priority is to keep the cooling system from freezing. Track day use is secondary at this point.

[SSLance]

I keep the car in a heated garage, but on the odd chance that something happens or it has to move you are correct for the winter anyway. Some friends of mine that race in Chump went to St Louis a couple of weekends ago and had temps in the mid 20s overnight the first night...and had to put antifreeze in their car.

I remember back in the day the drag strips used to not let you run if you had antifreeze in your system and I've seen what a blown radiator hose and antifreeze does to an autocross track.

I don't think I've ever seen it discussed though in regards to our PT cars and the track days and autocross events we run...

[dale68z]

I run Evans coolant. Believe me, it is slippery.

Non corrosive, low pressure, boils at 375 degrees, run it forever

http://www.evanscooling.com/news-and...-lenos-garage/

[speedjohnston]

If you dump anti freeze on a track, you will not make any friends that day. Lol (but definitely don't break your block).

[Yelcamino]

I know it's a PITA, but why not run the anti-freeze mix in the cold months and R&R it for water/wetter mix in the warm months?

[Revved]

Originally Posted by dale68z

I run Evans coolant. Believe me, it is slippery.

Non corrosive, low pressure, boils at 375 degrees, run it forever

http://www.evanscooling.com/news-and...-lenos-garage/

I did a buy in for Evans a few years back when I did that first 1000+ hp Super Snake upgrade that went to Phoenix figuring it could use any little extra cooling I could get. I did two cars with it... one on a fresh motor and radiator... one on an existing engine that I flushed with the prep solution, drained and installed a new radiator. I blew out the heater core on both cars and ran prep solution through it. Both engines had coolant petcocks in the block so they were well drained. Within 6 months both cooling systems looked like murky mud. Nothing thick and chunky like old coolant...just brown and muddy looking. No previous engine or cooling failures on each... coolant that came out of them was in good condition.

I've never used it since. I think I still have some on the shelf and yes at $35ish a gallon its not cheap but a lot of "premium" coolants have come on the market in the last couple years that aren't much cheaper. I think if you buy the BeCool premium coolant in gallon bottles its around $30/gal. I always buy a couple 5 gallon pails when I order a radiator since they discount the shipping.