Just adding the final touches to my vortech s/c install. On the fence on all these options for coolant in the after cooler. Straight water, water and water wetter, distilled water, antifreeze, coolant. Has anyone experienced two different types and one acted better when it came to IAT's? Anyone run into issues with a combo or brand of fluid? Looking for the best option here as anyone running into this issue would feel the same. Right now I'm leaning towards water and water wetter, not 100% set on that so I'm open to options from people who have experienced others. Im running a water temp sensor in my heat exchanger so I'll be able to be keeping track of the temps for research purposed for future reference. Let me know what ya think guys.

 

Avoid antifreeze coolant unless you are in the coldest of climates. I tried several combinations and ended up with distilled water and water wetter.
I've been running that for the last 7 or 8 years.

 

Yep, distilled water and water wetter...good luck with keeping your iat's down.

 

Unless you are going to drive the car in sub-freezing conditions I'd go water and the recommended dosage of water wetter.

 

Wouldnt it freeze in the winter time tho? Eveb if u arent driving it. Wouldnt it damage the geat exchanger?

 

See the post above. Yes in winter pure water would be a bad idea but in a place where temps aren't low enough to freeze you'd be fine. You could also run that set up until it got cold and just flush it or add coolant. I just made a switch to one bottle coolant (Honda type 2), the rest distilled water and one bottle water wetter. Made a good difference in temps.

 

Sorry, I'm used to living in NC and having a garage so I don't ever worry about freezing temps. Bottom line if your car will experience below freezing temps then pure water (w/ water wetter) wouldn't work. Its not too hard to drain the system and refill, so maybe do water w/ water wetter in all seasons except winter, and just drain and fill with a 50/50 coolant mix in winter.

In winter you wouldn't be as concerned with the cooling efficiency of the aftercooler system anyway since ambient temps would be low and heat soak wouldn't be as big an issue. So the coolant mix in the winter wouldn't hurt much.

 

I switched from 50/50 coolant/water, to distilled water and water wetter. Seemed to make no difference at all to my intake temps at the track.

 

Yeah, unfortunately I'm in New York so I'll experience some cold nights. Im in a heated garage but my luck I'll take the car out on a 45 degree fall night and it be freezing by the time I'm home. I'll be running water wetter and distilled water and I'll just drain and install 50/50 in the colder months, I don't drive the car from when salt hits the road to about April anyway. Thanks for the input fellas

 

Distilled water and water wetter is what I use as well.