Important Info on Water Wetter

[DeepPower]

I have always used Water Wetter in my coolant. I put in a new radiator about 12K miles ago.

A few months ago I put a long funnel in the radiator to add water. When I removed the funnel I noticed a blackish-brown sticky tar on the funnel (see below):

I cleaned it as best I could but as you can see it would not all come off. It seems it's from the Redline Water Wetter:
http://rennlist.com/forums/general-...dline-water-wetter-users-just-a-heads-up.html

Water Wetter and Sludge Buildup - Bob Is The Oil Guy

This is important - I could never see the tar when draining the coolant, but I saw it on the thermostat and now on the funnel. Royal Purple Purple Ice is supposed to be a safer and superior alternative.

Has anyone else seen this with Redline Water Wetter?

 

[tompumped]

Thanks for the info. That definitely looks different than the shit i've seen with bad head gaskets. I used to use it all the time, but I figured it's just snake oil and stopped using it.

I just recently bought mishimoto liquid chill synthetic coolant, maybe it's as good as people say it is and it's worth the cost. Last time I researched top quality coolant some bitoger's recommended john deere.

 

[DeepPower]

The question is, how do I flush out all that black sludge in my cooling system? I don't want to replace a new radiator that has no leaks.

 

[luigisho]

I think you flush it out as best you can at home or get a shop to do it, fill with whatever mix antifreeze water you like for your climate and keep moving. Maybe do a second flush after a few thousand miles as extra precaution. I try not to look for solutions in a bottle for leaks and other operating issues on a street driven car, as I have yet to find a result that prevented me from still having to attack the mechanical problem. Open minded and looking for good products but haven't had personal luck with them over the years. I can see the need to try extra cooling solutions for a track driven car or maybe long commutes in desert climate etc.

 

[DeepPower]

Keep in mind this is Water Wetter that caused this, a very popular and trusted solution, and not a stop-leak product. I saw this sludge a few months ago, before last week's Blue Devil.

From browsing the web nobody seems to have found a good flush solution that dissolves the tar except to disconnect the radiator and flush with diesel.

 

[luigisho]

From browsing the web nobody seems to have found a good flush solution that dissolves the tar except to disconnect the radiator and flush with diesel.

That's ugly. I don't know if I would do all that to an old radiator maybe a newish one. If I pulled the old one out I would probably look at replacement but that +- $100 part price point is not an obstacle for me at this point. I wonder what the sludge is? chemical reaction to certain metals, to antifreeze, gasket material,hose rubber, heat cycling itself. Yuk.
I would be a little concerned with this sludge in the heater core. Radiator is easy compared to that job. I've seen heater core flushing with a garden hose and maybe some additives on youtube videos and such where it's done from the metal tubing at the firewall and supposedly cleared out a plugged up failing piece. Can't vouch for how long that fix lasts but if you have good liquid flow through the tubing that should be good to go for the most part.

This product may be popular but there are all manner of things on the shelf that have been around that I have no idea how/if they actually work or if they have these sorts of side effects. For me an example of been around but no idea is something like Marvel's Mystery Oil. I've heard people swear by the stuff in certain applications and I have no idea if it does much of anything or slighly helpful or harmful over time.

 

[AREA 91]

I have been using Water Wetter for 20 years in all of our personal vehicles, including SHO's. Have never seen that slug from it. I believe yours was caused by something else.

 

[Devin]

Looks like what the Deathcool in my Impala did.

 

[DeepPower]

From what I have been reading (look at my links) it is from Water Wetter. My radiator is new, only has 12K miles on it and until recently the only product added was Water Wetter. The funnel is from a few months ago. The heater core is bypassed.

Again, look at the images in this link:
http://rennlist.com/forums/general-...dline-water-wetter-users-just-a-heads-up.html

 

[xFallenxCripplex]

Are you the only owner? Maybe it's from something else pictures from the link looked different to me. Residue from. Something else maybe running new stuff loosened everything?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[xFallenxCripplex]

If it was me cleaning it I'd use a full bottle of simple green concentrate then fill with diesel not positive but think the fuel will help it from foaming and no worry for fire if you can't get enough air to ignite it won't burn or explode. But if there was a wrong coolant hose used and it's breaking down this may make it more evident and blow a hole thru it.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[DeepPower]

Are you the only owner?

I am the original owner, as it says in my forum signature.

 

[SHOtimer]

When I bought my Interceptor, it had NASTY coolant. I discovered the below thread in their forums. I bought the 'quick' flush from a local caterpillar dealer, and it did a great job. I followed the directions. The heater core in my Interceptor was leaking a bit prior to the flush, so I completed the flush with the old heater core and swapped the new one in after - BUT the flush made the old one leak more, probably because the sludge was helping subdue the leak.

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1728557&an=

 

[tompumped]

^Thanks for that link. I know first hand that caterpillars coolant is amazing. None of our machines we used to do underground utilities had the recommended coolant changes. I bought some way overpriced synthetic coolant to test out when I install the motor I tore down. Hopefully it is worth the money.

John Deere coolant has the same service life as the Caterpillar coolant if there is no cat dealer by you. I tried that in the sho and after 90k the head gaskets went, but I blame it on the rock products DNJ gaskets. Im not going to pretend I know why they failed, but it was the first time I tried that coolant after reading on bitog.