Water Wetter & Winter Storage

[murphy659]

This year, I removed the antifreeze and installed Red Line water wetter as required by Club Racing and NASA.

The car is stored in an unheated trailer near Philadelphia, PA (Stabil has been added to the gas tank).

There are no recommendations on the Red Line website for winter storage. Does anyone have some advice... or warning?

[das borgen]

drain your water and leave the system empty

[jcrist]

and don't forget you did that when you start it up next year!

[noodlexyz]

and don't forget you did that when you start it up next year!

Indeed!

-Ryan

[94is]

How long would you guys say is the longest to leave water and water wetter in a system when not being driven? I may have 2 months in Dec. and Jan. with no driving.

[99MPower]

How long would you guys say is the longest to leave water and water wetter in a system when not being driven? I may have 2 months in Dec. and Jan. with no driving.

your fine.. I've left mine longer than that without being driven, and no issues

[osborni]

Water Wetter has rust inhibitors in it, but not nearly at the level of anti-freeze. It likely needs to be replaced once a year. The inhibitors get consumed over time. Sitting isn't the issue, it's total time duration.

OP - I'd dump the water and put anti-freeze in it. Cracked blocks are expensive, but no water and no rust inhibitors is asking for a long term problem with an iron block.

[lowside67]

What is the reason for leaving it empty vs filling with antifreeze?

[nondescript]

What is the reason for leaving it empty vs filling with antifreeze?

I assume it would be to avoid having to do several flushes again in the spring to get all traces of the antifreeze back out.

[murphy659]

Thanks for the help everyone!

[magnetic1]

Water Wetter offers no freeze protection. Youre going to have to put antifreeze in it for winter storage. just PLEASE do a complete flush before race season starts, thanks.

[Jim Bassett]

your fine.. I've left mine longer than that without being driven, and no issues

Seconded, and I'm in the much colder climes of *Northern* California

The car can sit outside for 2-4 months during the "winter", no problems here. There have been a couple of occasions were the lows are forecast to be below-30F for more than a couple of days, and I've put the race car in the garage and kept the street car outside. Just being overly-cautious, more than anything. Car easily survives the one- or two-day under-30F with no preventative measures.

My 2 cents, YMMV, yada^3

[jayhudson]

I used to switch between anti-freeze in the winter and water/water wetter for the rest of the year... every year. PITA! I did re-use the antifreeze mixture year after year to save money. Just strained it to catch any lumps

Jay

[murphy659]

Red Line Oil states:

Thank you for contacting Red Line Oil, the WaterWetter does not alter the freezing temperature of water. If your car experiences winter freeze conditions then you would need to either drain the cooling system or add some antifreeze to the mixture.

[cmargosi]

your fine.. I've left mine longer than that without being driven, and no issues

Calvin,

You aren't speaking to the freezing issue, just to the stability issue, correct?

Charley

[thejlevie]

If you live in a climate where temperatures can dip below freezing, either completely drain the cooling systems or replace plain water with antifreeze. Keeping the cooling system filled with something that will prevent corrosion (either water/WaterWetter or water plus anitfreeze) is better for the cooling system than leaving it empty. The next season, completely drain the cooling system and refill with water + WaterWetter.

And if you have an AFF system, remove the bottle to a conditioned environment or provide freeze protection for the bottle. I use a battery heater pad and a thermostat for this.

[LarryL]

OP - I'd dump the water and put anti-freeze in it. Cracked blocks are expensive, but no water and no rust inhibitors is asking for a long term problem with an iron block.

Definitely put anti-freeze back in, and run it for a couple of minutes so that the anti-freeze can circulate throughout the block.

I speak from experience. I bought a boat back in 1996, and drained all the water out of it before parking it for winter. I thought that i was covered against freeze-related breakage, but I was wrong - to the tune of $2200.

[RSchuster]

Water Wetter offers no freeze protection. Youre going to have to put antifreeze in it for winter storage. just PLEASE do a complete flush before race season starts, thanks.

Why Eric? You aren't fond of spilled antifreeze that makes you do figure eights into a wall at full speed. In the end it sounds over rated to me also.

[99MPower]

Calvin,

You aren't speaking to the freezing issue, just to the stability issue, correct?

Charley

correct... just the stability when the car is sitting for an extended amount of time

[osborni]

Spring flush instructions after draining block and rad of coolant:

1) disconnect rad and expansion tank hoses
2) insert garden hose into expansion tanks return hose and turn on
3) drink beer
4) repeat with radiator

Not that hard

[bbh03]

How are you disposing of the many gallons of water contaminated with antifreeze?

[nondescript]

How are you disposing of the many gallons of water contaminated with antifreeze?

Here kitty kitty kitty...

[Mr Estoril]

Here kitty kitty kitty...

[tammer]

and don't forget you did that when you start it up next year!

When I store my track car over the winter, there are a few things I do (inflate the roller tires to higher-than normal pressure, block intake and exhaust to keep critters out, put dessicant in the passenger cabin, pull the battery to trickle charge, etc.). I make a checklist of various "to-dos" before starting the car up, and I leave the list under the wipers. This also keeps the rubber off the glass so it doesn't stick.

How are you disposing of the many gallons of water contaminated with antifreeze?

Around here, there are many places that take hazardous waste. It goes into big sealable buckets with the coolant that gets flushed out of the street cars, and when there's too much to store, I haul it to the places that take it for recycling. Most communities have something similar.

-tammer

[osborni]

How are you disposing of the many gallons of water contaminated with antifreeze?

I did say after draining the block and radiator..... There's probably only a few cups, if that, residual anti-freeze left in there.

You are using phosphate free stuff?