is it bad to do that in the summer? does glycol act as a lubricant?

 

The main thing the cooling system needs is corrosion protection. Just add a couple of bottles of RedLine Water Wetter with distilled water and the cooling system will be fine.

 

does that combo help cooling compared to 50/50 mixture of h20/glycol?

thnx

 

Water absorbs heat faster than the 50/50 anti freeze mix but, water will have a lower boiling temperature and will freeze in the winter.

Antifreeze protects the different metals in the cooling system (radiator, waterpump, engine block) and raises the boiling temperature of the water and will not freeze in cold climates.

So yes, using distilled water with the redline water wetter will absorb heat more efficiently and give corrosion protection like the 50/50 mix but, only use it during the summer. Also, I've found that using the stock 195* thermostat gives the most consistant cooling temperatures.

 

The boiling point of the coolant is not affected much by the antifreeze but by the system pressure. For each pound of system pressure the boiling point of the coolant raises about 3 degrees. Antifreeze has more to do with corrosion and freeze protection than boiling. Most manufacturers I have talked with recommend no less than a 30% antifreeze/ 70% distilled water. Less than 30% glycol and you lose the ability to provide adequate freeze and corrosion protection. Antifreeze also acts as a wetting agent for the interior surfaces of the radiator allowing better thermal transfer. I don't know what the "wetter" concentrate costs but it will be probably cheaper just to change the standard mix since the water is actually the primary cooling medium.