RE: Red Line Water Wetter

[Ed Walters <EdW@xxxxxxxxx>]

Red Line is not a snake oil.  It works, and is used in street and race cars
everywhere.

It has been a long time since I read about it so I hope I remember
correctly.  There is a basic scientific principle behind Water Wetter.  It
is a surfactant (sp.?), the same category of matter that detergents (or
soaps, I don't remember) fall into, I think.  Basically, Water Wetter
increases the surface tension of the water in the cooling system.  This
means that the liquid wants to stick to the surfaces in the cooling system
more than straight water.

As a side note, racers use water with Water Wetter only.  Coolants
(anti-freeze) are prohibited due to slick conditions after a spill.  Despite
having a lower boiling point than a 50-50 H2O-anti-freeze mix, a water-Water
Wetter mix does a better job cooling the motor due to the fact that water
has a higher specific heat than anti-freeze.  For the non-tech types:  it
takes more energy to raise the temperature of one pound one degree than it
takes to raise the temperature of one pound anti-freeze one degree.

This info is all fourth hand and I only vaguely remember what I learned in
chemistry, physics, thermodynamics I&II, heat transfer I&II, intermediate
dynamics, and tribology.  Please get a second opinion.

Ed

- ------------------------------------------------------
Ed Walters
1988 BMW 535is 1997-1998 NNJR SCCA ESP SOLO II 1st Place
		   1998 Pizzafest Sport BMW 1st Place
		   1997 NJBMWCCA Points Series 2nd Place
		   BL/SSed, ERKed, coilovered, camber/castered
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1974 BMW 2002  The Safari Sled

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