WATER VS. ANTIFREEZE
#11
Senior Member
SENIOR BUILDER
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Morrison, Colorado
Posts: 120
Antifreeze does not cool better than straight water. It's added to a cooling system to raise the boiling point of the system beyond what it would be with just water alone, and lower the freezing point for cold weather operation, especially when pressurized. Yes, boiling point of any fluid decreases with altitude, but inside a pressurized cooling system this point is moot. The system will see the same boiling or freezing temps as long as the pressure it's under isn't changed. A car will overheat at the same coolant temp at 15 psi system pressure and 10,000 ft. as it will at 15 psi system pressure and sea level.. It also has lubricants and anti-corrosion inhibitors in it to allow a long service life in cooling systems. Straight antifreeze by itself doesn't remove heat well and will cause a system to overheat if not mixed with water. It's a HUGE no-no in racing because of the lubricants that's in it. They are designed to NOT WASH AWAY, and that's why they are so hard to remove when they get on the ground or the track surface. I personally believe anybody that intentionally runs antifreeze in a track only car should be banned, as one mishap is all it takes to cause serious problems. Even overflow can be an issue. What's funny is even oil is easier to clean up than antifreeze.