Waterless engine coolant?

[D.O.G.]

G'day,
This product plug was posted on another FE site and I thought It could be useful to us in a couple of ways.

You-Tube
Waterless Engine Coolant - Car Care - Jay Leno's Garage

Home » Engine Cooling Systems

The prospect of being able to sustain higher engine temps could make grill blocks more attractive to those of us living in warmer climates.

The prospect of less cooling fan usage resulting in less fuel used is also appealing, although their 10% claim is "questionable" (this almost made me brand it as unicorn pee). They explain how to adjust fan operating temps in How it works - FAQ's - 32.

They don't list dealers in Australia, so it's probably no good for me, but maybe someone here could benefit from it.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this stuff.

[oil pan 4]

I have looked into this stuff before, would like to try it but at $30+ a gallon its too expensive for my diesel (5 gallons).
But if I could pick up 1mpg for $150 it would be worth it, but given the way diesels work its not likely.

[CigaR007]

Basically, when using this alternative waterless coolant, one could install a higher temperature coolant thermostat and increase the temperature at which the fan turns on. Doing so should indeed yield an interesting increase in fuel economy as per their tests.

From their FAQs (FAQ's » Engine Cooling Systems)

34. Can higher temperature coolant thermostats be used with Evans Waterless Heavy Duty Cooling for additional gains in fuel economy?

Yes. SAE Type II testing was performed by the PAVE Research Institute at Auburn University that proved a 3 percent improvement in fuel economy with Evans waterless coolant and 215°F thermostats.


35. Are there additional requirements for using 215°F thermostats?

The fan-off temperature must be increased so that the coolant does not have to be cooler than 215°F for fan-off. Contact Evans Cooling Systems, Inc. for further information.

Very interesting !

[oil pan 4]

I can never find anything hotter than 205'F thermostats.

[CigaR007]

What about the coolant hoses leading to and from the radiator, along with the smaller ones for the heater and throttle body (when heated) ? Can they sustain the increase in temperature (circa 230F versus 190F) ? Will the chemical composition of this waterless coolant affect the rubber compound of the hose ?

[D.O.G.]

Originally Posted by CigaR007

What about the coolant hoses leading to and from the radiator, along with the smaller ones for the heater and throttle body (when heated) ? Can they sustain the increase in temperature (circa 230F versus 190F) ? Will the chemical composition of this waterless coolant affect the rubber compound of the hose ?

From the video and their web site, I got the impression that a large part of their present market is the transport industry.
Trucking companies are usually very aware of the maintenance costs of their fleets. If there were issues with critical components like water hoses that could leave their trucks stranded, I think they'd drop 'em like a hot rock.

Edit: I did a quick Google search, standard heater hose seems to be good for 300F or higher.

[oil pan 4]

The hoses can take 240'F all day long and that evans coolant is a waterless version of the now discontinued prestone "low tox" antifreeze.
As far as I can tell it was axed for low sales and nothing maintenance related.

[jakobnev]

The lower specific heat should help a bit with warm up too.

[Harlan]

I looked at the Evans NPG fact sheet and then compared it to an off the shelf antifreeze. It was the same stuff in pretty similar per the percentages of PEG and EG with the same boiling point and specific heat capacity. So I used the cheap stuff instead Don't remember what I used, have some of it in my trunk though. So don't let cost be an issue.

Now for the results. My engine runs a few degrees hotter in the middle of summer at high load. I would say less than 5 deg F. The important thing though is that it removed the dry channel effect from my coolant passages and has allowed me to use regular instead of premium. It would probably allow a more advanced timing profile if I tried. Better than that, since it has a higher boiling point I have no fear of boiling my engine which is death for a rotary.

[ProDarwin]

Interesting concept. The test data on their website is actually pretty solid. I'm sure a few on this site would be willing to test it... but where would one find a 215 deg thermostat?