Most commercial vehicles have a cooling systemdesigned to reject sufficient heat under normal operating conditions using a 50/50 glycol solution in water,
but with elevated summer temperatures or climbing
steep grades, the cooling system may be inadequate
and require the help of Red Line WaterWetter®.
BENEFIT SUMMARY
Doubles the wetting ability of water
Improves heat transfer
Reduces cylinder head temperatures
Cleans and lubricates water pump seals
Prevents foaming
Reduces cavitation corrosion
Complexes with hard water to reduce scale•••••••

MaterialWaterGlycol50/50100

Incomplete Combustion% Heating Value of Fuel

90

Exhaust Heat

706050

Coolant Heating

3020Brake Power

100202530354045MPH505560Density
g/cm3Combustion Heat Distribution

40THERMAL PROPERTIES
Water has amazingly superior heat transfer properties
compared to virtually any other liquid cooling medium far superior to glycol-based coolants. As shown in Table
1, water has almost 2.5 times greater thermal conductivity compared to glycol coolants. Mixtures of glycoland water have nearly proportional improvement due tothe addition of water. Most heat is transferred in a cooling system by convection from hot metal to a cooler liqTable 1
Thermal Properties of Cooling System Materials

COOLING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The internal combustion engine is not a very efficient
powerplant. A considerable amount of the available
fuel energy must be rejected from the metal combustion chamber parts by the coolant and dispersed to theatmosphere through the radiator. This heat rejection isnecessary in order to prevent thermal fatigue of thepistons, cylinder walls, and the cylinder head. Elevatedtemperatures also reduce the lubricant film andexpand engine parts creating unwanted stress, friction,and wear. Higher inlet temperatures also reduce thedensity of the air, reducing available torque. For thesereasons reducing the flow of heat to the coolant usual-80

ly reduces the power output of the engine. Figure 1
shows a typical heat balance diagram for an internal
combustion engine. This diagram demonstrates that thecoolant in an internal combustion engine must absorb
and reject through the radiator 2 to 3 times the amountof energy which is converted to brake power.

65

ThermalThermalHeatHeat ofConductivity Convection Capacity Vaporization
2Watt/m•°C Watt/m •°C cal/g•°Ccal/g

1.000
1.114
1.059

0.60
0.25
0.41

Aluminum 2.70
Cast Iron 7.25
Copper
8.93
Brass
8.40
Ceramics
Air.0013

155
58
384
113
1-10.026

1829----897

1.000
0.573
0.836

539
226
374

spots, even though the bulk of the cooling solution is
below the boiling point. Red Line's unique
WaterWetter® reduces the surface tension of water bya factor of two, which means that much smaller vapor
bubbles will be formed. Vapor bubbles on the metal
surface create an insulating layer which impedes heattransfer. Releasing these vapor bubbles from themetal surface can improve the heat transfer properties
in this localized boiling region by as much as 15% asshown in Figure 2. This figure demonstrates theRemoval of Heat from Aluminum @ 304°F
Beginning Coolant Temperature 214°F
305
300295

Aluminum Block Temperature, °F

Red Line Diesel WaterWetter® is designed to provide
improved metal wetting when added to plain water or aglycol coolant. The most poorly maintained system in avehicle is usually the cooling system. Maintenance isquite simple and only required once each year, but
most vehicle owners never routinely change thecoolant or replenish the corrosion inhibitors which arerequired for trouble-free operation.

290
285

100% Glycol

280
275
270
Boiling Point 50% Glycol @ 15 psig

265
260

50% Glycol / 50% Water

255
250
245

Boiling Point Red Line + Water @ 15 psig

240

50 / 50 with WaterWetter™

235
230
225

Water
Water Treated With WaterWetter™

220

0.225
0.119
0.093
0.091
0.240

uid as in the engine block or from a hot liquid to cooler
metal surfaces, as in the radiator. The convection coefficient of liquids in a tube is a complicated relationshipbetween the thermal conductivity, viscosity of the liquid,and the tube diameter which determines the amount ofturbulent flow. Since 50/50 glycol solution has about 4times the viscosity and only 70% of the thermal conductivity of water, the thermal convection coefficient for a50/50 glycol solution is approximately 50% of the coefficient for water. Water in the cooling system is capableof transferring twice as much heat out of the same system as compared to a 50/50 glycol coolant and watersolution. In order for a 50/50 glycol mixture to reject asmuch heat as water (amount of heat rejected is independent of the coolant), the temperature differentials at
the heat transfer surface must be twice as great, whichmeans higher cylinder head temperatures.
HEAT TRANSFERRed Line WaterWetter® can reduce cooling systemtemperatures compared to glycol solutions and evenplain water. Water has excellent heat transfer properties
in its liquid state, but very high surface tension makes it
difficult to release water vapor from the metal surface.
Under heavy load conditions, much of the heat in thecylinder head is transferred by localized boiling at hot

024681012141618

Seconds

removal of heat from an aluminum bar at 304°F byquenching the bar in different coolants at 214°F under
15 psi pressure. Compare the time required to reduce
the temperature of the aluminum to 250°F, or the boiling point of water at 15 psi. Red Line with
WaterWetter® required 3.2 seconds, water alone 3.7
sec, 50/50 glycol in water required 10.2 sec, and100% glycol required 21 sec. Water alone required
15% longer, 50/50 glycol 220% longer, and 100% glycol required 550% longer.
DYNO TEST RESULTS
Dynomometer tests showed significant improvements
in coolant temperatures using WaterWetter®. Thesetests were performed with a Chevrolet 350 V-8 with acast iron block and aluminum cylinder heads. The
thermostat temperature was 160°F. The engine operated at 7200 rpm for three hours and the stabilized
cooling system temperature was recorded and tabulated below:
Cooling System Fluid
Stabilized Temperature
50% Glycol/ 50% Water
228°F
50/50 with WaterWetter® 220°FWater220°F
Water with WaterWetter® 202°F
These numbers are similar to the temperatures
recorded in track use and heavy-duty street use.

COOLANT EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE
Under moderate load conditions, each percent glycol
raises cylinder head temperatures by 1°F. 50% glycol
raises head temperatures by 45°F compared to water
alone.
BOILING POINT ELEVATIONRed Line WaterWetter® does not significantly
increase the boiling point of water; however, increasing pressure will raise the boiling point. The boilingpoint of water treated with Red Line using a 15 psi
cap is 250°F compared to 265°F at 15 psi for 50%
glycol. Increasing the pressure by 50% to 23 psi will
increase the boiling point of water to 265°F. Sudden
shutdown after very hard driving may cause boilover.
FREEZING POINT DEPRESSIONRed Line WaterWetter® does not significantly reduce
the freezing point of water.
CORROSION PROTECTION
Red Line also provides excellent protection from cavitation erosion in the water pump and cylinder head
when used with an adequately inhibited coolant.
Localized boiling in the cylinder head forms vapor
bubbles which collapse when they come in contact
with cooler liquids. This collapse creates tremendous
shock waves which removes the inhibitor film fromthe aluminum surface and can cause catastrophic
erosion of the aluminum if the inhibitor does notreform the film quickly. Another problem created bycavitation erosion is the deposition of the removed
aluminum as a salt with poor heat transfer properties
in the lower temperature radiator tubes. Red Lineprevents this corrosion through effective film formation and smaller vapor bubble formation, which has aless violent collapse. Foam control is equally important since entrained air will cause cavitation erosion
due to the collapse of foam bubbles. Red Line provides excellent control of foam with water alone andglycol solutions. Red Line Diesel WaterWetter® does
not provide the general rust and corrosion protection
available in a heavy-duty coolant. A minimum of 33%
coolant is required for adequate protection of castiron and copper alloys.
WET CYLINDER LINER CAVITATION EROSION
Although the reduction in surface tension created bythe Red Line WaterWetter® should reduce the rate ofcavitation erosion in wet liners, a long term evaluation of this potential has not been conducted, so continue to use the recommended supplemental corrosion inhibitor. Supplemental corrosion inhibitors arecompatible with Red Line Diesel WaterWetter®. Avoid
the milky soluble oil types which can actually impede
heat transfer by wetting the metal surface with oil
and this oil can swell and soften rubber coolant
hoses.

USE DIRECTIONSUse Red Line Diesel WaterWetter® at the rate of 1% in
an ethylene glycol or propylene gylcol antifreeze solution. One 15 ounce bottle treats 10 - 15 gallons ofcoolant. Add directly through the cooling system fill cap
into the radiator or into the overflow tank. Do not open acooling system while hot. For best results, replenish orreplace every year. The anti-scaling ingredients in Red
Line WaterWetter® allow its use with ordinary tap water.
For maximum temperature reductions, use the mostwater and the least antifreeze possible, down to 33%, toprevent freezing in your climate. All antifreeze solutions
are evaluated for their corrosion protection under theASTM protocol at a 33% concentration, not 50%, somore water and less antifreeze, along with WaterWetter®
will reduce coolant temperatures even more. Red Line
WaterWetter® is available in 15 ounce containers whichtreat 10 - 15 gallons and 5 gallon pails which treat 500gallons.

RPM
X 1000

RED LINE®

SYNTHETICOILRED LINE®

DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCERed Line Synthetic Oil Corporation is the leader in lubricant and fuel system chemistry. Red Line manufacturesa full line of automotive products which are designed toprovide noticeable improvements in performance. OtherRed Line products are:Diesel Fuel Catalyst - with Fuel Lubricant
RL-2 Diesel Combustion Improver - with Fuel Lubricant
Diesel Fuel Biostat - Antimicrobial Agent
SI-1 Fuel Injector & Intake Valve Cleaner
Lead Substitute
Motor Oils - 5W30, 10W30, 10W40, 15W50, 20W50
Diesel Engine Oil - 15W40
Race Oils - SAE 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70
High-Performance Two-cycle LubricantsGear Oils - Lightweight, 75W90, 75W90NS, 80W140
ShockProof™ Gear Oils
MTL- Manual Transmission/Manual Transaxle Lube
ATF - Synthetic Dexron II, High-Temp ATF,
D4 ATF, and Racing ATF
CV-2 CV-Joint and Wheel Bearing Grease
Assembly Lubricant
Synthetic Compressor Lubricants
Synthetic Suspension Fluids
For further information please contact:

DIESEL
WATERWETTER®

SUPERCOOLANTTECHNICALINFORMATIONRed Line Synthetic Oil Corp.
6100 Egret Court, Benicia, CA 94510(707) 745-6100
www.redlineoil.com© 1989, 1997, 1999 Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp.