# Aquamist in the winter



## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

So the project car i'm planning will be an all year car, i *know* i will use an aquamist system in the summer, but in the winter would it just be best to clean it out and turn it off so no water freezes inside it? i'm not planning on running alot of boost in the winter, and if i do turn it up i think 30* air throuh the intercooler will be more than enough.


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

Did you seriously hit a police officer on a bike?


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

wildmane said:


> Did you seriously hit a police officer on a bike?


no, i hit an elderly man in a minivan who cut across the road and totaled both cars. The bike cop just like jumped off his bike and ran over to see if we were ok.


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## ICP Sux0rZ! (Jan 10, 2005)

why are you using pure water? its more efficent to use a mix of water & ethanol

last i checked ethanol freezes at lower temps :thumbup:


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

yup.. mix with alcohol of some sort to drop the freezing temp and you'll be fine.

or you can dump the water out of the tank and fill with some sort of non-freezing fluid (like washer fluid) and turn the system off for the winter. in the spring, dump that stuff back out and fill with water again.


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## ICP Sux0rZ! (Jan 10, 2005)

Matt93SE said:


> yup.. mix with alcohol of some sort to drop the freezing temp and you'll be fine.
> 
> or you can dump the water out of the tank and fill with some sort of non-freezing fluid (like washer fluid) and turn the system off for the winter. in the spring, dump that stuff back out and fill with water again.


wouldn't 75% ethanol (ie rubbing alch) be best?

could try vodka, might get a hp boost


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

wouldn't alch decrease performance? Article on acetone in gas, but talks about why alch is bad.


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

although i suppose he may be talking out his ass, to quote "Another is that cold intake air improves mileage. NO. Warm air improves mileage."


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## captain_shrapnel (Sep 10, 2004)

Technically, so would water. 

Interesting article on acetone you found, we use it in chem lab to break the surface tension of water but I never really thought about using it to do the same thing to gas.


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

i knew a guy with a v8 Explorer who got 35-40mpg regularly with acetone. But i think water would eat less performance, plus alch puts a shizzle load of carbon desosites in your engine.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

If you're already using aquamist, then it's a moot point to whine about water or alcohol hurting/helping performance. you already know the answer to that, or you wouldn't be running the aquamist to begin with.


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

Matt93SE said:


> If you're already using aquamist, then it's a moot point to whine about water or alcohol hurting/helping performance. you already know the answer to that, or you wouldn't be running the aquamist to begin with.


But i'm not, i'm planning on putting it into a project car but i want to know what i should do with it for the winter? i thought about routing some hot water past the tank to defreeze it but i doubt i even need it inthe winter. So i assume i'll just empty it out and rely onthe intercooler in thee winter.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

ICP Sux0rZ! said:


> wouldn't 75% ethanol (ie rubbing alch) be best?
> 
> could try vodka, might get a hp boost


1)*rubbing alcohol*,,,is not Ethanol

Use a 20% Methanol/water mixture or use windshield anti-freeze additives that contain methanol or Iso-propanol, normal rubbing alcohol. Methanol is better than other forms of alcohol. Avoid using Ethanol based additives such as De-natured alcohol or Methylated spirit.


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

myoung said:


> 1)*rubbing alcohol*,,,is not Ethanol
> 
> Use a 20% Methanol/water mixture or use windshield anti-freeze additives that contain methanol or Iso-propanol, normal rubbing alcohol. Methanol is better than other forms of alcohol. Avoid using Ethanol based additives such as De-natured alcohol or Methylated spirit.


Once again, doesn't alch create carbon deposits in the engine? And degrade performance (and emissions) signifigantly?


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

Terran200sx said:


> Once again, doesn't alch create carbon deposits in the engine? And degrade performance (and emissions) signifigantly?


Sure if you run 100% alcohol.. The % you will use to stop freezing will not cause any harm.


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## ICP Sux0rZ! (Jan 10, 2005)

myoung said:


> 1)*rubbing alcohol*,,,is not Ethanol
> 
> Use a 20% Methanol/water mixture or use windshield anti-freeze additives that contain methanol or Iso-propanol, normal rubbing alcohol. Methanol is better than other forms of alcohol. Avoid using Ethanol based additives such as De-natured alcohol or Methylated spirit.


opps my bad


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

I'm holding you to that Young! lol


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

Terran200sx said:


> I'm holding you to that Young! lol


no problem... :thumbup:


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## BII (May 13, 2004)

Terran200sx said:


> wouldn't alch decrease performance? Article on acetone in gas, but talks about why alch is bad.


Veering a little off topic, but doesn't acetone dissolve the seals and gaskets found in the fuel system?


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

not from what i hear. I've head that synthetic oil can degrade seals too, doesn't mean it's true ;-)


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

Terran200sx said:


> not from what i hear. I've head that synthetic oil can degrade seals too, doesn't mean it's true ;-)


they dont degrade seals, they degrade the grime holding the seals together.


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## Terran200sx (Dec 30, 2004)

i know, hence the ";-)".


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