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Water Wetter...Who uses it?

2316 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  MOTOROLANUT
YO,

ok, technical questions and stuff for northern ppl.. all yinz warm weather riders cant help i dont think..but maybe?

Ok so this spring i put in water wetter to keep buggy cooler. Works decent in my opinion....that was when it was hot. Ok, now winter is here and its colder outside..and ive got a heater (as do most other folks) Here's my dillema. Last winter and earlier this year (2014) heater worked GREAT, and buggy ran normal temps... This winter, now that ive put water wetter in coolant, it runs considerably cooler. Seriously!! To the point that when im running down the roads in the winter, it wont go over 186..at all. lol If im woods riding it'll get hot and cycle the fan as it should, but im really noticing that the heater actually takes off enough coolant heat that the radiator fan never even has to run, along with the fact that ive got a dillution of water wetter and coolant. Has anyone else noticed this?


ALSO, For what its worth, i DO have the heater bypass block in and functional on my heater. Not the typical Upper and Lower Radiator hose install. Thinkin i may flush it out and put regular coolant in for winter time. haha.
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You are pulling of heat for the heater so figure it as another cooler taking out heat from the system 195F to186F is only 9 deg. Leave the Water Wetter in. I use Engine Ice and in the heat here in AZ running down the washes I go down to 185F and makes the engine pull strong.
Sounds like your temps are a little cooler than ours have been this year (central Ahia). I remember one year we had temps staying down in the teens or less I experimented with different size pieces of cardboard covering a portion of the radiator to restrict air flow, it worked. First thing I would do is make sure the engine temps are climbing to normal at slow speed, if not try a new thermostat.
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Thanks neal,

I may try a piece of cardboard. I know my normal riding it gets warm, the wife and i went out to do some riding in the bushes and the fan cycled no problem, its just on the open stretches where it gets cooler than needed. Thanks for the info on the thermostat though..thats a damn good point neal. Never thought about it untill you mentioned it though...it ALWAYS runs hot, all polaris's do..that thermostat would always bet getting a workout...Makes very very good sense! I may just change it anyhow. Doesnt hurt to flush coolant year to year anyways. Hmm...ill report back no doubt. Thanks again! lol
Just took mine out for a little road trip today. Low gear is no problem for the Heater (I do not have the bypass) nice and toasty in the cab. High gear gets me warm air at best. Had a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator last year and it was fine at below 0 temperatures, pulled it out this Spring. Cardboard goes back on tomorrow !!
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I have question for you guys. I have 2012 500 efi and the Polaris heater with the by pass and a temp gage. My question is what kind of time frame are we talking to reach operating temp say 180 deg. Mine seems to take a long time half hour or more. What are your thoughts. Thanks
you'll notice in cold weather that you normal operating temp for the engine easily keeps it right where the thermostat wants it. 190 degrees. It's no so much the water wetter helping as it is the cold weather. I notice the same thing in all of ours during the cold of winter. all water wetter does is help transfer heat better. so actually it "should" help provide more available heat from the heater as well as help shed more heat though the radiator... most likely not enough you can measure, but still.



I wouldn't mess with it if it was mine.
on a side note, the thermostat cycles at 190, and the cooling system bypass hose (3/8 hose) also is allowing cold water into the engine as well to give you the sub 190 temps. when it's hot outside the extra cool water let in by the bypass hose isn't enough and the thermostat has to open.
Do yourself a favor and just drain your coolant and put some Evans waterless coolant. It is some amazing stuff, just google it and then watch some youtube videos.
Better bet is "Engine Ice" its got a -50F freeze point and is made in the USA. I use it and so does Jay Leno its great.
Better bet is "Engine Ice" its got a -50F freeze point and is made in the USA. I use it and so does Jay Leno its great.
Ditto I use Engine ICE and love it.
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