[ZaRussian]

Water pump bearings lubricated by glycol,(anti-freeze)???? That's a new one to me.

 

[ZaRussian]

Originally posted by nevada


just b/c u dont know about doesnt mean its not happening.
antifreeze is much more than coolant. dont beleive me, just run water or water wetter. see how long the pump lasts. and im not sure but im guessing there is some metal(iron) in the motor. that will cause electrolysis. antifreeze also helps combat that. ever seen the inside of a motor that had the wrong or no antifreeze. its very ugly and pitted, basically its JUNK!

Not trying to offend you...if you're taking it that way. Antifreeze is not a lubricant. The water pump bearings are protected by the seal on the pump shaft. If/when the seal fails, it allows coolant to wash out/contaminate the grease in the bearings, thus leading to an eventual failure. You are right about the antifreeze doing more than cooling, it is an anti-corrosive for the system. With out it, you do in fact run the risk of the water attacking the metal in the system,( like the pump shaft, which when it starts to pit at the seal, can allow small amounts of coolant into those bearings). Now add Water Wetter to the mix and you could possibly see a bearing failure sooner. Why? Well products like that actually "thin" the water. They break down the surface tension of the water. This allows the water to seep into areas it might not normally have gone. Meaning past a hose clamp, or maybe a gasket, or shaft seal... If any of those connections/seals were not in good condition to start with, the additive will make the compromised area show up sooner.
Personally I would run at least a very small amount of antifreeze just for the anti-corrosive properties. A little in the system is better than none at all. Now it is a trade off as antifreeze is not really a good coolant. It can not match the heat transfer properties of water. So follow it up with distilled water and then top off with the appropriate amount of wetter/ice product. Of course check your level of freeze protection and antifeeze accordingly for your climate.
Again, not trying to offend. I do this stuff for a living. I feel I have some knowledge on this subject that others here may not. Just tryin to share .

H-bus...how'd it go?