Editing Bulletproof cooling system (section)
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==Coolant== Sometimes the key to a bulletproof system is what you put in it and how. You can't just open the radiator cap and dump anything in it. A 50/50 mix of water and ethylene glycol antifreeze boils at 225º if there is no pressure like when the radiator cap is open or defective. But if the cooling system is sealed and will hold pressure, a radiator cap rated at 15 psi will increase the boiling point of a 50/50 coolant mix to 265º. If the ratio of antifreeze to water is increased to 70/30 (the maximum recommended), the boiling point under 15 psi of pressure increases to 276º. Water is the basis of coolant in most systems. Can the water that you start with have a detrimental effect on your cooling system? Yes! Water is not necessarily clean and free from contaminants. Water can contain acid, alkaline, foreign matter, etc. These contaminants can combine with the metal within the cooling system and contribute to plugging or slowing down the flow within the system. Today, you will find about 10 different antifreeze products and about 30 different additives for your cooling system. WHY do you need them? Good question! Engineers have come up with cooling system recommendations based on their extensive research and their recommendations and warnings should be heeded. Your OEM dealer and manufacturer usually recommend using a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. This is to protect and prolong the life of cooling system metals and seals. Using unapproved additives or incorrect chemicals or ratios, etc., could be harmful to the cooling system and could also result in needless repair and expense. There are additives of all sorts on the market. [http://www.redlineoil.com/Products.aspx?pcid=10 WaterWetter] is one. John Deere [http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/parts/batteries_and_fluids/coolants/coolants.page Cool-Gard II] is another. Note that tap water is sometimes not very good as it can contain minerals. When you are refilling your cooling system, the radiator cap is open, and you pour directly into the system until it is full. "Full" means a level one inch less than the cap height. The engine should be warmed up and running at a fast idle of 1000 to 1200 rpm's. The engine is run until you can see movement in the radiator and a slight steam rises from the open cap outlet. If you have a gauge, verify that the temperature is at operating temperate of 160º to 195º. The cap is placed on the radiator outlet and turned until tight with the arrows aligned to point at the overflow outlet. The overflow bottle should be within its limits, which is usually marked on the container walls. When you are adding to the system, do not open the radiator cap. Instead, add directly to the reservoir tank. If you have ever watched a pot of water start to boil on the stove, you will know that tiny air bubbles start to rise from the bottom of the pot as the heat is raised. Adding a water 'conditioner' like WaterWetter to your coolant will break the surface tension and provide a greater contact area for the coolant. A wetting additive can supposedly decrease the temperature up to 20º F. On a closed system with an overflow bottle, that the system should be filled to the top when it is at operating temperature. One of the advantages of this type of system is to reduce oxidation by eliminating all air from the system. Hence it then becomes a closed system. Why leave a head of air in the top of the radiator when you don't have to? Entrained air is sometimes difficult to get out of the system. The secret in the system lies in the overflow bottle. Coolant expands with heat, thus increasing the total water volume mass. When the pressure increase exceeds the radiator cap's capacity, the coolant passes from the radiator to the overflow bottle which is vented to the atmosphere. When the mass is cooled due to the air flow through the radiator or turning off the engine, the radiator cap will allow the coolant to be syphoned from the overflow tank back into the radiator/cooling system, thus keeping a set amount of mass present in the cooling system.
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