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Re: "Oil Pressure" & "old" overheating problem

To: "Geoff Branch" <gjbranch@mediaone.net>, "Mike MacLean" <macleans@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: "Oil Pressure" & "old" overheating problem
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 08:30:08 -0500
Cc: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
References: <21144-3BB44A7A-2896@storefull-226.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
At 08:07 AM 9/28/2001, Geoff Branch wrote:
>Ahhh, but won't more time in the radiator to dissepate heat mean more time in
>the engine to pick up heat???   Where is Ron Soave when we need a lesson in
>thermodynamics?
===
Yes, exactly! And that is what you desire... heat transfer from the block 
to the air. The more heat transferred, the better (to a point, for fuel 
burn efficiency). We are not trying to lower the temperature reading on the 
gauge, we are trying to lower the engine temperature.
         The mistake sometimes made is to interpret a gauge's low readings 
as being a sign of good, efficient cooling when in fact it could be that 
heat from the iron is not being transferred adequately to the coolant. I 
sometimes liken it to trying to cool a chunk of red-hot iron given only 5 
gallons of water to work with. Which would you rather employ, a spray or a 
dunk. This is the case for not removing a thermostat which is meant to 
inhibit the flow. Many heads have warped due to overheating in an engine 
without a 'stat.
         The coolant needs to go slow enough through the engine to pick up 
the heat, but not too slow or the temperature difference between iron and 
coolant wont be great enough. It also need to go slow enough through the 
radiator to give off heat. By the same token, air needs to flow through the 
radiator slow enough to pick up heat, but not too slow so that the hot air 
lingers lessening the heat differential between coolant and air.
         BTW, the coolant also needs to go past the gauge sensor slow 
enough to transfer the heat to the bulb. I don't think it can go too 
slowly, however, to adversely affect the true temperature reading.
         HTH    Peter C
         Mr Soave seems to have gone West, temporarily.



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