Hi Bob,
The thermostat is supposed to keep the temperature at the optimum level
(there is more wear at lower engine temperatures.) It also serves as a
restriction in the flow to keep the radiator full (so if you remove it you
usually have to put in a restriction.) Heat transfer in the radiator depends
on temperature differential, surface area and the velocity of the fluids.
The thermostat slows down the coolant flow to heat up the engine and speeds
up the flow to cool the engine. Some restriction is needed in most engines
to keep the radiator full and some people eroneously interpret this as slow
flow = better cooling.
hope this helps. cheers, derek
Derek White
37/2 Buller's Lane
Colombo 7
Sri Lanka
Tel: 94 1 2581175
Cell: 94 777 475955
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-tigers@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-tigers@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of VegasLegal@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 11:50 PM
To: tigers@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Cooling System Acid Test
Just some thoughts on the repeated writings that where people are claiming
that slowing down the flow or stopping the flow would not improve cooling.
Me thinks they protesteth too loudly. The first question that comes to mind
is, Then what the heck is a thermostat for? The second, and I've done this,
is pull the thermostat, idle the car with a closed system, and watch what
happens to the temperature. Zoom zoom. Lastly, and I've done this too, run
constant cold water through the system as a flush while running with a full
bypass of the radiator. The car stays a constant cool.
The intermittent cooler influx of the water from the radiator, rather than
constant flow, does provide cooler running.
Concerning my car, I haven't seen the problems spoken of since I put in a 3
core radiator fused to the original tanks, and added the Maverick fan. The
car was out in stop and go traffic this summer, and spiked and leveled at
199. Driving was at 172, and it was 113 degrees outside.
The car was originally parked seventeen years ago because the owner could
not keep it cool. With a good radiator shop, I discovered that corrosion at
the fins on the outside had seperated many of the fins from the tubes in the
radiator, and the cooling fins were thusly bypassed. This was a hidden
problem, and might be affecting others with cooling problems.
Bob Nersesian
B382000975
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