Cooling questions: Dang, wrong twice in one week!

From: svieth@ameritech.net
Date: Fri Jun 05 1998 - 03:47:43 EDT


This was posted earlier in the week...

> >Here is my 2 cents worth. I don't remember where I read this, but here
> >it goes:
> >
> >When you change the thermostat to a lower temperature, you risk the
> >possibility of overheating. I know, it is hard to believe. The
> >explaination starts with temperature differental between ambient
> >air and water temperature. The higher the differential between ambient air
> >temperature and watter temperature, the more heat transfered from
> >the coolant to the air. By lowering your coolant temperature to
> >180, you are lowering the temperature differential by 15 degrees.
> >This means you
> >have to make up that 15 degrees in heat transfer somewhere else.
> >
> >I'm no expert, this is from a magazine I read.

Yes, you are correct. After reading the email from my brother, you
do indeed have to "make up" the heat transfer somewhere else. The
difference is made up by moving more coolant through the radiator.

I now understand the "possibility of overheating". If your 180
stat won't open wide enough or if the radiator restricts the flow of
coolant, then you will not be able to move enough coolant to remove
a sufficient amount of heat from the engine. The coolant flow at 180
degrees must be greater than the coolant flow at 195 degrees.

To the original poster, I apologize for jumping on your message. I
have now seen the light (heat?).

This is the second time I've been wrong about a cooling question
this week. I think I'll stick to computers and let the "experts"
handle the heat transfer stuff. All of that college physics leaked
out of my head a loooooooong time ago. :^)

-Scott
'97 Dak



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