Patrick,
Shaun pretty much summed it up correctly in his earlier post. Everything
he said was right on. Water is the most cost effective solution to
cooling an engine,
unfortunately it has some side effects with it, boiling point 212 deg
F., freezing point 32 deg. F, @ std pressure (actually changes with
pressure and thats why we have pressure caps), and is very caustic.
Coolant when mixed with water, offsets the caustic effects of water,
raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point
of the water. There is a cost with this mixture and that is cooling
ability (pure coolant doesn't cool NEARLY as well as water). Running a
50/50 mix is a good starting
point. If you need to protect against freezing, raise the coolant level
60/40. If your are running hot, clean or use a larger radiator (cheap
solution, run more water).
Water wetter does help with the heat transfer from the engine to the
coolant, and I do use it. In regards to t-stats, I always check mine
before install (a pot of hot
water on the stove and a thermometer), generally I see approx 10 degrees
spread between fully closed and fully open. I have included Shaun' s
earlier post.
I don't really agree with Alan's technique here (I'm not saying it's
wrong,
I just don't see the advantage of it). Coolant has more functions than
just
keeping your motor cool. Most modern coolant/anti-freeze's have
chemicals
that prohibit interraction between metals of different types
(electrolysis,
oxidation, etc.) and water to metal contact. With nearly all engines
now
mixing aluminum and iron along the coolant path: this is critical. A
50/50
mix of any common coolant should work well in any motor so long as you
keep
your cooling system maintained. I would think Alan's system would
require
even MORE maintenance than standard.
Most mechanics agree that you should flush and refill your cooling
system
at least once a year. Just pick a season to do it in and always do it.
In
hot climates: do it before summer; in cold: before winter. You can even
use
"cheap" coolants without much worry since they will be refreshed every
year.
The problem with coolants is that if you leave them in for too long, the
chemical nature of them changes them into an acidic mixture that will
begin to
attack the metals. Aluminum is the first to be affected by this. The
moral
of the story is: keep your coolant fresh and clean and your motor will
be
happy.
I took my new Dak up Halloran Pass outside of Baker, CA at 85mph in
98
degree heat. The coolant temp never even hit 210 degrees. This
suggests that
the radiator has no problem with cooling a hard working engine. I fully
expect it to remain that way for the life of the truck as long as I keep
the
cooling system maintained. Since coolant is among the cheaper of the
truck's
needs, I think I can handle doing it twice a year (winter/summer).
Shaun
Tustin, CA
-----original message------
I don't think the brand matters as much as the coolant to water ratio.
They also say use a 50/50 mix but that's a 50% compromise. I can give
you're the scientific explanation but water is better at conducting
heat
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Patrick and Kelly Engram [SMTP:shetland@erols.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 1998 8:09 PM
> To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
> Subject: DML: Alan's response to antifreeze
>
> Actually , it's really 60/40 gives maximum protection.
> Compromise? Shoot, water boils at 212, most of these trucks run
> hotter than that so they'd boil over. Also, straight antifreeze boils
> at a lower point that a mixture too. And on the other side of the
> coin,
> each pure item freezes at a higher temperature than a mixture.
> Here's something that many of you may not realize, and I'm open to
> discuss. -Just because you have a 180 thermostat doesnt mean your
> truck runs at 180. It means the t-stat doesnt allow the antifreeze
> to circulate to the radiator to cool it down until the antifreeze in
> the motor reaches a certain temperature. After the t-stat opens, the
> antifreeze still gets hotter. Most vehicles run around 205-220
> nowadays.
>
> Any responses?
>
> Patrick
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