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Old 03-23-2014, 02:24 PM   #42 (permalink)
RobertISaar
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Location: camden, MI
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MC SBX - '95 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ksa8907 View Post
No pressure=no cooling.
so, what's the science behind this?

pressure in the cooling system only does one thing effectively, and that is raise the boiling point of the coolant used. it does SLIGHTLY increase how effectively the coolant transfers heat, but not significantly. a 50/50 mix at atmospheric pressure won't boil until ~223*F. for every PSI that the coolant is subjected to, the boiling point raises about 2.5*F. so 14PSI(pretty common radiator cap rating) is about 262*F.

it's also worth noting that water has a better thermal coefficient than antifreeze... running more water in proportion WILL result in more heat transfer from head/block to coolant and from coolant to radiator.
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