Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertISaar
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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The science is that when water boils a pump isn't very good at moving steam. And yes, water has a higher heat capacity. Merely stating that if you have water in your coolant and a bad pressure cap, you are more than likely overheating. This was determined not to be the problem.
Have you replaced your thermostat? If you are indeed losing coolant and its not on the ground it could be a headgasket issue, they make a tool that measures hydrocarbons in the coolant for easy diagnosis.