'62 Overheating

[Jeff]

Re: Damn, Jerry, that's no fun....

I was hoping you'd disagree because it's very close to the flip side of the radiator deal so I was hoping to catch you playing both sides of the equation.

Everett, who apparently types much faster or has much more free time than I do, has put forth a coherent view of our side. I am still unmoved by your, "don't worry about catching that Btu now, the coolant shall pass this way again" argument. I can't endorse the idea that because the the coolant recirculates you have found a way around heat transfer being a function of time. If you stuck a hose in the radiator neck, yeah okay, I'm on your bus but since the coolant is captive, even though recirculating, I think you have to take the most advantage of every second you have to cool the block and the coolant and I think the max diffential gives max efficiency.

Think of the 2 extremes, no flow it overheats, no time in contact it overheats. So the answer lies somewhere between the 2 and my belief is that it leans toward the less flow/greater temp differential side (in theory, not necessarily in reality for ever single weather condition, design, driving style, age, use and abuse of equipment). I wish I could summon the ambition to try to prove this thing out but I'm way too old and lazy for that.

JP

P.S. If it turns out that we, who retain water, do eventually prevail, I expect to see you at the National Convention, in your 'running suit', installing a thermostat in your car. ;)

[G B.]

One last try...I swear.

Okay, think of it this way. The water is the way heat gets from the inside of the block to the radiator. Ideally, the water in the radiator would be the same temperature as the water in the block. To give off the most heat, you want the radiator as hot as possible.

The temperature of the block metal is much higher than that of the water; we're talking hundreds of degrees. That is the temperature differential that drives the heat from the block into the water. The water temperature drop across the radiator is small in comparison. Sleep on this one: the radiator does not lower the temperature of the water much as it passes through, especially when the water flow rate is high, and yet the system still dumps googobs of heat into the air. Water temperature drop through the radiator is an indicator of heat rejected, but it isn't the driving factor. The biggest driving factors are the temperature differentials between the block and the water, and between the water and the air.

[G B.]

One last try...I swear.

Okay, think of it this way. The water is the way heat gets from the inside of the block to the radiator. Ideally, the water in the radiator would be the same temperature as the water in the block. To give off the most heat, you want the radiator as hot as possible.

The temperature of the block metal is much higher than that of the water; we're talking hundreds of degrees. That is the temperature differential that drives the heat from the block into the water. The water temperature drop across the radiator is small in comparison. Sleep on this one: the radiator does not lower the temperature of the water much as it passes through, especially when the water flow rate is high, and yet the system still dumps googobs of heat into the air. Water temperature drop through the radiator is an indicator of heat rejected, but it isn't the driving factor. The biggest driving factors are the temperature differentials between the block and the water, and between the water and the air.

[jeff]

Ok, me too, tired of hearing my own e-voice

Sleep on it? It kept me awake! I can't see any difference in our positions now. I re-read my original post and think you have Clintonesquely 'annexed' my argument.

I agree with everything you've said and I think that the restrictor is what gets you there. The closest thing to a difference we may have is that you say the radiator can still shed lots of heat with fast flow. I don't disagree that it can do that, googobs even, I just say it's not maxed out, but even at that, you don't put a restrictor in to slow the flow. That just happens, of necessity, when you restrict the coolant flow to keep it in the block long enough to get it as hot as we agree it should be.

JP

[jeff]

Ok, me too, tired of hearing my own e-voice

Sleep on it? It kept me awake! I can't see any difference in our positions now. I re-read my original post and think you have Clintonesquely 'annexed' my argument.

I agree with everything you've said and I think that the restrictor is what gets you there. The closest thing to a difference we may have is that you say the radiator can still shed lots of heat with fast flow. I don't disagree that it can do that, googobs even, I just say it's not maxed out, but even at that, you don't put a restrictor in to slow the flow. That just happens, of necessity, when you restrict the coolant flow to keep it in the block long enough to get it as hot as we agree it should be.

JP