Bulletproof cooling system
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Water is the basis of coolant in most systems. Can the water that you start with have a detrimental affect on your cooling system? Yes! Water is not necessarily clean and free from contaminants. Water can contain acid, alkaline, foreign matter, etc. These contaminants can combine with the metal within the cooling system and contribute to plugging or slowing down the flow within the system. Today, you will find about 10 different antifreeze products and about 30 different additives for your cooling system. WHY do you need them? Good question! | Water is the basis of coolant in most systems. Can the water that you start with have a detrimental affect on your cooling system? Yes! Water is not necessarily clean and free from contaminants. Water can contain acid, alkaline, foreign matter, etc. These contaminants can combine with the metal within the cooling system and contribute to plugging or slowing down the flow within the system. Today, you will find about 10 different antifreeze products and about 30 different additives for your cooling system. WHY do you need them? Good question! | ||
| − | Your OEM dealer and manufacturer want you to use an approved 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water because they know and approve the source of that water and the glycol contained in that gallon jug. They know that the formula for that mix will not harm the internal metals or seals within that engine's cooling system. They also know from past experience and warranty replacement that the ditch water and pond scum that you mixed with 30 known additives that you put in your cooling system has cost them (and yourself) billions of dollars over the years. Engineers have formulated cooling system cocktails for the most elaborate machines on earth, so why not use them? | + | Your OEM dealer and manufacturer want you to use an approved 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water because they know and approve the source of that water and the glycol contained in that gallon jug. They know that the formula for that mix will not harm the internal metals or seals within that engine's cooling system. They also know from past experience and warranty replacement that the ditch water and pond scum that you mixed with 30 known additives that you put in your cooling system has cost them (and yourself) billions of dollars over the years. Engineers have formulated cooling system cocktails for the most elaborate machines on earth, so why not use them? |
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| + | NOTE: When you have got everything refurbished and really nice you can go even better than just using antifreeze and water. John Deere "Coolgard" is allegedly the best for inhibiting corrosion. Note that tap water is sometimes not very good as it can contain minerals. Many years ago in London UK the writer was surprised to see a distilled water plant in a taxi garage. Hard water is no good for your engine, rain water is better and very cheap! | ||
When you are refilling your cooling system, the rad cap is open, and you pour directly into the system until it is full. "Full" means a level one inch less than the cap height. The engine should be warmed up and running at a fast idle of 1000 to 1200 rpm's. The engine is run until you can see movement in the rad and a slight steam rises from the open cap outlet. If you have a gauge, verify that the temperature is at operating temperate of 160 to 195 degrees. The cap is placed on the rad outlet and turned until tight with the arrows aligned to point at the overflow outlet. The overflow bottle should be within its limits which is usually marked on the container walls. | When you are refilling your cooling system, the rad cap is open, and you pour directly into the system until it is full. "Full" means a level one inch less than the cap height. The engine should be warmed up and running at a fast idle of 1000 to 1200 rpm's. The engine is run until you can see movement in the rad and a slight steam rises from the open cap outlet. If you have a gauge, verify that the temperature is at operating temperate of 160 to 195 degrees. The cap is placed on the rad outlet and turned until tight with the arrows aligned to point at the overflow outlet. The overflow bottle should be within its limits which is usually marked on the container walls. | ||
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On a closed system with an overflow bottle, that the system should be filled to the top when it is at operating temperature. One of the advantages of this type of system is to reduce oxidation by eliminating all air from the system. Hence it then becomes a closed system. Why leave a head of air in the top of the radiator when you don't have to? Entrained air is sometimes difficult to get out of the system. The secret in the system lies in the overflow bottle. Coolant, due to excess heat from the engine bleeding heat through the water jackets, will expand H(ydrogen) and the O(xygen) molecules, thus increasing the total water volume's mass. This mass will bleed through the rad cap (valve) and end up in the overflow bottle which is vented to the atmosphere. When they mass is cooled due to the air flow through the radiator or turning off the engine, the rad cap will release it's thermo pressure and allow the valve to open and syphon the reserve coolant back into the water jackets, thus keeping a set amount of mass present in the cooling system. | On a closed system with an overflow bottle, that the system should be filled to the top when it is at operating temperature. One of the advantages of this type of system is to reduce oxidation by eliminating all air from the system. Hence it then becomes a closed system. Why leave a head of air in the top of the radiator when you don't have to? Entrained air is sometimes difficult to get out of the system. The secret in the system lies in the overflow bottle. Coolant, due to excess heat from the engine bleeding heat through the water jackets, will expand H(ydrogen) and the O(xygen) molecules, thus increasing the total water volume's mass. This mass will bleed through the rad cap (valve) and end up in the overflow bottle which is vented to the atmosphere. When they mass is cooled due to the air flow through the radiator or turning off the engine, the rad cap will release it's thermo pressure and allow the valve to open and syphon the reserve coolant back into the water jackets, thus keeping a set amount of mass present in the cooling system. | ||
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== RAD SHROUDS == | == RAD SHROUDS == | ||
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