Need a little cooling system help
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 166
Likes: 9
From: Acworth GA
Need a little cooling system help
Last year I put a Direct-fit Flex-a-fit Aluminum Radiator and Electric Fan in place of my stock radiator and engine driven fan. It helped keep the engine cooler than the stock system did.
Last week I let a garage swap out my seized AC compressor and clean out the system. The mech that did the work noticed that the upper radiator hose gets very hard when the engine is started. When I brought it home I checked it and sure enough the upper hose can be compressed easily when the engine is not running but it gets very tight when the engine is running.
I am hoping some one will be curious and check theirs. Does the upper hose get tight with a stock radiator when the engine is running???
BTW mine is a 1978 original stock 350.
Thanks
Rich
Last week I let a garage swap out my seized AC compressor and clean out the system. The mech that did the work noticed that the upper radiator hose gets very hard when the engine is started. When I brought it home I checked it and sure enough the upper hose can be compressed easily when the engine is not running but it gets very tight when the engine is running.
I am hoping some one will be curious and check theirs. Does the upper hose get tight with a stock radiator when the engine is running???
BTW mine is a 1978 original stock 350.
Thanks
Rich
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
Last year I put a Direct-fit Flex-a-fit Aluminum Radiator and Electric Fan in place of my stock radiator and engine driven fan. It helped keep the engine cooler than the stock system did.
Last week I let a garage swap out my seized AC compressor and clean out the system. The mech that did the work noticed that the upper radiator hose gets very hard when the engine is started. When I brought it home I checked it and sure enough the upper hose can be compressed easily when the engine is not running but it gets very tight when the engine is running.
I am hoping some one will be curious and check theirs. Does the upper hose get tight with a stock radiator when the engine is running???
BTW mine is a 1978 original stock 350.
Thanks
Rich
Last week I let a garage swap out my seized AC compressor and clean out the system. The mech that did the work noticed that the upper radiator hose gets very hard when the engine is started. When I brought it home I checked it and sure enough the upper hose can be compressed easily when the engine is not running but it gets very tight when the engine is running.
I am hoping some one will be curious and check theirs. Does the upper hose get tight with a stock radiator when the engine is running???
BTW mine is a 1978 original stock 350.
Thanks
Rich
Every liquid-cooled engine in the world does that. When the coolant is heated pressure in the cooling system builds and that is one of the factors that prevent the coolant from boiling; the other factor being the 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 93
From: shelbyville West Michigan
I would find another mechanic...yes, the hose gets hard. Next time he works on the car for you, ask him to open the cap when it's hot, that will be a good demonstration of why the hose gets "hard" when running...sometimes people need a lesson in the basics the hard way...
Edit: Do not really do that, it is dangerous and he could get severely burned...just making a point...
Edit: Do not really do that, it is dangerous and he could get severely burned...just making a point...
Last edited by gungatim; Jun 18, 2015 at 07:24 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 166
Likes: 9
From: Acworth GA
I assumed it was getting pressurized as soon as the car starts (cold) so this morning I pressed on the hose for a baseline of how hard does it feel, started the car and pressed it again. It felt the same both times. So what he was noticing was just the normal pressure after the car heats up. He fooled me!
Thanks for all the responses. I have had so many challenges since I bought this car, just getting it reliable so I could use it as a touring car, it just seemed like one more thing I needed to resolve.
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 672
Likes: 31
From: Rapid City South Dakota
Except for those of us running Evans coolant, who run a zero pressure system. Also, many radiator caps are not holding pressure because they don't get checked and they are malfunctioning. I recently bought an old chevy truck, checked the cap, and it wasn't holding any pressure....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 166
Likes: 9
From: Acworth GA
Except for those of us running Evans coolant, who run a zero pressure system. Also, many radiator caps are not holding pressure because they don't get checked and they are malfunctioning. I recently bought an old chevy truck, checked the cap, and it wasn't holding any pressure....
What is Evans coolant? Does it keep the engine cooler?
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Hamilton Virginia
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,222
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From: shelbyville West Michigan
and it runs the same pressure in the cooling system as anything else, unless someone disables the pump or leaves the cap off...
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
No. evans coolant is just another brand of anti-freeze. it is an ethylene glycol mix, and is no more waterless than pre-mixed antifreeze from the store. it's boiling point is touted to be some 375 deg. F, which, of course, is the same as 50/50 anti-freeze mix off the shelf...
and it runs the same pressure in the cooling system as anything else, unless someone disables the pump or leaves the cap off...
and it runs the same pressure in the cooling system as anything else, unless someone disables the pump or leaves the cap off...
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Northridge California
St. Jude Donor '14
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: shelbyville West Michigan
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 672
Likes: 31
From: Rapid City South Dakota
No. evans coolant is just another brand of anti-freeze. it is an ethylene glycol mix, and is no more waterless than pre-mixed antifreeze from the store. it's boiling point is touted to be some 375 deg. F, which, of course, is the same as 50/50 anti-freeze mix off the shelf...
and it runs the same pressure in the cooling system as anything else, unless someone disables the pump or leaves the cap off...
and it runs the same pressure in the cooling system as anything else, unless someone disables the pump or leaves the cap off...
Regular coolant mixed with 50 percent water boils at 265F with a 15 psi cap.
I don't know how you know how much pressure is in the system unless you have tested it, but the point is you don't have to run psi to increase the boiling point like you do for traditional coolant.
Last edited by lurch59; Jun 22, 2015 at 06:27 PM. Reason: incomplete
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 672
Likes: 31
From: Rapid City South Dakota
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 672
Likes: 31
From: Rapid City South Dakota
Ok, just got off the phone with Evans Tech department. Evans is a mix of Propylene Glycol and Ethylene glycol in it's current formulation. There is no water in the coolant and they have reduced the viscosity with this blend, while retaining the properties of very high boiling points and a lifetime coolant. It also has low toxicity.
Last edited by lurch59; Jun 23, 2015 at 06:11 PM. Reason: clarity
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 205
Likes: 20
Evans is propylene glycol, and in fact the NPG stands for non aqueous propylene glycol. The recommendation is to test it and be sure there is less than 3 percent water. I have the recommended refractometer to test my coolant, and it is about 2% water.
Regular coolant mixed with 50 percent water boils at 265F with a 15 psi cap.
I don't know how you know how much pressure is in the system unless you have tested it, but the point is you don't have to run psi to increase the boiling point like you do for traditional coolant.
Regular coolant mixed with 50 percent water boils at 265F with a 15 psi cap.
I don't know how you know how much pressure is in the system unless you have tested it, but the point is you don't have to run psi to increase the boiling point like you do for traditional coolant.
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 672
Likes: 31
From: Rapid City South Dakota
Perhaps someone can but a quart in the oven overnight and see what happens. If it does turn to tar, I can then heat up my old motor oil to 375 and seal coat my parking lot.....
Last edited by lurch59; Jun 23, 2015 at 11:15 PM. Reason: clarification
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 205
Likes: 20
That is what makes it a low pressure system. You do not need to pressurize the system to allow it to get above the boiling point (212°F) of water. That is why a 7-pound radiator cap is all that is required.