At 08:38 AM 9/23/96 -0500, you wrote:
>I believe that you are misinformed with regard to the lowering of
>boiling points by coolants. I agree that more discussion on this
>topic is warranted.
> A. B. Bonds
This has certainly been one of the longest threads on this list, almost on a
par with "what does MOWOG and MG mean"! However, I enjoy such discussions.
My understanding for the unsealed T-type MG cooling system is that you could
boil at 212 deg F (lower than the 240-260 Deg F. of a sealed system). There
may be some merit to the rust inhibiting aspects for cars that are driven
several thousand miles a year. (I'm assuming that the entire discussion is
about collector cars, not our daily transportation in modern cars with
sealed systems driven 15 - 20K miles per year.) However, my thinking was
that using distilled water (boiling over at 212F) and flushing the system
twice a year ( at 2000 - 4000 miles per year) would take care of the rust.
One of the problems here in CA is that you are not supposed to dump your
coolant (ethylene glycol type) into the environment (sewer, lawn, rain
drains, etc.) so my approach at least gets rid of that problem. I'm still
open to persuasion regarding the rust prevention advantage even for low
mileage cars.
In some other correspondence, I have advocated the use of an overflow tank
that has been used by the Model A Ford hobbyists. (Thanks to Jack Signey who
is on this list). I am in the process of installing one on my TC. The one I
purchased out of Orange County CA is a beautifully fabricated stainless unit
about 2 in D x 12 in L. I am mounting it near the firewall with a hose
connected to the rad overflow pipe. The theory is that when the rad
overflows in the heat, it runs into the tank and when it cools it flows back
into the radiator, thus preserving at least 1 1/2 pints of coolant. I'll
post results after our next hot spell. I am still researching the
appropriate Datsun or Mitsubishi plastic fan blade which is reported to
lower temp by 10 deg.
Bill Harkins
Fallbrook, CA
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