most all vehicles flow from top to bottom regardless of radiator design,
vertical
vs horizontal flow. The water flows from the top hose to the radiator and the
head(s) are the last thing to get cooled. Reverse flow water pumps pump
backwards
(dah) and the head(s) are the first thing to get cooled. This is good on
aluminum
heads or heads prone to breakage from heat. i also like to run my 235 with a
195ºF thermostat with a 4 pound radiator cap. I had the electric fan thermostat
set to come on at 200º with a thermometer in the radiator cap opening. The
hotter
the engine gets the better it runs and the mileage increases to a point that is.
The reason everything went to horizontal flow was the vertical flow rads would
plug up and the bottom of the flow tubes.
GremlinGTs@aol.com wrote:
> Yes, the flow of coolant thru the radiator is related to the speed of the
> water pump...the reason they make the alternator turn faster on newer cars is
> to keep up with all the electrical demands, like radios, A/C, fog lights, etc
> you find on new cars. On older vehicles, this doesn't matter as much. if
> you've ever taken the cap off after while the vehicle is running, and the
> thermostat is open, you'll see the coolant really flowing fast. Although the
> newer radiators flow side to side, older radiators flow straight down, so if
> the coolant is moving faster, it also is moving top to bottom, which doesn't
> allow much time to surrender heat, if you're running an original style
> radiator. that's why usiing bigger pulley's may help older trucks, while not
> helping much with modified trucks which are using more modern radiators,
> possibly. At least, my understanding of the radiators is that the older ones
> flowed down, while newer ones flow side to side, allowing more time to
> transfer heat. Any comments on that, anyone?
>
> Jerry Casper
> heat wave in Virginia, it's been boiling a few times. :)
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|