In a message dated 10/27/1999 1:55:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
lsr_man@yahoo.com writes:
<<
I've noticed that a lot of roadsters run coolant
tanks instead of radiators. Are these filled
with water or Prestone-type coolant? What is
their average capacity? How long do they cool -
like driving in pits and in staging lane, etc.?
Are they filled through a pressure cap like a
radiator or is there another method? How many
pounds pressure are they under?
=====
Dick J - - ECTA #72
G/FCC - FX/GMR
>>
Dick J,
My Modified Roadster has a 17 gal water tank mounted on the passenger
side of the cockpit. It has no baffles or pressure cap. Any amount of
pressure would bulge and ultimately rupture the tank.
I run a 160 deg thermostat on the engine coolant outlets, drilled to
allow enough water passage to sense the engine temp.
I have found, with the aluminum heads, that the best way to warm the
engine (short of having a good pan heater or oil-sump heater) is to fire it
on alky with the water pump switch off and the fuel shutoff/bypass valve
partially closed. This makes it run a little ragged but leans the idle
mixture enough to build some heat. This way, when the engine is warmed the
water tank is still cool (for driver comfort) and will do its thing on the
actual run.
I run a dash of soluble oil in the water (to preserve the aluminum heads)
plus a couple gallons of anti-freeze for temps like we experienced at the
saly last week...............Ardun Doug
|