Re: Thermostats

["Tom Harais" <tjhemh@domain.elided>]

Jeff:

I think you hit it right on the head when you said:

> Hell.. I ran my 304 without coolant for hours with no apparent damage.
> Just saying it won't run optimal.  And besides a family member who is a
> engineer for International/Navistar that designs motors yelled at me
about
> it.  It varies from vehicle to vehicle of course.. and probably even more
> important in today's little 4's and 6's that operate at higher Rpm's and
are
> made of Aluminum.

The real purpose of "water cooling" isn't so much to "cool" the engine as
it is to even out the internal temperatures of the block and heads. The
coolant transports heat away from "hot spots" in the engine, especially the
heads, and disappates it to cooler areas, along with disappating some to
the air via the radiator.

Compare this to a supposed "air cooled" engine as on a motorcylce or VW.
Truth is, although we call these engines "air cooled" they are really "oil
cooled". Thier lube system also carries away heat from hot spots and
dissapates it around the engine so that the engine is at a more even, and
stable state, temperature overall. That is why you see air-to-oil heat
exhangers on these "air cooled" engines after rebuilds.

Tom H.