cooling tips (archive)

I�ve seen a few questions about cooling recently - the following may be of use to people with cooling problems {they assume there isn�t a fundamental problem such as a blown head gasket}:

1. Make sure all the hoses {including the little obscure ones} are 100% - old hoses can partially collapse internally seriously restricting water flow. Telltale signs of a shot hose are bulging round the clamp, cracks, and a �wooden� feel.

2. Make sure the radiator fins are totally clear of all debris � bugs, grass, grease, and general gunge. The air spaces between fins are very small and the airflow is easily reduced to a critical level. Make sure the airflow into radiator isn�t blocked and all the air directing panels are present / in good condition.

3. If the radiator is silver, give is a light coat of flat black � black has a much higher radiation capacity which is relevant when the car is standing or the engine is turned off after a run.

4. Make sure the radiator is clear internally � particularly in an area where the water is hard. Backflush the rad and use one of the proprietary de-scaling agents. The flow should be strong and if the rad seems blocked, replace it.

5. Use high quality antifreeze all year round even in a hot area.

6. Make sure the thermostat is working OK and if possible replace it with one with a slightly lower opening temperature � in the UK these are known as �summer� stats.

7. Use Redline or a similar �water wetter� � this increases the heat transfer capacity of water and can lower temperatures by around 15 degrees centigrade.

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