How hot is too hot?

[Tonz]

I'm not a scientist (tho my brother is) so having lived with the adage "a little bit of knowledge is dangerous" I did some research on the thermal properties of water using school student science study books that are basic, factual and easily digested.

 

*Talking pure water here, not coolant, not pressurised.

*4°C or 39°F is where water reacts in a unique way.

 

Skipping all the scientific crap:

On cooling, water contracts until 4° Celsius. Below that, it expands slightly until freezes then it expands about 9%. This is why water inside your engine's water galleys in winter is not good.

 

On heating water from room temp to just below boiling it expands about 4%. This is why a your radiator with about 10 litres of water will purge about half a litre of water at operation temp.

 

Now for the climate activists, 4°C is the magic number for water where expansion is not on a linear scale, but sudden. So you can see why ocean levels drop and rise.

One other little thing is as it continues to get colder and freezes it suddenly expands by 9%, thus ice floats (not sinks and stays on the bottom of the oceans forever) hence the reason there is life on the planet 🤔

 

Personally, I do prefer my air cooled motorcycles where all this freezing and boiling stuff is to do with rider comfort😆

 

 

 

[Stude Light]

Water is a great summertime coolant but I would definitely run some glycol mix if you think you'll ever get below 40 degrees. It is not worth taking a chance on freezing and cracking an engine block. I have my cars in a heated shop in the winter and, since several run water, I usually flip the circuit breakers off the garage doors just in case. If a furnace fails it will take quite a while for things to go below freezing and sensors would let me know way in advance but if a garage door accidently went up while I was sleeping I'm not sure the heat would be enough to keep the car from freezing in 8 hours, especially if it is -10 deg F out. I am definitely an advocate for glycol when the need warrants it.

 

I think a Franklin is a good way to go.