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Old 04-18-2008, 01:46 PM
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Re: coolant question

Coolant has a lower heat capacity than water.
A gallon of water can absorb more heat (BTU's) for each degree of temperature increase than coolant can.
Therefore, the more coolant that is added to the mix, the less efficient it becomes at absorbing heat, despite the fact that coolant increases the boiling point of the mix.

All other things being equal, an all-water mix will cool better than a 50/50.

The 50/50 mix will cool better than a 70/30 mix.

Please note that cooler is not always better. Engines must attain a certain minimum temp in order to run efficiently, so if the engine is running 'warmer' but still in the normal range, it is not really a concern.
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