Using a lower pressure Radiator cap
12-27-2012, 07:25 PM
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Using a lower pressure Radiator cap I have been using for a year now a Be Cool radiator cap. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bci-71006 on my 2000 Trans Am LS1.
It is rated at 13 psi. The stock cap is 18 psi. I've driven the car around during winter, and this past summer. It was hot here in NY this past summer and I was driving my car almost every day with the A/C blasting.
What can you guys tell me about using a lower pressure cap?
It is rated at 13 psi. The stock cap is 18 psi. I've driven the car around during winter, and this past summer. It was hot here in NY this past summer and I was driving my car almost every day with the A/C blasting.
What can you guys tell me about using a lower pressure cap?
12-27-2012, 09:43 PM
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Cap pressure sets the water jacket boiling point.
If you're good then you're good, but no telling what
hot spots you might have waiting to make a steam
pocket and runaway boiling.
If your system can hold the pressure then you are
better off with a higher pressure cap. If your jacket
temp is such that you don't exceed the lower cap
pressure, that's fine; you just have more margin
with the higher pressure cap is all.
If you're good then you're good, but no telling what
hot spots you might have waiting to make a steam
pocket and runaway boiling.
If your system can hold the pressure then you are
better off with a higher pressure cap. If your jacket
temp is such that you don't exceed the lower cap
pressure, that's fine; you just have more margin
with the higher pressure cap is all.
12-28-2012, 12:34 AM
#3
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Cap pressure sets the water jacket boiling point.
If you're good then you're good, but no telling what
hot spots you might have waiting to make a steam
pocket and runaway boiling.
If your system can hold the pressure then you are
better off with a higher pressure cap. If your jacket
temp is such that you don't exceed the lower cap
pressure, that's fine; you just have more margin
with the higher pressure cap is all.
If you're good then you're good, but no telling what
hot spots you might have waiting to make a steam
pocket and runaway boiling.
If your system can hold the pressure then you are
better off with a higher pressure cap. If your jacket
temp is such that you don't exceed the lower cap
pressure, that's fine; you just have more margin
with the higher pressure cap is all.
12-28-2012, 01:28 AM
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What it does is allow the cooling system to begin operating at maximum efficiency at a cooler temp, hence a cooler engine, which is generally better all round, how ever that's assuming we know better then the highly paid engineers who designed the engine ....
