Cliff_J said:
Salt = very bad idea.
thermal conductivity != electrical conductivity
Glass is a decent thermal conductor, doesn't handle electricity so well but has good light conductivity too. One physical property doesn't necessarily translate into other properties.
Water wetter products at the autoparts stores work (in theory) by lowering the surface tension on the water to allow it to make better contact with the metal surfaces. My anecdotal experience matches some of the claims.
You are approaching the problem incorrectly. If you are experiencing an overheating problem, the coolant is not the issue unless it is low. It may be as simple as a bad radiator cap that doesn't hold pressure and let's the coolant boil (under pressure boiling point rises) or it could be an bad EGR valve or O2 sensor or other item making the engine run lean or even something as bad as a blown head gasket.
If its not passing smog, my first guess is EGR if the vehicle has higher mileage. But a decent mechanic would be able to diagnose the problem and not make wild guesses.
The first problem is failing smog. The first check and it was super rich, too much gas. Since the motor had recently been worked on to replace an exhaust manifold that cracked, and to change valve cover gaskets on a Ford with 351W and the fuel injection that curves over, you got to un bolt the injection manifold to get to valve cover bolts, its in a Van so hard to get to some stuff... anyway long story and maybe a cable got missed? no, so changed the Ox sensor and second smog check it was close, passed at 2500 rpm but failed at idle.
The EGR is tested by using a vacuum pump to open it at idle, it has to stall the engine; Its too rich at idle, sometimes that means the Catalytic converter has worn out, but we hooked up the computer thing the OBD-II and it said the coolant temp was 172* but it should be over 180* or the computer thinks its cold and makes it richer.
The shop said put the OEM thermostat in and re test it. Okay, then it overheats. I called the parts store where I bought the thing to ask if it could be defective? The guy explains how the car "needs" to run at 160* now because that's how its been running, the motor got used to that condition and it adjusted itself, does that make sense? I said no, I am from more of an engineering side of things, I am not from Missouri but you would have to 'show me' because I don't attribute emotions to mechanical systems.
The radiator cap could be bad, he said. Or the gauge isn't reading right. Well I said when it got hot, it steamed out the cap and was loud. OH, the cap is bad, they cannot let steam out. I said well don't you mean they have a pressure limit? no, ever, they can't let any pressure out. Uhh I think youre mistaken there, they have a pounds rating... 18, that's for most Fords, 18 pounds (he says). So the cap has to hold until 18 lbs? yes
I put the old thermostat back in, 160* and it runs fine. What bugs me is that Ford specified a certain thermostat for that system, so either a component of the system fails or it should work. If 192* doesn't work? something failed.
It was a hot 100* day yesterday but that thermostat should have worked.
My questions here are to prove or disprove the concept of thermal conductivity is proportional to electrical conductivity.
Silicon can be used in Peltier cooling to suggest the two are equal, and I sure couldn't recall what was what; space shuttle tiles... ? do those conduct heat or insulate heat? There was some material that could be heated with a torch red hot, then seconds later you could pick it up with your fingers
I need a thermocouple, have copper tubing, maybe I could put copper tubing into a bucket, put a thermocouple at the far end put some regular water, then put some object heated up into the bucket, measure the water in the bucket and at the outer end of the tubing, do it a few times and note the rate of change, then do the same with adding salt to the water.
Need 2 thermocouples. since I am a poor college student, maybe glass diodes will have to suffice on some ohms scale or something...