Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-04
Barney 0ldffe@d says:
ENGINE ovERHEATIN0

GN0INE Ov6n61GA VTN0
During the summer months an en-
CINE will naturally run better than in
colder weather because the heat from
the radiator cannot be d~issipated fast
enough. An engine in which there Is
some arrangement of a basic system
controlling engine heat will then be-
come overheated on a hot summer day.
The average car owner does not take
overheating as seriously as he ought
but if he will remember that it is as
serious as a high fever in a man, he
will at once appreciate the damage
that may be done.
The cooling system Of thermo-
syphon cooled engine consists of jack
cts around the cylinders and pipe con-
nectiOns to the radiator. or in the case
Of a pump system, a centrifugal pump
forces the water around the circuit.
In the thermo-syphon system the pipes
are generally large and the water ca
pacity large also, so that there will be
free movement of water, which circu-
lates without being pushed by any me-
chanical device like a pump. 1t works
on the principle that hot water rises to
the top and in the engine the hot wa
ter will make its way through the up
per hose connection to the radiator
where it is cooled and sent into the
bottom of the water jackets. The pump
system is the same except for the size
of the water pipes and the angle Of
these. pipes. for the pump can force the
water around even though the pipes
are horizontal. You will notice in a
thermo- syphon engine the pipes Tor
connections to the radiator) slant
somewhat.
1t follows naturally that any OBJ
struction in any system will prevent
proper water flow and hence overhead
ing may result. In n thermO-syphon
cooled engine the whole system must
be full of water, for if the level is low
in the radiator then it is difficult for
the hot water on top of the jackets to
flow. 1t cannot jump through empty
space, it makes its way through water
that is cooler. In cars that are sy-
phonically cooled the radiator should
be filled daily. The pump system also
ought to be filled, but a low level is
not likely to cause overheating.
Every water system ~accumulates a
certain amount of rust from the inside
walls of the jackets. If a very large
accumulation results, it is likely to
form Jumps in the bottom tank of the
the radiator and if any of these humps
get into the jackets they may stick at
one of the bends and SO impede the
flow of water. For this reason the
radiator should be drained completely
every month or so.
Since the hot water in the radiator
imparts it's heat to air that is drawn
through by the cooling fan, it follows
that the fan always must be operative.
If the belt slips then an insufficient
amount of air is drawn through and
III ,oyA- Ioa, r1@ ,4zl -.oe T.
some cars the fan is direct-driven. 1t
is a wise thing always to carry a spare
fan belt along IN a tour Of any length
because it is not always possible to
get the exact size and type at any ga
rage or supply store. Do not adjust
the belt too tightly. but allow about
one inch slack or bend in it, also see
that the pulleys line up so that the
fan belt will run true and thus last a
long time.
The cooling system itself may be OPP
Grating perfectly, but certain influences
may exist to impart too much heat to
the water or prevent the water from
carrying the heat away at the right
time. If, for example, the engine is
~carbonized. the cylinder walls become
unduly hot because the pistons are
practically insulated and they, there
fore, allow all the heat to 60 to the
cylinder walls at the top. IF the spark
is too late or, which amounts to the
same thing, If you run with retarded
spark for a long time, the cylinder
walls become excessively hot and can
not give that heat up fast enough to
the water. Most of the heat should go
out with the exhaust but il does not
end the excess goes into the cooling
water.
After each explosion the cylinder is
supposed to be clear of really hot
gases, but if the mixture is bad. in
stead of all of it exploding, some burns
with a flame and this flame plays
against the cylinder walls, burns away
the oil and imparts an excessive
amount Of heat to the water. A bad
burning mixture also has a tendency to
warp the valves.
Any excessive friction in the engine
makes it labor too much and this may
cause the engine to run too hot. Tight
bearings, pistons and rings that bind
are a drag on the engine.
An overheated engine knocks badly
and loses power. These conditions
may exist even though the water is not
steaming. The temperature may be
over 200 and knocking will take place
under the least strain. Some engines
are equipped with heat indicators. but
these do not always register correctly.
There should be no cause for worry un-
less the engine is actually steaming.
1t should then be stopped and if pos
sible the cause determined. If you
run for any length of time with a
steaming engine you take a chance on
scoring the cylinder walls and wearing