Brain fart, coolant system
Brain fart, coolant system
(OP)
I've just had a brain fart. How about using engine oil for coolant in the engine's coolant system, separately from the oil in the sump. I'm thinking of corrosion prevention and wear protection of the coolant pump. Also, a good, thin synthetic will pour at temperatures where you'd need a lot of antifreeze. Or maybe use a blend of water/engine oil.
Also, if you have a water/oil intercooler, no issue at all if it start to leak, except maybe aged coolant oil mixing with fresher sump oil.
And, finally, easier emergency maintenance for those not mechanically inclined.
Well, is it worthwhile in any way, just more expensive than distilled water, or stupid(why, please)?
10x for your time.
Also, if you have a water/oil intercooler, no issue at all if it start to leak, except maybe aged coolant oil mixing with fresher sump oil.
And, finally, easier emergency maintenance for those not mechanically inclined.
Well, is it worthwhile in any way, just more expensive than distilled water, or stupid(why, please)?
10x for your time.





RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
Anyone done this or know of this having been done?
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
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RE: Brain fart, coolant system
The system would have to be pressurised to try to stop the oil from popping away from hot spots forming vapour pockets & cracks.
Oil will boil & with disasterous consequences, could you imagine hot boiling oil spraying around in the engine compartment from a cooling system failure, things are bad enough as is with engine oil, p/steering fluid etc.
At Optimum engine operating temperature things are not far off the boil as is & oil would take to long to cool things down quickly once to hot.
I once had a discussion about water as a cooling substance, the comment came up that water is used to cool nuclear power plants & if there was a better cooling substance then it would be used in that particular case--end of discussion.
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
In the last war years and shortly thereafter, I remember my dad draining the block and rad every night that it looked like it would freeze. We had a few pretty cold winters in El Paso in the 1940's...
Rod
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
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RE: Brain fart, coolant system
But how about going a little more into the way out. How about using water based lubricant in the crank case? This fluid would serve for both crank case lubricant and heat exchange. I feel that new engine designs may tend to high temperature top end, even approaching adiabatic. But cooling will still be needed in the cylinder bore and crank.
Twenty and thirty years ago there was quite a little patent activity in aqueous biased lubricants. Some claimed to be able to maintain a serviceable lubrication film with as little as one percent additive in water. The additives were usually amines (like soap).
The only application I remember is the machine tool business. Some of this was used as a cutting lubricant and coolant. I have always wondered if this could be applied to engines. Water does not have gumming or caking break down products. It also has much easier disposal.
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
The antifreeze in the water lowers the overall heat capacity of the coolant. Maybe to where straight engine oil would be. This just might work. If only I had a jalopy to try this on.
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
GSXR's use positive displacement gerotor pumps, both for the cooling jacket / oil cooler and for the main pressure circuit. But these engines were designed to work this way from the outset ... and they have fine-pitch cooling fins on the engine itself so that they are partially air-cooled directly. Suzuki has since abandoned air-and-oil cooling on their premium models for traditional water/glycol cooling, which is probably indicative that the air/oil system has its limitations.
Ethylene glycol indeed has about the same heat content as oil (about half that of water), but when mixed with water, the heat content and viscosity get brought into range (and the pump is designed to work with this).
If the objective is to eliminate water (for whatever reason) there are coolants that are designed to be used straight, no water dilution, and without pressure in the cooling jacket. I think it's called Evan's coolant, but I could be wrong.
Pat's right to be concerned about hoses and seals.
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
There was a weak link; the generic engine oil pressure sensor couldn't take the heat. Its diaphragm would fail, spraying a fine mist of oil all over the engine compartment, where it would be drawn into the (air) cooling system by the fan. The oil- coated fins would become covered with a mud made of dust and oil and become less effective. There was then a race to see if the engine would seize from overheating, or just plain run out of oil and seize.
Did I mention that the passenger compartment was heated by the same air that cooled the engine, after it had been heated by the oily fins and fouled by the smoke from the oil- coated exhaust manifolds?
If you caught one before it seized, you could get a good car for a song. Two dollars to replace the stupid o/p switch, two dollars more to extend it away from the block with pipe fittings, thousands in labor to disassemble the engine's tinwork and clean up the drippy disgusting mess, and months to get the stink out of the upholstery.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
Sorry, this is a bit off the OP...
However, as I indicated, the oil as coolant is nothing new. It's been done before and in certain climates it works acceptably well. My brother was stationed at Little America and he used diesel fuel as coolant in some of his exposed machinery, if you can believe Jack...which often I do not!
Rod
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
My '65 used up three switches in ~250,000 miles.
I used RTV on the head gaskets... and kept a window open a little anyway.
The only thing that really bothered me about the heater was the cloud of steam you got in a deep puddle, e.g. everywhere in Boston in the winter.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
- Steve
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
Regards
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RE: Brain fart, coolant system
Rod
RE: Brain fart, coolant system
Only really major problem was a piston that lost its crown.. and pieces of ring chipped the timing gears... while I drove it another ten miles. That was a tough engine.
Stock pushrod tube o-rings assembled with RTV didn't leak... but didn't come apart easily when you wanted them to.
The only thing that fell off regularly was the stock mufflers; headers and glasspacks fixed that, and made it LOUD. Like I cared. What fun.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA