CRAZY QUESTION TIME
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From: Rockville, Ct.
CRAZY QUESTION TIME
So, I was power washing the underside of the truck today and somehow got to thinking about cooling systems. Has there ever been a oil based cooling system for any type of engine?
#2. Did Ford ever use any specific colors to I.D. the various dipsticks?
#2. Did Ford ever use any specific colors to I.D. the various dipsticks?
Fleet Owner
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From: NorCal
Oil is slow to release heat due to its viscosity/density. Cooling a cylinder requires significant surface area (like VW/Porsche cylinder heads) and consistent air flow.
An oil-based coolant would have to be very thin in order to exchange heat. Or lots and lots of surface area before it goes back in the engine... Is it possible? I suppose so. However, consider how much oil an FE would require.. like five gallons!!!
Drag-Pak Mustangs were equipped with factory oil coolers. Nowadays the oil is circulated through a thermostatic housing (heat exchanger) which also has coolant tubes.
Post Fiend
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From: St Albert, Alberta
Yes and no, Almost all Air cooled engines utilize some oil based engine cooling in addition to air.
The Suzuki Advanced Cooling System (SACS) introduced on their GSXR was the closest to having a full oil based engine cooling system. The engine case, head and cylinder pots still sported cooling fins but they were much shallower and finer than found on traditional air cooled engines, air cooling was secondary with engine oil being the primary coolant. The bikes sported a rather large oil cooler as big or even larger than a traditional water radiator.
Fleet Owner
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From: NorCal
Post #2. Me personally, none that I know of.
Dipstick color coding? I don't think it was ever deemed necessary to color code them.
Dipstick color coding? I don't think it was ever deemed necessary to color code them.
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Logistics Pro
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From: Lind, WA- Eastern WA
As far a dipstick handle colors, yellow was used on the newer engines. But that was just so the consumer could see it easier.
As to the engine oil cooling , some motorcycles(like the Suzuki mentioned above) had coolers or plumbed the oil thru the frame for cooling. The tanks we had in the Army were air cooled & had coolers for the oil too. I can't remember if the Corvair had oil coolers or not. Nearly all larger boats have a heat exchanger for the oil.
As to the engine oil cooling , some motorcycles(like the Suzuki mentioned above) had coolers or plumbed the oil thru the frame for cooling. The tanks we had in the Army were air cooled & had coolers for the oil too. I can't remember if the Corvair had oil coolers or not. Nearly all larger boats have a heat exchanger for the oil.
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Post Fiend
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From: St Albert, Alberta
As far a dipstick handle colors, yellow was used on the newer engines. But that was just so the consumer could see it easier.
As to the engine oil cooling , some motorcycles(like the Suzuki mentioned above) had coolers or plumbed the oil thru the frame for cooling. The tanks we had in the Army were air cooled & had coolers for the oil too. I can't remember if the Corvair had oil coolers or not. Nearly all larger boats have a heat exchanger for the oil.
As to the engine oil cooling , some motorcycles(like the Suzuki mentioned above) had coolers or plumbed the oil thru the frame for cooling. The tanks we had in the Army were air cooled & had coolers for the oil too. I can't remember if the Corvair had oil coolers or not. Nearly all larger boats have a heat exchanger for the oil.
The SACS system physically pumped the oil through the head and block in cooling passages, it was more than just an oil cooler to cool the lube oil. The system was double sump with 2 oil pumps (one for engine lubrication one for engine cooling. They were extremely reliable long lived engines for the era.
The air cooling on the SACS motors accounted for about 20% of the engine cooling needs and the oil the other 80% IIRC.
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The SACS system physically pumped the oil through the head and block in cooling passages, it was more than just an oil cooler to cool the lube oil. The system was double sump with 2 oil pumps (one for engine lubrication one for engine cooling. They were extremely reliable long lived engines for the era.
The air cooling on the SACS motors accounted for about 20% of the engine cooling needs and the oil the other 80% IIRC.
The air cooling on the SACS motors accounted for about 20% of the engine cooling needs and the oil the other 80% IIRC.
Too expensive? The Aliens at Area 51 didn't deem it necessary to share that technology? LOL
Post Fiend
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From: St Albert, Alberta
Basically it comes down to cost. Could it be done yes, is it cost effective no. In addition there is the environmental and safety factors, in an accident that would be severe enough to rupture the radiator it would result in several gallons of motor oil all over the place, and coming in contact with stuff like exhaust manifolds and red hot turbochargers.
There are applications where oil is used as a coolant, transformers for example use oil for cooling simply because water is conductive and oil is not. Many large stationary reduction gears use the lubricating oil as a coolant. But these are applications where the installations are expected to last decades and cost is not so much an issue compared to longevity.
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