less cooling system stress
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,416
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From: Mitchell, SD
Welcome! 
I personally would NOT recomend going with a lower pressure cap. That means that your coolant starts to vaporize at a lower temperature which means more of a chance of blown head gasket, radiator, hoses, ect.
Stay with recomended pressure cap and keep all the components in good condition and you will not have any problems.
If you are still concerned, toss in a bottle of Red Line Water Wetter. That will help the coolant absorb/release heat without damaging anything..
I personally would NOT recomend going with a lower pressure cap. That means that your coolant starts to vaporize at a lower temperature which means more of a chance of blown head gasket, radiator, hoses, ect.
Stay with recomended pressure cap and keep all the components in good condition and you will not have any problems.
If you are still concerned, toss in a bottle of Red Line Water Wetter. That will help the coolant absorb/release heat without damaging anything..
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 35
From: Kansas
Originally Posted by ken1mod
I live in Phoenix, Az and I always replace standard pressure cap on radator with 4 or 7 psi unit. Never any problems in 25 years. Comments?
I would recommend the factory radiator cap to make sure that your coolant system does not boil at a lower temp.
I think with only a 4 psi cap, you are walking on thin ice, so-to-speak.
Proof of my thinking is that older Cadillac V8 systems had about a 17 psi radiator cap, and the Caddy motors were factory engineered to constantly run at about 230 degrees. You couldn't do that with a 4 psi radiator cap.
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2005
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Gentlemen,
Absolutely everythin you say is valid. I never add coolant mix, the rad is always full, never boil even in Phoenix. I realize that I am sacrificing maximum capacity, but the systems in cars seem to be, if you can believe it, overdesigned. I have towed trailers up hills with a/c on, never a problem except on a chevy 454. that thing would overtemp with the high pressure cap if a passenger ate a taco with too much hot sauce on it.
Absolutely everythin you say is valid. I never add coolant mix, the rad is always full, never boil even in Phoenix. I realize that I am sacrificing maximum capacity, but the systems in cars seem to be, if you can believe it, overdesigned. I have towed trailers up hills with a/c on, never a problem except on a chevy 454. that thing would overtemp with the high pressure cap if a passenger ate a taco with too much hot sauce on it.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
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From: Washington state
point source boiling and steam cavitation anywhere in an engine block or head is a quick death. major design problem for diesel engine designers. causes metal corrosion and block-cylinder liner-head metal eat thru.
manuf.'s will NOT honor engine damage where lower pressure radiator cap was used.
the higher the pressurized boiling point of a cooling system, up to 260d F, the safer. don't even think about letting one of these new aluminum engine coolant systems boil internally.
manuf.'s will NOT honor engine damage where lower pressure radiator cap was used.
the higher the pressurized boiling point of a cooling system, up to 260d F, the safer. don't even think about letting one of these new aluminum engine coolant systems boil internally.
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
I also agree. I had a truck that the cap was going bad, and its pressure had dropped. What would happen, is as the coolant escaped past the cap, the temperatur guage would drop, but now the system is operateing with less coolant, so the risk of overheat is increased. Also, it would cause the guage to read at a lower temperature due to the escapeing pressure, but in reality the engine was running much hotter inside where the coolant was boiling and cavitateing. I cuaght this condition before it caused any damage. I caught it, because the temperature guage was not riseing when it should have been.
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Elder User
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Compelling arguements.
I must rethink. There is an impressive store of genuine knowledge in this forum.
Ken
I must rethink. There is an impressive store of genuine knowledge in this forum.
Ken
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Elder User
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Dear VanGo,
Twenty years ago my brother told me that he replaced high pressure cap with a 4 pound unit to lower probability of radiator, hose, heater core problems. I thought this was valid and have always done this, even on new vehicles in heavy duty use in Phoenix. I managed a fleet of trucks in Phoenix and always did this, never a problem, never coolant losses at all, zero.
Many new diesel trucks, (Isuzu 5.9liter turbo diesel) come with 4 pound caps standard. Many OTR semi trucks have atmospheric cooling systems. This must be for reliability.
I feel only compelling arguement was the one on point source boiling and cavitation, that could be real.
Ken
Twenty years ago my brother told me that he replaced high pressure cap with a 4 pound unit to lower probability of radiator, hose, heater core problems. I thought this was valid and have always done this, even on new vehicles in heavy duty use in Phoenix. I managed a fleet of trucks in Phoenix and always did this, never a problem, never coolant losses at all, zero.
Many new diesel trucks, (Isuzu 5.9liter turbo diesel) come with 4 pound caps standard. Many OTR semi trucks have atmospheric cooling systems. This must be for reliability.
I feel only compelling arguement was the one on point source boiling and cavitation, that could be real.
Ken
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,416
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From: Mitchell, SD
Originally Posted by focusyn
Does the Water Wetter actually work? (as far as anyone can tell) I've always been tempted to add a bottle.
It is chemically formulated to cause the water to better ingest and degest heat. (where coolant only keeps it from boiling/freezing and rusting.)
