[Mark Thorley (Thor)]

My 440 stays cool as long as I'm moving, but if I get stuck at a light for 2 or 3 cycles, the temp climbs rapidly. Is it ok to just run water? Has anyone tried Purple Ice? Also thinking of adding an electric fan. Any recommendations on which one? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Thor

[Roger Bettoni (Roger)]

Air-flow and coolant circulation are the key factors to any cooling system. While you're stationary and idling, the coolant is circulating slowly and the fan speed is slow (assuming you have a belt driven fan). Water has a higher boiling temperature under pressure. Coolant with alcohol in it has better cooling characteristics. Make sure your water pump is in good order, your viscous coupled fan works properly and there are no obstructions in the core of your rad. Think of the many stationary engines in use (generators and the like). They stay cool by having a good fan system and excellent coolant circulation. You can run any car without a fan, provided it is moving to draw cool air through the rad. Once the car is stopped, there's no air being drawn through the rad, so the temp will climb up quickly.
Add a shroud, use distilled or rain-water only, add a corrosion inhibitor and flush the system annually (with heater on to flush heater core too).
Do not use tap water, as this is full of minerals that will react with the many alloys in motors and cause rapid corrosion. Moreover most tap water has salts in it too and we all know waht effect salt has on steel/alloy.