Originally posted by fujiwara takumi
antifreeze is a less effective coolant than water, much less. the only reason its there is for anticorrosion and anti freezing.
No no no - that is dead wrong. It raises the boiling point considerably - are you paying attention? Water at sea level boils at 212 F, 220 or 225 under 1 atmosphere pressure. Since thermostats open between 180-195 F, that doesn't leave much margin for error. Anti-freeze raises the boiling point to over 250 F, as high as 276 - this is a huge difference.
It is true that water alone has a higher HEAT CAPACITY, but it is less efficient as a coolant due to the low boiling point. In addition, because water has such a high heat capacity, it also has a slooow heat transfer rate - so it must be in contact with the hot surface longer to maximixe its cooling ability. This makes it less efficient at high speeds when the water pump is cranking and coolant is moving through the system faster.
In other words - the time when you need cooling the most is the time when water is least efficient.