EDIAirtoBoilProcedureforFordEngines

Air to Boil Procedure for EDI Ford Industrial Engines

Table of Contents Page

Air to Boil Procedure 2

Special Equipment 3

Test Procedure 3

Boiling Point of Coolant 4

Recommended Check Points 5

Test Results 6

Engine Compartment 7

Recirculation Test 7

Summary 8

Conclusion 8

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AIR TO BOIL PROCEDURE

Air-to-boil (ATB) is the ambient temperature at which the coolant will boil, causing the cooling system to
fail. An ATB test will show if the system is adequate for cooling the engine in high ambient temperatures.
For this test to be accurate, it should be run at ambients of no less than 80F.

Several temperatures are taken during ATB tests which are critical to the operation of the cooling system.

The:
temperature difference across the engine
temperature of the coolant leaving the engine
temperature of the air in the carburetor
temperature in the engine compartment
oil sump temperatures
are all indicators of the performance of the system.

The machine should be run at the highest duty cycle possible. For constant load applications, such as
pumps and generator this is simple to do. For variable load applications such as loaders or vehicles an
experienced driver should be used as a less skilled operator will not be able to load the engine as heavily.
The application should be tested throughout its speed range and at idle as the reduced air and coolant
flows at the lower speeds may actually create a more difficult cooling situation.

Engine Distributors Inc. recommends the following steps in developing a cooling system for its engines:

1. Design an initial system using the previously stated guidelines in this manual.
2. Test system as described in the following procedures as stated in this section.
3. Modify system, if required, to correct discrepancies found in tests, based on our accepting
guidelines.

If these steps are followed, the cooling system should be able to cool the engine properly and continue to
do so for the expected lifetime of the application. After selecting a cooling system, it must be tested
extensively.

The application should be tested in conditions to represent the worst case cooling situation the engine
could ever see. The test must be performed in a manner that ensures repeatability. If possible, identical
tests should be run on multiple applications to increase accuracy of results. The different operating
conditions include:

Wide Open Throttle (WOT) and Maximum Load: at the maximum level of heat generation by
engine. If application can not be run at this level, test should be performed at highest possible
load.
Idle Test: due to low engine speed air and coolant flow may be insufficient to provide proper heat
dissipation.

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Special equipment
A standard, coolant thermostat for the engine being tested that has been soldered in the fully open
position.
Thermocouples K type 328-2502F

Test procedure
To ensure that all tests conform to the same procedure, remove the thermostat and replace with one that is
soldered in the open position. Always use fresh water or a 50-50 water-ethylene-glycol solution for the
duration of the test, as this gives a cooling fluid of known density.

A 50% ethylene glycol 50% water cooling fluid mixture is recommended. This will:
prevent freezing to about -40 F.
aid in lubricating the water pump bearings
help prevent corrosion of the coolant passages in the engine and radiator.

A mixture above or below the recommended level will result in the following:
Above 50% glycol the heat dissipation from the radiator will decrease
Below 50% glycol coolant freezing may occur in some locations.

For comparison with standards:

Use production pressure cap
Boiling point of coolant must be determined from Chart No. One on the following page.
It is unreasonable to assume that coolant will always be maintained to the original percent of
ethylene glycol. If the production ratio of ethylene glycol to water is not maintained in the field
the boiling point of the system will decrease and the system may boil. It is advisable to test the
system using lower pressures and less ethylene glycol for a more robust system.
Set up thermocouples as indicated in Chart No. 2 .
Run engine until temperatures stabilize.
Check for leaks in the cooling system.

Run the machine at maximum operating load and record the temperature every 15 minutes, at the various
positions indicated until the oil temperature has stabilized, (three readings giving the same results). From
the data obtained, calculate the effectiveness of the cooling system to deal with high ambient.

Sometimes, when a true load cannot be applied to the engine, other options can be used to simulate the
actual load. These can be as follows:

Utilizing the hydraulic to place the engine under load, ie., loading the engine via the hydraulics.
Running the vehicle up an incline to place the engine in a loaded condition.

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Test Results
ATB temperature is defined as:

Compute Temperature Difference across the engine by subtracting the bottom tank from the top
tank.
Calculate ATB and temperature difference for each set of temperatures recorded
The following temperatures are the recommended limits for acceptance:

Engine Temperature Difference (Delta T)

In the range of 8 to 15F
If high indicates restriction in cooling system
Carburetor Air Inlet
No more than 10F above ambient
If high indicates need to relocate air inlet
Oil Sump
Between 212 and 250F
Spikes up to 284F are acceptable at high ambients
If high indicates need for increased air flow around oil pan or addition of oil cooler
Engine Compartment
Less than 50 degrees above ambient
If high indicates insufficient flow through compartment
175F max. temperature.

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Properly Ventilated Engine Compartment

1. The engine compartment is heated from two sources
Air from the radiator if using suction fan
Engine radiates heat directly in all cases
2. Engine compartment must be ventilated allowing air to flow over the engine and out of the
compartment
3. High temperatures can cause premature failure of several engine components and possible fuel
handling problems.
4. Radiator obstructions should be minimized
Grill should have at least as much open area as the frontal area of the radiator
Serial accessory radiators will impair air flow
5. Air must exit engine compartment without restrictions
Free path should exist for air flow

Radiator Recirculation Test

Radiator recirculation occurs when air in the engine compartment is pulled around and into the radiator.

Temperature variations of more than 10F between neighboring points or above ambient at
any point indicate recirculation exists
If recirculation exists and engine passes ATB tests no need to correct but addition of radiator
baffles would add to robustness of system.

On completion of the tests, the results are processed to show:

1. The operating temperature limitations for the particular machine.
2. The efficiency of the airflow system.
3. If any problems of hot air recirculation exist.
4. Whether ventilation of the engine compartment is sufficient.

Air-to-boil temperature is the most important test result. In general, an ATB temperature of 135F (57C)
will be satisfactory for most applications. Higher ATB temperatures, 140F (60C), may be required for:
Hot climates (this may include summer operation of agricultural equipment even in northern
states)
"Dirty" applications where some radiator plugging is unavoidable.

Light duty applications may be satisfactory with ATB temperatures as low as 120F (49C).

Engine compartment temperatures which are considerably higher than ambient indicate that there is too
much restriction of airflow into or out of the engine compartment (or both). High engine compartment
temperatures also are likely to cause "hot fuel handling" problems. Wide variations in the temperature of
air entering the radiator at different positions or a differential of more than 10F (6C) between entering
air temperature and ambient air temperature indicate recirculation around the radiator and a need for
improved baffling.

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SUMMARY
The air-to-boil test is the most comprehensive test useable for determining if the cooling system is
sufficient. If a high ATB is not maintained coolant system failure is inevitable as the system ages and
degrades.

For the test to be accurate the following must be done:

Take accurate data
Determine accurate boiling point of coolant in system (factor of pressure and percent ethylene
glycol)
Ambient must be above 80F

To determine if the system is adequate the ATB test must be run with the system running at all speeds
that will be seen in operation including maximum speed and load and idle.

CONCLUSION
An adequate cooling system in any application is essential. Without it the engine will fail. For a product
to be successful, it must be able to perform well under the worst possible conditions, even after system
degradation. The key in developing such a system is repeated testing until the system is proven. The
guidelines presented here for design are only guidelines. It is impossible to produce a 100% guaranteed
system on paper. Any cooling system must be thoroughly tested.

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