Cooling System: Description and Operation

Walter C. Avrea, the owner of patents 3,601,181 and RE 27,965, has granted Ford Motor Company rights with respect to cooling systems covered by these patents.

The cooling system components are:
^ block heater.
^ Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor.
^ fan blade.
^ fan clutch.
^ fan shroud.
^ radiator.
^ radiator cap.
^ radiator coolant recovery reservoir.
^ radiator draincock.
^ water temperature indicator sender unit.
^ water thermostat and gasket assembly (4.2L).
^ water thermostat (4.6L, 5.4L).
^ the radiator allows excess engine heat to be transferred to the air.
^ upper radiator hose.
^ lower radiator hose.

The water pump circulates the coolant.

The water thermostat:
^ controls coolant temperature.
^ allows quicker engine warm-up.

The degas bottle:
^ holds surplus coolant when hot.
^ de-aerates the system reducing engine hot spots.
^ location for service fill.
^ allows coolant expansion and system pressurization [110kPa (16psi)].
^ air separation during operation.
^ replenishes coolant to system.

The fan blade draws air through the radiator to help cool the system coolant.

The fan clutch is a thermostatic-controlled clutch that controls the fan drive.

Coolant flow is as follows:

The radiator allows excess heat to be transferred to the air.
^ the radiator cannot be serviced. Install a new radiator.

The engine coolant flows:
^ from the lower radiator hose to the water pump.
^ from the water pump to the engine block and the cylinder heads.
- thermostat closed, the coolant returns to the water pump.
- thermostat open, the coolant flows back to the radiator.
^ to the radiator for heat rejection the back to the lower radiator hose.

Recycled coolant: use recycled engine coolant produced by Ford approved processes. Not all coolant recycling processes produce coolant which meets Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A, and use of such a coolant may harm engine and cooling system components.

Unsatisfactory coolant materials:
^ alcohol-type antifreeze does not provide adequate water pump lubrication.
- has a lower boiling point.
- provides reduced antifreeze protection.
^ alkaline brine solutions will cause serious engine cooling system damage.

The water temperature indicator sender unit provides a signal to the temperature gauge.

The block heater:
^ is an optional electrical heating element installed in core plug opening.
^ uses a standard 110v electrical supply.
^ keeps the engine coolant warm during cold weather.