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This is a great article on Cooling by 
Century Performance Center, Inc.
 
COOLING SYSTEM BASICS
 Modern automotive internal combustion engines generate a tremendous amount of heat. This heat iscreated when the gasoline and air mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber, and also from friction heat.This ignition (explosion) causes the piston to be forced down inside the engine, levering the connecting rods,and turning the crankshaft, creating power. Metal temperatures around the combustion chamber can exceed1000° F. In order to prevent the overheating of the engine oil, cylinder walls, pistons, valves, and othercomponents by these extreme temperatures, it is necessary to effectively dispose of the heat.It has been stated that a typical average-sized vehicle can generate enough heat to keep a 5-room housecomfortably warm during zero degree weather (and I'm not talking about using the exhaust pipe).Approximately 1/3 of the heat in combustion is converted into power to drive the vehicle and it'saccessories.It is our goal as racers to bring that 1/3 to a much higher standard, making use of every bit of energy toaccelerate our vehicles. But, this higher standard also causes even greater heat generation, requiring evenbetter cooling system components and designs to dissipate this additional energy by-product.Another 1/3 of the heat is carried off into the atmosphere through the exhaust system. The remaining 1/3must be removed from the engine by the cooling system. Modern automotive engines have basicallydumped the Air Cooled System for the more effective Liquid Cooled System to handle the job.In a liquid cooled system, heat is carried away by the use of a heatabsorbing coolant (water and anti-freeze) that circulates through theengine, especially around the combustion chamber in the cylinder headarea of the engine block. The coolant is pumped through the engine,then after absorbing the heat of combustion is circulated to the radiatorwhere the heat is transferred to the atmosphere. The cooled liquid isthen transferred back into the engine to repeat the process.
(click imageat right to enlarge)
 Excessive cooling system capacity can also be harmful, and may effect engine life and performance. Youmust understand that coolant temperatures also affect oil temperatures and more engine wear occurs whenthe engine oil is below 190° F. An effective cooling system controls the engine temperature within a specificrange so that the engine stays within peak performance.In this system, the coolant is circulated by the water pump, and the thermostat controls the temperature.The thermostat is closed when the engine is cold, allowing coolant to circulate ONLY in the engine block,bypassing the thermostat and radiator. This allows the engine to warm up faster and uniformly so that "hotspots" are eliminated. When the warming coolant reaches the thermostat, the thermostat will begin to openand allow coolant to pass to the radiator. The hotter the coolant gets, the more the thermostat opens,allowing more volume of water to pass to the radiator. The thermostat also controls the length of time thatthe coolant remains in the radiator so that the heat is dissipated effectively. On a racing application you canget by without a thermostat by using the correct restrictor disc installed where the thermostat wouldnormally be installed. Selecting the correct restrictor is imperative to system efficiency.
Important Warning:
 Removing the thermostat to increase water flow because your vehicle is overheating is dangerous to yourengine and is NOT what you want to do. Not only does the engine take longer to warm up, causingexcessive metal-to-metal wear, but once the engine does warm up it can get too hot because thethermostat also controls the length of time that the water is in the radiator so as to dissipate the heat to theatmosphere. 
 
THE PRESSURIZED SYSTEM
 Up until the late 1950's, liquid cooledsystems did not operate under pressure.This was primarily because these carshad much larger radiators, more openair under the hoods allowing for morenatural heat dissipation, and richer fuelmixtures causing lower (and lessefficient) combustion temperatures.With the manufacture of smallervehicles, with smaller radiators, largerengines, and emission controls, alongwith the current use of unleaded fuels,more efficient cooling efficiency becamenecessary.The cure for this was to operate thecooling system under pressure, thusisolating it from atmospheric pressure. Asystem under pressure can handlehigher temperatures, and offers a higherstatic boiling point.
NOTE:
 
For every pound of pressure exerted on the coolant in the system, the static boiling point of the coolant israised by approximately 3° F.
 Most liquids have a specific "boiling point", which is the temperature at which the liquid begins to change toa gas. If pressure is applied to the liquid, it must become hotter before it can boil. Pure water in a coolingsystem will boil (at sea level) at 212° F. At higher altitudes, atmospheric pressure is less than at sea level.
Example:
Water at 5,280 feet will boil at a mere 203° F. A cooling system that is under 15 pounds of pressure however, will now allow the water to reach nearly 250° F before it can boil. Even at thistemperature the water is able to circulate through the engine, cooling parts that are at a much highertemperature without the water boiling. As long as the coolant remains in liquid form it can do it's job andtransfer heat to the radiator so it can be dissipated. Coolant that is boiling cannot transfer as much heat andengine overheating is likely to occur if the coolant turns to a gaseous state. Steam adjacent to a hot surface,such as a combustion wall, can actually act as an insulator - thus preventing any heat transfer to thecoolant.Pressurization of the system is achieved by a special radiator filler neck and radiator pressure cap. The fillerneck has an upper and lower sealing seat with an overflow tube connection between them. The lower seat isengaged by the pressure controlling valve on the cap and the upper seat (in an open system) is engaged bya spring metal diaphragm in the cap. The radiator pressure cap features a spring pressure relief valve whichcloses off the lower sealing seat in the filler neck. This pressure relief valve allows pressure to build up to aspecified level, the permits excess pressure to escape through the overflow tube when it exceeds the rangeof the pressure valve spring. This valve protects the cooling system from damage from excessive pressure.This pressure relief system also includes a vacuum relief valve that allows air (in an open system) to enteras coolant contracts. This prevents the radiator hoses and tanks from collapsing from the partial vacuumthat would be created if air was unable to enter.
THE CLOSED or RESERVOIR SYSTEM vs. THE "OLD STYLE" OPEN SYSTEM
 One of the big disadvantages in the old open type pressurized system is that as the system cools, air isallowed back through the overflow tube. These systems are not totally filled with coolant because of thepotential for coolant loss through the overflow tube when the coolant heats up and expands. As morecoolant is lost through the overflow, less coolant is left to do it's job within the engine. Because of this, andthat air can enter the system and reduce cooling system efficiency, overheating can occur. Closed reservoirsystems were first used by car manufacturers in the early 1970's.
 
 A closed or reservoir system has solved the problems listed above. This system is different in that a specialradiator cap and overflow reservoir tank. Part of the radiator cap is a second sealing gasket under the shellthat contacts the upper sealing seat of the filler neck. What was the overflow hose is now the connectionbetween the radiator and the "bottom" of the reservoir.While the open pressurized system is filled to a point 2-3 inches below the top of the radiator, the closedpressurized system is filled completely with coolant and the reservoir is filled approximately half full. Whenthe engine is started and begins to heat up, the coolant expands. As the coolant expands it is forced out outthrough the pressure valve of the radiator cap, through the overflow tube, and into the reservoir. When theengine is turned off and begins to cool, a partial vacuum is created in the radiator by the contractingcoolant. The upper sealing gasket in the pressure cap will then allow the vacuum to draw the coolant backinto the radiator and engine from the reservoir. As you may have noticed, the actual volume of coolant thatdisplaces during heat-up and cool-down transfer is minimal in most all cases.Because of the coolant going back and forth between the radiator and reservoir, practically all air iseliminated from the cooling system. This pretty much guarantees that the engine block, heater core, andradiator are full of coolant instead of air. This allows the most efficient operation of the cooling system.Generally, on closed systems, coolant is added only as required, and then it is added to the reservoir, notthe radiator.
COOLANT and COOLANT ADDITIVES
 Even though some time ago water alone was used for many years in automotive cooling systems, the factthat it only has a 32 F° freezing point, a 212° F boiling point, it evaporates easily, creates rust andcorrosion, and leaves mineral deposits has made it less than optimal as the sole coolant. It is much moreefficient to utilize a chemical added the the water to improve the efficiency of the coolant. This chemical iscommonly called "Anti-Freeze", but the more accurate name is ethylene glycol (EG). In recent years (EG)has been replaced by propylene glycol (PG). This is a much less dangerous chemical.
PLEASE READ:
 Antifreeze is considered by many to be "one-size-fits-all" as most antifreeze brands have a distinctivelemon-lime color. However, the actual formulations can vary greatly between types, such as the morerecent RED antifreeze. Conventional antifreeze is formulated from an ethylene glycol (EG) base chemical andcan have very serious health risks.It is estimated that each year 90,000 pets and other wildlife die from accidentally ingesting ethylene glycolbased antifreeze. Animals are attracted to antifreeze for its sweet smell and taste. Animals, and children forthat matter, can accidentally ingest antifreeze from spills, cooling-system leaks or improperly storedcontainers. Because of this the U.S. Government has initiated strict laws and penalties as the result of contamination of water or ground areas. Even a leaky vehicle can get you into trouble.As an alternative, automotive chemical manufacturers have formulated a newer type of antifreeze usingpropylene glycol (PG) instead of ethylene glycol, which is less harmful if accidentally ingested. A popularbrand is SIERRA®, which was the first nationally marketed propylene glycol based antifreeze.Safer, propylene glycol based antifreeze provides performance and protection comparable to conventionalethylene glycol based antifreeze in four key areas of engine protection: boil over, freeze-up, corrosion andheat transfer. SIERRA®, and other propylene glycol based antifreeze products are available nationwide, andcan be the extra margin of safety to protect your children, pets, drinking water, and neighborhood wildlife.Since antifreeze as a 50-50 mix with water elevates the boiling point to 227° F, and lowers the freezingpoint to -27° F, it should also be called anti-boil. Good quality antifreeze contains water pump lubricants tohelp maintain the efficiency of the pump, rust inhibitors to keep unwanted deposits from forming, and acidneutralizers to help protect the inside of the radiator, heater core, and hoses from corrosion.Of course, antifreeze does not last forever, so it is recommended that the coolant be changed at least everytwo years or 24,000 miles. However, many vehicle owners allow do not follow this service interval and allow
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