mazdaspeed rad. caps: pros & cons??
 

need your opinion... pro5 uses 1.1 bar and mazdaspeed is 1.3.. does it make a difference?? good/bad?? shorten life to any part??

thx
gary

OMG, I know very little about cars, but this is definitely a first for me... does that rad cap actually matter/make a difference?? I'm definitely interested in hearing from someone who has insight on this!!!

just to put a word in, YES, it does, maybe not a lot, but not microscopic :rolleyes: (sorry long story)

Other people can explain it better.

My question is, what's the difference between using the mazdaspeed cap and just getting one from TrakAuto with a slightly higher pressure rating?

I heard with the 1.3 bar one, you have to let it sit for a min or two before you shut your car off if you have had some spirited driving just before, because you could get some overflow or something..?

just a thought

raidar

I think the higher bar one increases the pressure of the coolant in the system and hence provide slightly better cooling through heat disspation by keeping the coolant from boiling. I think that what it does.

i agree with leungwingkei, as i remeber my shop teacher was telling me that...

Probably something like $10 and maybe a logo... If the pressure's the same, the cap's the same.

And yes, higher pressure = higher boiling point. Not sure why they use a different cap. Maybe they use that to keep the engine temp in a certain range? A higher pressure cap should make the engine run a tiny bit hotter, I would think.

the higher pressure increases the waters resistance to boiling, hence, increased resistance to overheating.

Where and whats TrakAuto?

this seems like a stupid upgrade. I mean are your cars overheating? If they do it's prolly any number of things before the radiator cap

Umm, like Pep Boys, Kragen, Canadian Tire for our neighbors up North, whatever you have in your area.... in fact... last time I saw a Trak Auto was when I lived in VA ('97)... don't know if it's still around. It's just the first name I thought of, I guess.

Mainly for track cars, not any point on a street car. And yes, you should always get your caps pressure tested every once in a while... or replace them... there is a purpose to them... otherwise they wouldn't be designed to keep pressure :rolleyes:

koo koo.. thx for all your input :) i could get one for 40cdn but i guess you're rite... no point.... well unless i go turbo.. which i'm not.. haha..

I heard it was just another change made by Mazda for the MSP Protege becuase of the turbo. Like mentioned above the cap allows slightly higher boiling points, which is needed with the turbocharged engine. It allows the engine to operate at a little higher temp without boiling off coolant...