From: "Marvin Kaye" <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Ideal Cooling System Plumbing (was Re:
  [FlyRotary] Re: overflow connections
To: flyrotary
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 09:23:37 -0500
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Posted for Mark Steitle <msteitle@mail.utexas.edu>:

David,
I guess it comes down to how soon the system will go into melt down.  I see
it like a water cooler... why do they put the spigot on the bottom instead of
the top.  You'll get more water out of the cooler if you draw off the bottom. 
  So,
in your cooling system, by drawing off the top of the radiator, if a leak were 
to develop
you would run out of water sooner than if you were drawing off the bottom. 
  From
my brief experience with the Mazda rotary water pump, it doesn't appear to 
take
much air in the system to shut the pump down.  I would like my system to be 
able to
continue circulating water for as long as possible, to enable me to get back 
on the ground.

I remember when auto manufacturers switched to cross-flow radiators.  It was
normal for the coolant level in those systems to be about 6-8" below the top
of the tank.  If they tried to make the top hose the outlet, they would suck 
air
and overheat/ruin the engine.  I don't know if your system would have this
same characteristic or not.  But, if you were to get a significant amount of 
air
into the radiator, it would have the same result.

Or maybe I don't fully understand your design?

Mark S.