Date:         Tue, 2 Jan 1996 10:31:40 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <des@teleport.com>
Subject:      Re: Tune up on the '56

Thom Fitzpatrick writes:
> 
> And David Schwarze thus wrote:
> > 
> > synthetic.  Still, I'm staying away from synthetic for now because of
> > it's supposed reduced specific heat (is that the right term?).
> 
> Whats that s'posed to mean "reduced specific heat?"
> 
> Whats "specific heat?"

Specific heat is a measure of how much heat material can absorb.  For
instance, water has a relatively high specific heat (you have to apply a
lot of heat to it to raise its temperature) while something like wood has
a much lower specific heat.  This is probably expressed in units of BTU
or joules, as in the number required to heat 1 mole 1 degree Kelvin.

So, an oil with a lower specific heat will not be able to carry as much
heat away from the engine parts it comes into contact with, and
therefore the engine will run hotter.

Okay, so I'm waaaaay out on a limb now.  Maybe someone more familiar with 
thermodynamics can jump in and save me.

-David

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David Schwarze                     '73 VW Safare Custom Camper  (Da Boat)
San Diego  (Actually La Mesa)      '72 VW Westfalia Camper      (Da Project)
California, USA                    '73 Capri GT 2800            (Da Beast)
e-mail: des@teleport.com           '87 Mustang Lx 5.0           (14.17@99.34)
http://www.teleport.com/~des       '93 Weber WG-50              (Da Piano)
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