​​What happens if we pour cold Water on the hot Engine? Consi | Today I Learn

​​What happens if we pour cold Water on the hot Engine?

Consider what happens if you suddenly cool a very hot, brittle material, such as cast iron, and to a lesser extent, aluminum. A metal alloy when heated expands evenly and upon cooling contracts evenly; however, this sudden and uneven contraction of that material will cause it to fracture. 

In the case of a motorcycle engine which is usually not a very big one, can result in a having cracked block.

Which will eventually result in a hefty engine replacement? 

When you throw water on a hot engine, you can see water vaporize quickly.

That is because the water absorbs the heat from the outer surface of the crankcase while the inner temperature of the engine remains high.

So it makes a huge variation of temperature in the same area of the crankcase.

Moreover, the water doesn’t even absorb the temperature from the whole surface evenly but only from the areas where the water came in direct contact.

So this huge discrimination of temperature on the crankcase makes the engine go through a situation called a “Thermal Shock.”

Now there are chances that some of you might argue that you’ve been doing this practice for long now and your bike completely runs okay. Then to those people, I would say that it’s not your luck but the material used to make these engines instead.

Their building material is resilient enough to deal with such malpractice from time to time.

But as with all the things in this world, there is an end for everything and one day when you’ll put cold water on the engine on the bike it will be the last time.