Quote Originally Posted by FungShui View Post
I think wstr75 is on the right track of asking the brake fluid temperature. Because if you left the container outside in the sun its not going to be the ambient/environmental temperature. The fluid will be hotter due to the thermal radiation being absorbed from the sun.
The fluid had been in a Motive Products power bleeder - basically a translucent white plastic container - sitting in open shade under the hood of the car with a dead cold engine. Ambient temperature was around 85F and there was a slight breeze. The fluid was then transferred back into the can which was also in open shade at the same ambient temp. The CO2 that was flowed into the can was cooler than ambient, though not cold by any measure. The steel of the can should be a pretty good thermal conductor, even for a gaseous product, but I didn't detect any difference once the CO2 was in the can and the top back on. The garage probably cooled to the mid 70s F overnight.

Trying to determine the temperature by hand is not an accurate method of determine the temperature. The reason is the thermal conductivity of the material will help dictate how much heat will be transferred. This is just of a perception of what you call "hot". An example of touching a piece of plastic and metal at 100 F. The metal component will perceive to be "hotter" than the plastic piece.
I agree completely. It's just that I'm really having trouble getting my head wrapped around how much vacuum it would take to crush a strong steel vessel. I know Mythbusters did a tank car, but they had to damage the tank to get it to collapse under 23 inches of mercury. There was no damage to this can prior to its collapse.

Ken...