Race: Bang for the Buck Engine Cooling Mods
despite your signature, i'll chime in with some suggestions since i've done a bunch of cooling mods.
- change your front bumper to one that flows better. expensive and maybe impractical given your budget, but it really is the best way to lower your coolant temps.
- larger radiator - koyo & mishimoto make drop-ins with much more capacity than OEM.
- oil cooler - if you live in an environment that gets cold, make sure you get a sandwich plate that has a t-stat (mocal & earl's make them). you get greater oil capacity and lower temps.
- remove the engine cover and ditch the sound/heat shields on the hood & firewall.
stuff that is irrelevant or should be far down the list (i've done these so i'm not talking out my @ss):
- fans - higher flowing fans are good, but the stock fans are fine even for boosted cars. if you upgrade your fans, you might as well get an aftermarket controller that will turn on your fans a little earlier than stock (low-208F, high-212F).
- t-stats - the lower temp t-stats don't make your car run cooler when you need them too (when you're on the track). they do, however, open up sooner & let the car cool down more (by closing later) when you are cruising which can delay heat soak a bit. if this is a dedicated track car or one that only sees warm weather, then you might consider just running wide-open (no t-stat).
- pathfinder mod - decent amount of work to do this. engine won't be cooler, but you will get better cooling to more of the engine.
- change your front bumper to one that flows better. expensive and maybe impractical given your budget, but it really is the best way to lower your coolant temps.
- larger radiator - koyo & mishimoto make drop-ins with much more capacity than OEM.
- oil cooler - if you live in an environment that gets cold, make sure you get a sandwich plate that has a t-stat (mocal & earl's make them). you get greater oil capacity and lower temps.
- remove the engine cover and ditch the sound/heat shields on the hood & firewall.
stuff that is irrelevant or should be far down the list (i've done these so i'm not talking out my @ss):
- fans - higher flowing fans are good, but the stock fans are fine even for boosted cars. if you upgrade your fans, you might as well get an aftermarket controller that will turn on your fans a little earlier than stock (low-208F, high-212F).
- t-stats - the lower temp t-stats don't make your car run cooler when you need them too (when you're on the track). they do, however, open up sooner & let the car cool down more (by closing later) when you are cruising which can delay heat soak a bit. if this is a dedicated track car or one that only sees warm weather, then you might consider just running wide-open (no t-stat).
- pathfinder mod - decent amount of work to do this. engine won't be cooler, but you will get better cooling to more of the engine.
Last edited by bigc; Sep 22, 2010 at 09:54 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 237
Likes: 1
From: ga
if you can reduce ambient temperature that would be the most effective way :-p
but seriously, more airflow, more surface area, and sometime is not the quantity of air, is the quality of it, so use air duct and shroud as much as you can.
but seriously, more airflow, more surface area, and sometime is not the quantity of air, is the quality of it, so use air duct and shroud as much as you can.
Trending Topics
Using stock hood, Remove weatherstripping from windshield end of hood, adjust/shim hood hinges so rear of hood sits higher, allowing air to escape. All that hot air is trying to go out the small opening on the undertray. More/easier airflow is good.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 237
Likes: 1
From: ga
That's why you want to create a nice smooth low pressure zone behind your heat exchangers (radiator, oil cooler, intercooler, power steering cooler etc); so that way the nice clean air right in front of the car nose (high pressure) will channel into your opening. I can not stress the importance of having underbody shrouding.
The clean air entering the radiator needs someplace to exit. All we have is the small opening under the oil pan. Hot air will exit out from the raised rear of the hood. yes, it's a high pressure area, but it still will promote laminar airflow. Tape some 2" long strands of yarn to the top edge of the rear of the hood so that they hang down to the wipers. Go for a drive. If yarn is straight out towards you, you have positive airflow. If yarn is being sucked into engine compartment, you have negative airflow. NASCAR uses this base of windshield area for cold air pickup because they have a carburator on their engines. They fabricate a sheetmetal tunnel from the carb the base of the windshield under the hood. On a Fuel injected car, there is no giant vacuum on top of the engine. try the yarn test, it works.
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,010
Likes: 1
From: Cleburne, TX
Just weekend HPDE's. The Texas heat is just to much for the car. I think i'll get a radiator installed this winter and throw in a coolant temp gauge. I'm told there is a drop in radiator so I won't need to make or modify mounting hardware. Though I still may get a shop to do it 'cause cooling is kind of a big deal.