How do you make your FC3S run cooler ?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,706
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From: Dinwiddie, Va
How do you make your FC3S run cooler ?
Ok im wondering how you make your FC's run cooler temps... I have an s4 n/a and i was planning to turbo, I know they have smaller coolant passages on the n/a housings and was wondering what I could do to compensate for this...
I bought some waterwetter but I dont really think that is going to do anything much...what else can I do that marginally cheap to make my car run cooler ?
I bought some waterwetter but I dont really think that is going to do anything much...what else can I do that marginally cheap to make my car run cooler ?
Last edited by wthdidusay82; Apr 14, 2005 at 06:56 AM.
First thing to do is make sure that all the stock plastic baffles and shields are in place. The undertray, the pieces under the hood in front of the rad - etc. Make sure your clutch fan works, and the water wetter will help.
But once you do those minor things - the next 'real' step is an upgraded rad. If you are going turbo, this might be something you'll want to include in your upgrade. If you are adding a FMIC to your newly turbo'd engined - then you will DEFINATELY want a bigger better rad.
But once you do those minor things - the next 'real' step is an upgraded rad. If you are going turbo, this might be something you'll want to include in your upgrade. If you are adding a FMIC to your newly turbo'd engined - then you will DEFINATELY want a bigger better rad.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 4
From: Dinwiddie, Va
Originally Posted by Nick86
First thing to do is make sure that all the stock plastic baffles and shields are in place. The undertray, the pieces under the hood in front of the rad - etc. Make sure your clutch fan works, and the water wetter will help.
But once you do those minor things - the next 'real' step is an upgraded rad. If you are going turbo, this might be something you'll want to include in your upgrade. If you are adding a FMIC to your newly turbo'd engined - then you will DEFINATELY want a bigger better rad.
But once you do those minor things - the next 'real' step is an upgraded rad. If you are going turbo, this might be something you'll want to include in your upgrade. If you are adding a FMIC to your newly turbo'd engined - then you will DEFINATELY want a bigger better rad.
was prolly just gonna get a top mount tII intercooler and tII hood ... more cheaper this way i guess unless i just get the fmic (since the hood may have to be painted)
W.O.M.P.
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 357
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From: Alabama
I had a spare FAL 12" slim-fan laying around so I removed the stock fan/clutch and fan shroud and mounted the slim fan directly to the radiator. These FAL 12" fans move a LOT of air around...I'm sure much more than any stock fan could. I'm also looking to upgrade my cooling system so I've bouht a new thermostat, several gallons of distilled water and a bottle of redline water wetter. This has been my combination of choice in all of my cars including my 300+hp Taurus SHO. The SHO's are HIGHLY dependent on cool running temps to make any power. The distilled water+water wetter always worked best for me.
good luck
good luck
Ready to Rock
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 729
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From: Bergen County, NJ
Originally Posted by Roddimus Prime
I had a spare FAL 12" slim-fan laying around so I removed the stock fan/clutch and fan shroud and mounted the slim fan directly to the radiator. These FAL 12" fans move a LOT of air around...I'm sure much more than any stock fan could.
A cheap thing you can do is adjust the antifreeze/water ratio of your radiator fluid. If you don't think it will be getting colder in RI anytime soon, do a flush and then pour in a mix with a higher amount of water. The only problem/hassle with this is making sure to change over to a winter ratio when the cold weather comes
The stock fan & shroud is actually very good. Most people find that their temps are cooler with the stock fan & shroud than with an electric fan. Of course this all depends on how big the e-fan is, the size of the shroud used, etc. but as a general rule the stock fan & shroud is better at cooling.
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Ok im wondering how you make your FC's run cooler temps... I have an s4 n/a and i was planning to turbo, I know they have smaller coolant passages on the n/a housings and was wondering what I could do to compensate for this...
I bought some waterwetter but I dont really think that is going to do anything much...what else can I do that marginally cheap to make my car run cooler ?
I bought some waterwetter but I dont really think that is going to do anything much...what else can I do that marginally cheap to make my car run cooler ?
Stock fan are good as already stated. An electric fan is really only needed for when custom setups don't allow the conventional fan (like a vmount or cramming in a 20b). An upgraded radiator might be your best bet for a cooling upgrade, next an intercooler.
Budget, route and time constraints will determine your cooling needs. I went overboard on my setup, but wanted to take my time on the build and have a setup ready for anything.
~!@#$%^&*()_+
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Mpls, MN
You dont want your car to "run cooler" you want it to take away enough heat to maintain operating temps while under load.
Since you say your running a top mount I assume an s4 or s5 turbo. The stock rad and oil cooler will work just fine e-fan or stock.
To some of us your question is like asking how to make your tires more round so they can be rounder betterer.
Since you say your running a top mount I assume an s4 or s5 turbo. The stock rad and oil cooler will work just fine e-fan or stock.
To some of us your question is like asking how to make your tires more round so they can be rounder betterer.
Good examples as well.
The Lincoln fan is the same as tuarus I think. I've gone salvage yard searching and some of the lincolns share the same motor. Most are clutch fan though.
I was saying that more in the way of to discourage him from buying those stupid fans at pepboys that only pull 1000cfm
The Lincoln fan is the same as tuarus I think. I've gone salvage yard searching and some of the lincolns share the same motor. Most are clutch fan though.
I was saying that more in the way of to discourage him from buying those stupid fans at pepboys that only pull 1000cfm
It is but I've been thinking about switching to an electric fan and my friend told me they fail in the second gen....so I needed some opinions so im glad they're talking lol
Information Regurgitator
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 214
From: Sparta TN. United States
I've been running this fan for probably ten years with no problem. Of course I am n/a but I think it would be fine on a turbo car as well.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRM-19115/?rtype=10
It sure was cheaper ten years ago.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRM-19115/?rtype=10
It sure was cheaper ten years ago.
I choose to go with spal. Yet to test it, but I'm not worried. 2024cfm. It's sealed and slim, perfect for being low to the ground with my vmount. http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.as...&item=30102049
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
I choose to go with spal. Yet to test it, but I'm not worried. 2024cfm. It's sealed and slim, perfect for being low to the ground with my vmount. http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.as...&item=30102049
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
The further you can space the fan from the rad core, the better.
As for CFM...it's a nonsense statistic without more info about the test conditions, specifically was the test performed in "free" air (no restriction) or not.
Usually you'll be seeing CFM based on no restriction because it looks better (higher number) but mount it on a radiator and things change quickly.
How the rad is mounted also makes a big difference.
If the core is perpendicular to airflow, the fan doesn't work as hard because the air wants to flow through.
The more acute the mounting angle (say, tuscan's v-mount), the harder the fan works to pull air.
Ductwork in front of the rad can mitigate less than optimal rad placement, the design being more critical in a multi-matrix setup (again, the v-mount).
Air, like water, much prefers the path of least resistance and it would be easy to end up with one core (say, the intercooler) flowing much better than the other (the radiator) due to extraction conditions post-cooler.
Like any system, the cooling loop will have an operational sweet spot- the combination of factors (vehicle speed, RPM, ambient temp, etc.) that produce optimal performance. On either side of this "spot", performance degrades.
Depending on your creativity, ability and dedication you can engineer this sweet spot to coincide with the normal operating conditions of your particular car (and remember, you, the driver, are one of those "operating conditions").
I choose to go with spal. Yet to test it, but I'm not worried. 2024cfm. It's sealed and slim, perfect for being low to the ground with my vmount. http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.as...&item=30102049
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
Ps make a shroud and it will perform much better.
Yes, by all means shroud your fan(s).
The further you can space the fan from the rad core, the better.
As for CFM...it's a nonsense statistic without more info about the test conditions, specifically was the test performed in "free" air (no restriction) or not.
Usually you'll be seeing CFM based on no restriction because it looks better (higher number) but mount it on a radiator and things change quickly.
How the rad is mounted also makes a big difference.
If the core is perpendicular to airflow, the fan doesn't work as hard because the air wants to flow through.
The more acute the mounting angle (say, tuscan's v-mount), the harder the fan works to pull air.
Ductwork in front of the rad can mitigate less than optimal rad placement, the design being more critical in a multi-matrix setup (again, the v-mount).
Air, like water, much prefers the path of least resistance and it would be easy to end up with one core (say, the intercooler) flowing much better than the other (the radiator) due to extraction conditions post-cooler.
Like any system, the cooling loop will have an operational sweet spot- the combination of factors (vehicle speed, RPM, ambient temp, etc.) that produce optimal performance. On either side of this "spot", performance degrades.
Depending on your creativity, ability and dedication you can engineer this sweet spot to coincide with the normal operating conditions of your particular car (and remember, you, the driver, are one of those "operating conditions").
The further you can space the fan from the rad core, the better.
As for CFM...it's a nonsense statistic without more info about the test conditions, specifically was the test performed in "free" air (no restriction) or not.
Usually you'll be seeing CFM based on no restriction because it looks better (higher number) but mount it on a radiator and things change quickly.
How the rad is mounted also makes a big difference.
If the core is perpendicular to airflow, the fan doesn't work as hard because the air wants to flow through.
The more acute the mounting angle (say, tuscan's v-mount), the harder the fan works to pull air.
Ductwork in front of the rad can mitigate less than optimal rad placement, the design being more critical in a multi-matrix setup (again, the v-mount).
Air, like water, much prefers the path of least resistance and it would be easy to end up with one core (say, the intercooler) flowing much better than the other (the radiator) due to extraction conditions post-cooler.
Like any system, the cooling loop will have an operational sweet spot- the combination of factors (vehicle speed, RPM, ambient temp, etc.) that produce optimal performance. On either side of this "spot", performance degrades.
Depending on your creativity, ability and dedication you can engineer this sweet spot to coincide with the normal operating conditions of your particular car (and remember, you, the driver, are one of those "operating conditions").
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,881
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville, Tampa & Tallahassee
Yes, by all means shroud your fan(s).
The further you can space the fan from the rad core, the better.
As for CFM...it's a nonsense statistic without more info about the test conditions, specifically was the test performed in "free" air (no restriction) or not.
Usually you'll be seeing CFM based on no restriction because it looks better (higher number) but mount it on a radiator and things change quickly.
How the rad is mounted also makes a big difference.
If the core is perpendicular to airflow, the fan doesn't work as hard because the air wants to flow through.
The more acute the mounting angle (say, tuscan's v-mount), the harder the fan works to pull air.
Ductwork in front of the rad can mitigate less than optimal rad placement, the design being more critical in a multi-matrix setup (again, the v-mount).
Air, like water, much prefers the path of least resistance and it would be easy to end up with one core (say, the intercooler) flowing much better than the other (the radiator) due to extraction conditions post-cooler.
Like any system, the cooling loop will have an operational sweet spot- the combination of factors (vehicle speed, RPM, ambient temp, etc.) that produce optimal performance. On either side of this "spot", performance degrades.
Depending on your creativity, ability and dedication you can engineer this sweet spot to coincide with the normal operating conditions of your particular car (and remember, you, the driver, are one of those "operating conditions").
The further you can space the fan from the rad core, the better.
As for CFM...it's a nonsense statistic without more info about the test conditions, specifically was the test performed in "free" air (no restriction) or not.
Usually you'll be seeing CFM based on no restriction because it looks better (higher number) but mount it on a radiator and things change quickly.
How the rad is mounted also makes a big difference.
If the core is perpendicular to airflow, the fan doesn't work as hard because the air wants to flow through.
The more acute the mounting angle (say, tuscan's v-mount), the harder the fan works to pull air.
Ductwork in front of the rad can mitigate less than optimal rad placement, the design being more critical in a multi-matrix setup (again, the v-mount).
Air, like water, much prefers the path of least resistance and it would be easy to end up with one core (say, the intercooler) flowing much better than the other (the radiator) due to extraction conditions post-cooler.
Like any system, the cooling loop will have an operational sweet spot- the combination of factors (vehicle speed, RPM, ambient temp, etc.) that produce optimal performance. On either side of this "spot", performance degrades.
Depending on your creativity, ability and dedication you can engineer this sweet spot to coincide with the normal operating conditions of your particular car (and remember, you, the driver, are one of those "operating conditions").
I've been running a v-mount with no ducting whatsoever for roughly 2 years. It did great in cool weather (<70) but it struggled above 85*. Cruising at 70mph temps stayed around 200* ironically they stayed around 190* around town cruising at lower speeds. The problem was sitting still , temps would climb up to 217* before I shut it down and let it cool down. To combat this I added an oil cooler fan, which bought be about another 5 min of run time, but certainly didn't cure the problem.
Recently I broke down and actually made some ducting for the sides and plugged the gap between the two cores (Rad and IC). WOW! in 90*+ ambient temps it will not go higher than 180*. Around town it stays around 180-185* depending on speed and idling has only gotten up to 198*.