running hotter under load
I'm a boost creep...
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 8
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Originally Posted by RETed
Aftermarket water temp gauge?
How much of a rise do you see?
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 30
From: And the horse he rode in on...
Damn, thanks for the warning! I was just getting ready to buy the steel radiator. Mine split at the top tank YESTERDAY at 4pm in Dallas traffic. Coolant buzzer, steam, etc. Got it off the road before the guage even got to the red.
FWIW, I have driven my 1990 Vert in 110 degrees on long trips and short trips, with the A/C on in both highway and city driving. I see very little difference in the indicated temp with the A/C on or off. Rotaries make a LOT of waste heat; the cooling system designed for our little 1.3L rotary engine has the capacity to handle 5.7L engine swaps. I speculate that the A/C load is incidental to the engine load.
It is a cooling system. Others have mentioned that all the components need to be in place and balanced for the system to perform as designed. The system will be no better than the weakest link.
Sounds like your steel radiator is the weak link. I'm getting my OEM fixed at a radiator shop today. It was good enough to last 15 years, it is good enough for me to have it fixed.
BTW, there are several S4 and S5 radiators in the parts or sale section of this site.
Good luck
FWIW, I have driven my 1990 Vert in 110 degrees on long trips and short trips, with the A/C on in both highway and city driving. I see very little difference in the indicated temp with the A/C on or off. Rotaries make a LOT of waste heat; the cooling system designed for our little 1.3L rotary engine has the capacity to handle 5.7L engine swaps. I speculate that the A/C load is incidental to the engine load.
It is a cooling system. Others have mentioned that all the components need to be in place and balanced for the system to perform as designed. The system will be no better than the weakest link.
Sounds like your steel radiator is the weak link. I'm getting my OEM fixed at a radiator shop today. It was good enough to last 15 years, it is good enough for me to have it fixed.
BTW, there are several S4 and S5 radiators in the parts or sale section of this site.
Good luck
I'm a boost creep...
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 8
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Originally Posted by jackhild59
Rotaries make a LOT of waste heat; the cooling system designed for our little 1.3L rotary engine has the capacity to handle 5.7L engine swaps.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 30
From: And the horse he rode in on...
Originally Posted by NZConvertible
The rotary barely makes any more waste heat than a piston engine of the same power output. Your mistake is thinking of the engine as 1.3L, which it's not.
My mistake? Hmm...
Was it the 1.3L? Uhh, no.
That wankels put out a lot of waste heat? Uhh... nooo.
That the Swappers have successfully used the stock rad to cool V8's? Uhhh.... nooo, not that either.
NZConvertible, you are trying to do my Wife's job, pointing out all my mistakes.
She is better looking than you are.
Originally Posted by the_shadow10000
That might be it too. I haven't replaced the hoses when i changed the radiator. Perhaps i should do that when get an aluminum radiator. Gota wait to get paid first. If i am going to change the rad, i might as well get the hoses done too.
After replacing the upper radiator hose, lower heater hose, and thermostat, and using a water-heavier coolant mix, i havent noticed any overheating problems with AC on anymore. I was on the interstate for 2 hours in 90 degree weather last weekend with the AC on the whole time, and had no problems. Dont give up on the steel radiator yet!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
alphawolff
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
17
Nov 17, 2015 05:57 PM
CaptainKRM
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
14
Aug 26, 2015 09:52 PM
