Thought I had Track worthy Cooling Setup...but guess not
06-20-09, 08:39 PM
#27
It was not a mod I did before and after comparisons since no two track day conditions are the same. So sorry I can't provide direct evidence as to it's effectiveness. Nonetheless I've never had cooling issues and I've run at VIR in 100degF ambient temps and did not have any cooling issues.
But put it this way drving in the winter, if I leave the drilled t-stat in the car, my car will NEVER get up to operating temp.
Crispy
But put it this way drving in the winter, if I leave the drilled t-stat in the car, my car will NEVER get up to operating temp.
Crispy
06-20-09, 09:12 PM
#28
It was not a mod I did before and after comparisons since no two track day conditions are the same. So sorry I can't provide direct evidence as to it's effectiveness. Nonetheless I've never had cooling issues and I've run at VIR in 100degF ambient temps and did not have any cooling issues.
But put it this way drving in the winter, if I leave the drilled t-stat in the car, my car will NEVER get up to operating temp.
Crispy
But put it this way drving in the winter, if I leave the drilled t-stat in the car, my car will NEVER get up to operating temp.
Crispy
06-20-09, 09:36 PM
#29
Weird Cat Man
I have a fluidyne rad (normal mount) + an M2 Medium IC + single turbo.
I originally had the passenger side of the radiator (between the frame and the radiator side) open with an M2 Performance-style "box" for my intake. The theory was that nice cold air for the intake is good.
Believe it or not after logging temps via the PFC, I found that re-sealing that gap between the frame and the radiator actually dropped my water temps slightly and really didn't make any difference that I could notice on my intake temps. Intake temps vary a lot, so it's hard to say.
Crispy and others have the right advice. You want 100% of the air either hitting an oil cooler or the radiator. After the radiator, the IC. If you want to go the extra mile, things like vented hoods can help as can a nose with larger openings.
My car at 10 PSI on the wastegate spring was running 100 C on a 95F track day and was OK. I have stock nose, stock oil coolers.
P.S. The window air conditioner sealing foam they sell at home depot is durable and you can cut it with a razor blade or scissors to fit... .then get a can of 3M spray-on adhesive and it will stick to your parts. (clean them first). Yes, it looks somewhat ghetto, but it's cheap as dirt and it works if you dont' have something fancier. I tried doing the sheet metal ducting, but honestly I just ended up with sliced up fingers and wasting a lot of metal when I cut it wrong
I originally had the passenger side of the radiator (between the frame and the radiator side) open with an M2 Performance-style "box" for my intake. The theory was that nice cold air for the intake is good.
Believe it or not after logging temps via the PFC, I found that re-sealing that gap between the frame and the radiator actually dropped my water temps slightly and really didn't make any difference that I could notice on my intake temps. Intake temps vary a lot, so it's hard to say.
Crispy and others have the right advice. You want 100% of the air either hitting an oil cooler or the radiator. After the radiator, the IC. If you want to go the extra mile, things like vented hoods can help as can a nose with larger openings.
My car at 10 PSI on the wastegate spring was running 100 C on a 95F track day and was OK. I have stock nose, stock oil coolers.
P.S. The window air conditioner sealing foam they sell at home depot is durable and you can cut it with a razor blade or scissors to fit... .then get a can of 3M spray-on adhesive and it will stick to your parts. (clean them first). Yes, it looks somewhat ghetto, but it's cheap as dirt and it works if you dont' have something fancier. I tried doing the sheet metal ducting, but honestly I just ended up with sliced up fingers and wasting a lot of metal when I cut it wrong
Last edited by Wargasm; 06-20-09 at 09:40 PM. Reason: additional info
06-21-09, 03:05 AM
#30
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Ducting is a obviously the biggest advice I see from this thread, which makes sense. Crispy had a pretty extensive post with lots of good ideas along with others. At the moment I have ZERO ducting on my 7 and I am running an FMIC with Koyo Rad in stock position. I think I am a little fuzzy on what you guys consider to be ducting work and how to fab it up. Is the ducting plastic, sheet metal etc? For those of you who have duct work done to your car, I think it would be beneficial to those of us who might have trouble visualizing what you're describing. If you posted some pics of your setup I know that would help me out in the right direction to do the same. Picture is worth a 1,000 words.
06-21-09, 03:42 PM
#36
Original Gangster/Rotary!
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Without a doubt it is. I removed my a/c many years ago along with my p/s and have had zero cooling problems at all....I noticed my temps on the road course dropped dramatically w/out the condensor. At the time I was running a fluidyne rad and M2 large SMIC.
06-22-09, 02:29 AM
#38
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Thewird...nice setup you have there!
I like how you even tucked the intake filter in the ducting too. That looks like it took some time to do. Definitely gives me some ideas.
I like how you even tucked the intake filter in the ducting too. That looks like it took some time to do. Definitely gives me some ideas.
06-22-09, 09:14 AM
#41
Racecar - Formula 2000
Eats the seals????? IMO, that's unlikely. I have seen corrosion problems (could allow corrosion of the seal grooves and cause problems) with water wetter, though, on my race cars, and am reluctant to use it because of that.
Dave
Dave
06-22-09, 09:20 AM
#42
I have a bottle of watter wetter I've been meaning to buy OEM seals and put it in the bottle and test the theory. And report back when I have results. I'll make sure to ask my mechanic today since I'm going there.
Supposedly the bigger issue is corrosion between the seal and the housing. This is just hearsay and not from experience.
thewird
Supposedly the bigger issue is corrosion between the seal and the housing. This is just hearsay and not from experience.
thewird
06-22-09, 12:23 PM
#46
I figured Memphisraines would have posted in this thread by now? Oh well, I spoke with him the other day and is running a t-78, stock dual oil coolers, pettit coolcharge III, koyo radiator, stock undertray and stock ducting on the oil coolers and I know his coolant temps stay under 90C on near 100F track days and his oil temps were around 220 or so.
06-22-09, 12:40 PM
#47
I figured Memphisraines would have posted in this thread by now? Oh well, I spoke with him the other day and is running a t-78, stock dual oil coolers, pettit coolcharge III, koyo radiator, stock undertray and stock ducting on the oil coolers and I know his coolant temps stay under 90C on near 100F track days and his oil temps were around 220 or so.
Im going to be at streets of willow again in July and I will post the difference I have in water temps after I finish the ducting and idler pulley.
06-22-09, 02:57 PM
#48
I have a smaller IC, and 19 row ducted oil coolers.
While I am happy with my 350RWHP, Adam seems to think he needs 500+ for some reason, hence the larger IC and oil coolers.
06-22-09, 05:20 PM
#49
Unproven heresay. Too many other factors to point to in cars exhibiting corrosion that used water wetter to simply say it was the wetter that did it.
THE number 1 reason for corrosion in a coolant system is air entrained in the system, ie. you have a small leak somewhere. The added oxygen from the air will interact with the iron and result in corrosion. Coolant by design has anti-corrosive elements/chemical additives in it but once they are consumed over time by the excess oxygen corrosion will commence. Hence why periodic changing of your coolant is necessary. Ever open up a poorly maintained coolant system to seen coolant with a brownish tint? That would be an air leak somewhere and rust of the internal iron parts. Bad juju!
I recently opened up my original 45k mile motor (due to chipped apex seal) that contained water wetter since day one and there was absolutely NO evidence of corrosion ANYWHERE and all the seals were pristine. If water wetter was such a problem, evidence of corrosion would have been everywhere. It was not.
What I can add is that the ORANGE long life coolant should under no circumstances be used as it is not friendly to the AL housings in our engines. I opened up an engine that had the orange coolant and it came out like lumpy jello in the coolant passages where the coolant was slower moving. Yuck!
Anyone care to add to this feel free.
Regards,
Crispy
THE number 1 reason for corrosion in a coolant system is air entrained in the system, ie. you have a small leak somewhere. The added oxygen from the air will interact with the iron and result in corrosion. Coolant by design has anti-corrosive elements/chemical additives in it but once they are consumed over time by the excess oxygen corrosion will commence. Hence why periodic changing of your coolant is necessary. Ever open up a poorly maintained coolant system to seen coolant with a brownish tint? That would be an air leak somewhere and rust of the internal iron parts. Bad juju!
I recently opened up my original 45k mile motor (due to chipped apex seal) that contained water wetter since day one and there was absolutely NO evidence of corrosion ANYWHERE and all the seals were pristine. If water wetter was such a problem, evidence of corrosion would have been everywhere. It was not.
What I can add is that the ORANGE long life coolant should under no circumstances be used as it is not friendly to the AL housings in our engines. I opened up an engine that had the orange coolant and it came out like lumpy jello in the coolant passages where the coolant was slower moving. Yuck!
Anyone care to add to this feel free.
Regards,
Crispy
06-22-09, 06:20 PM
#50
2 things to add
1.
Anyone dealing with cooling issues or looking to learn more about the system really should read the "Big Fat FD3S cooling Thread" in the FAQ: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/big-fat-fd3s-cooling-thread-571088/
2.
I've noticed a drop in efficiency of my coolant in just 1.5 years. That was with running a 70% water and 30% green coolant (Pennzoil?). I'll be changing my coolant every year going forward.
1.
Anyone dealing with cooling issues or looking to learn more about the system really should read the "Big Fat FD3S cooling Thread" in the FAQ: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/big-fat-fd3s-cooling-thread-571088/
2.
I've noticed a drop in efficiency of my coolant in just 1.5 years. That was with running a 70% water and 30% green coolant (Pennzoil?). I'll be changing my coolant every year going forward.