I figure the normal drivers don't do this much, or really need it so I'm putting this here.

I'm making ducting for my radiator, well I'm basically done beside I need some sheet metal to make the ducts out of, I've already mocked them up.

My question is will it hurt anything to leave the sides of the radiator open, or at least the intake side?? By open I mean to the ground, not the nose. All the air through the nose goes through the radiator, so if you look down beside the radiator you see the ducting on one side, then ground straight ahead, then body on the other. The only way air could get in around the radiator is to go under the car and back up beside it. I don't see much air coming in from here as it would have to climb about a foot after going under the front bumper to get in. But will this hurt my flow from the nose through the radiator at all, by causing some turbulance maybe??


Or should I block it off and make a duct from the corner of the nose up to the intakes?? Or just block it off and leave it closed, Which would mean basically the only air the intakes get is from the engine bay??

I've seen pics of Damians, and it looks good. I basically want to know if there will actually be any downfalls to keeping the sides open.

 

from my understanding the most important duct is the top one and you'll probably be fine leaving the sides open but im no pro, im interested in what they have to say too

 

With a true duct, the air coming in the front of the duct has no place to go but through the radiator. No other openings to the side or holes or cracks anywhere. It must not be open to the ground below, or else the air will go down and around the radiator instead of thru the radiator.

 

I tried to follow along with your description but I don't have any time working on FD's so I can't picture it very well. But, I agree with speedtrun as to what true ducting does. There should be no way for air to get out but through the radiator. If FD's are 'bottom breathers' like many newer cars just a lip coming forward off the bottom of the radiator will help some by creating a high pressure area. You can totally close everything up and then pull intake air from the ducting with a closed system, pulling air from in front of the radiator on the side.

 

All the air from the nose of the car is going through the radiator. The only way for air to get around the radiator is from the bottom of the car, as in go under/around the undertray and back up beside it. So for the most part it should be fairly stale air beside the radiator(at least that is what I'm thinking). And that is basically my question, what kind of air movement is beside the radiator with it blocked off like that, and how much effect will it have on the air flow through the radiator.

BTW I've just decided to block the drivers side with the piece I already have, and fab up a box for the air filters and leave the passenger side open and let them suck air from beside the radiator. This is along with the duct from the nose to the radiator. I may go back later and make a duct from the corner of the nose up to them, but I don't feel like taking that much time right now, nor do I have the materials at this time to do it.

 

You should consider inverting the radiator into a Vmount and run some ducting between rad and ic them section of some flow for the intake. I think it would be fairly easy with the ic remaining in place. You'll have to move the AC condensor but thats fairly easy, use a basic bender to redo the lines to the correct place.

Stephen