Hi all. I've just finished my rebuild with new turbos, cams, etc and finally got it tuned Monday (329kw at the wheels if anyone's wondering, I'm stoked). Been driving it around a bit and water and oil temps have been getting highish. Nothing catastrophic but a little higher than I'd like considering it was only 29ish degrees outside and I wasn't pushing too hard. I wanted to start a discussion about what other people have done to manage the extra heat. I'm talking undetbonnet temps, water temps, oil temps, everything. Let me and others learn from your experience.
Water temps got to high 90's in the upper radiator hose. Oil temp got to low 100's in the oil filter tree. Like I said, nothing too high, but considering I was just driving sedately on a warm day it's a bit higher then I'd like. Especially seeing as I plan to push it a bit harder at the track.
First question you're gonna be asked, what fan are you using Bigger oil cooler will help. Ducting the radiator intake will help. Are your running a FMIC or SMIC's. Remove FMIC and run SMIC's will help.
Running stock clutch fan, not planning on changing from that, from what most people say it's the best anyway. Running Godspeed SMIC. What do you mean by "ducting the radiator intake"? Just replacing the stock cooler with a larger one and using stock lines, will that work?
From the front bar opening back to the radiator, block it all in so all the air coming into the front bar HAS to go through the radiator, can't go anywhere else. Air will follow the path of lease resistance. Replacing the stock cooler with a larger one will help a little, but this is only cooling the bypass oil. Better to leave this and add a second cooler with a sandwich plate so all the oil going to the engine is also cooled. I'll be posting up pics in the next month or so of how I've done this on my racecar.
If you're driving sedately the engine isn't really making any more power than the camry next to you. Unless you're understating how you were driving you have a fault you need to fix you don't need upgrades.
What about underbonnet temps? Has anyone used turbo blankets/heat wrap/bonnet vents etc to deal with that?
Have you tried the basics ie bleed system etc? It really shouldn’t be overheating under the conditions described. Assume you are running a stock water pump pulley and fan etc?
Bleeding is ongoing. After every drive I'll top it up a little but it seems to be more or less bled. Yeah, I'm running a completely stock cooling system.
If you’re topping up after each drive I’d start by bleeding it properly.... heater on, elevate the front end, put a funnel on it (half a coke bottle with plumbers tape works just as well) and let it do it’s thing for a bit. May not solve all your problems but won’t not help.
That's not bleeding. As Rob says, you need to mount a coke bottle upside down in the radiator filler neck, needs to be sealed at the radiator neck so it doesn't leak, then run the car up to temp just idling, then run it at around 3000rpm for several minutes, let it idle for a bit more then shut it down and let everything cool back down before topping up if necessary and putting the radiator cap back on.
Another possibility is a leak in the overflow tube that allows the radiator to draw in air when it cools down after a run.