The Big Fat Track Car Cooling Thread

[Ewheels]

Yes, boxing to maximize airflow is important. But size also matters. Doubling the coolant capacity of the radiator is not going to double the heat dissipation capability of the entire system, but it will increase it some, without doubt. It comes down to what is the most practical and feasible way to increase the cooling capacity.

He's saying that adding coolers only goes so far if the air has nowhere to go upon exiting the cooler or is allowed to flow around the cooler. I think your next mod should be proper hood vents and boxing the front end.

All the coolers in the world are irrelevant if the airflow sucks

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[SVO MkII]

He's saying that adding coolers only goes so far if the air has nowhere to go upon exiting the cooler or is allowed to flow around the cooler. I think your next mod should be proper hood vents and boxing the front end.

All the coolers in the world are irrelevant if the airflow sucks

I hear ya. Unfortunately, that is where the "practical and feasible" comes into play. This car is still a daily driver in Chicago winters. I would prefer not to open up my hood to all the salt and sludge that will get thrown on it it for at least 3-4 mos each year. Also, not sure if you've looked under the hood of an Ecoboost Mustang, but there is a LOT more room in front of, and on either side of the engine, and is is completely open in the back to the ground. I'm sure hood vents wouldn't hurt, but there is an awful lot of room for air through and out of the Ecoboost engine bay.

 

[Ewheels]

Ouch, yeah I wouldn't want rough winters getting in there either.

And more room in the bay, yes, but it's more a matter of pressure differentials. the front of the radiator is high pressure and the entire engine bay is also relatively high pressure. So yes, there is room but there still isn't good flow. The top of the hood is localized low pressure so with proper wickers on the vents, it'll actually "pull" air out of the radiator and engine bay.

But I'm sure you already know that and is irrelevant because as you said, Chicago winters.

Good luck sir!

 

[HeelToeHero]

Why not run a different intercooler that allows a gt radiator to be used? I'm sure you can repurpose an intercooler used in one of the gt turbo kits. May be a net Zero change since that just drives warm intercooler air onto the rad.

 

[SVO MkII]

Why not run a different intercooler that allows a gt radiator to be used? I'm sure you can repurpose an intercooler used in one of the gt turbo kits. May be a net Zero change since that just drives warm intercooler air onto the rad.

That's a possibility, but it would involve re-configuring a few things, not to mention the additional expense of another intercooler. I would rather spend the money on a custom 3" core radiator, if I could get one.

 

[racingandfishing]

Or maybe even higher CFM fans? I would think that once the coolant temp gets to 200 or 210, the fans are on, and if the temps never fall below that, they probably stay on. Don't know for sure.

Maybe this one would work for you. Not sure how much better it is or isn't than the PP one, but they should be able to tell you.

https://www.steeda.com/CSF-Mustang-High-Performance-Aluminum-Radiator-15-17-EcoBoost

https://csfrace.com/csf-cools-new-mustang/

 

[SVO MkII]

Maybe this one would work for you. Not sure how much better it is or isn't than the PP one, but they should be able to tell you.

https://www.steeda.com/CSF-Mustang-High-Performance-Aluminum-Radiator-15-17-EcoBoost

https://csfrace.com/csf-cools-new-mustang/

Yes, I've looked at that one. It appears to be smaller than the Mishimoto radiator (1.68" vs 2"), and they say 2 row vs Mishi 3 row. It probably is comparable to the factory PP radiator, but better looking. Thanks.

 

[TeeLew]

So, I put an email into C&R this morning. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I suggested they think about including an oil-to-water heat exchanger in the rad if they can. Clearly oil and water are both an issue.

Airflow also needs to be addressed. You can run the biggest rad in the world, but if you don't have the airflow, it won't matter long. We probably need to have some sort of rad shroud which dumps air out of the hood or side of the car.

 

[SVO MkII]

So, I put an email into C&R this morning. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I suggested they think about including an oil-to-water heat exchanger in the rad if they can. Clearly oil and water are both an issue.

Airflow also needs to be addressed. You can run the biggest rad in the world, but if you don't have the airflow, it won't matter long. We probably need to have some sort of rad shroud which dumps air out of the hood or side of the car.

Definitely interested to see if/what they have to say. If they are interested in doing something, I could probably give them access to my car for a period of time, if they needed a test mule. My son is attending college in IN and spends a fair amount of time in Indy. We could arrange something. We'll see.

 

[Bridgie]

Any idea what the IMSA GT4 cars are using...? Running in all climates for 2+ hours must see their fair share of Heat..

 

[TeeLew]

Any idea what the IMSA GT4 cars are using...? Running in all climates for 2+ hours must see their fair share of Heat...

100%, this is the type of rad we need to be running. That looks to be a 4-core to me, but I don't know who manufacturers it. Since it's manufactured specifically for racing, you can bet someone wants at least 5x what it's worth.

It's worth noting that a GT4 car probably has less power than a lot of people here. The exact number will move around with the BoP regulations, but it will be somewhere around 450HP.

 

[Flyhalf]

I can ask my friend with his gt4 NOT DETUNE with 585whp.
Pretty sure there is not a lot in front of that radiator.
If you pile intercooler oil cooler (280f) trans cooler etc. The radiator will get lots of heat from the cooler in front.
By the way.
You can really benefit from my water spray system. I bet your intercooler would run waaay cooler

 

[TeeLew]

I can ask my friend with his gt4 NOT DETUNE with 585whp.
Pretty sure there is not a lot in front of that radiator.
If you pile intercooler oil cooler (280f) trans cooler etc. The radiator will get lots of heat from the cooler in front.
By the way.
You can really benefit from my water spray system. I bet your intercooler would run waaay cooler

When I said an oil intercooler, I was talking about an integral oil-to-water heat exchanger built into the radiator, not a separate cooler ahead of it. Your point is still valid, though, anything we stick in front of the rad is going to hurt our cooling. Turbo intercoolers are usually good things to put up front as they heat the air less than an oil cooler.

The spray system is a good idea, but we should be able to come up with something that works without carrying water. If I'm spraying anything, I want it to be methanol in the intake.

Cooling these types of cars is always a bitch. The BMW M4 GT4 car has 8 or 9 coolers hanging off the front of it, and that's a company known for their engineering prowess. This is a relatively tough nut to crack.

 

[TeeLew]

I can ask my friend with his gt4 NOT DETUNE with 585whp.
Pretty sure there is not a lot in front of that radiator.
If you pile intercooler oil cooler (280f) trans cooler etc. The radiator will get lots of heat from the cooler in front.
By the way.
You can really benefit from my water spray system. I bet your intercooler would run waaay cooler

Better yet, get a copy of his homologation book. There will be _a ton_ of good info in it.

 

[shogun32]

The spray system is a good idea, but we should be able to come up with something that works without carrying water.

you carry winshield wiper fluid don't you? Just re-purpose.

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