The Big Fat Track Car Cooling Thread

[stoli]

Might one hope that the 'track key' or Ford Racing tune would turn on the fans sooner, and aim to keep a slightly lower operating temperature?

Your Bama tune and 170* thermostat can do that.

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[Plimmer]

So I've been playing with my ngauge a little finally. Most all of the sensors read the same from the dash to the ngauge. However, engine coolant temperature(ECT) reads roughly 10 degrees cooler than the cylinder head temp readout on the dash. I wonder if there are 2 sensors or if there is some kind of compensation happening for the cylinder head temp... or?

I can only find reference to a cylinder head temp sensor in the service manual for our V8. Looks like everything else is inferred.

The Ecoboost has a cylinder head temp sensor and engine coolant sensor. I can post a pic if each engine and where the sensors are located if anyone needs to see.

 

[Bahndvr]

Subbing for updates. I've ordered a Mishimoto GT radiator, will report back when I get it.

I looked through my HP Tuner PID list. Don't see diff temp, but I'm 2015. The ECM also has tables for engine oil temp and transmission temp, but I don't see a PID for that either. Here is a 2015 temp vs rpm limits for info:

I'm to understand that the rear diff sensor is not a PID but a DMR. Can you read DMRs?

 

[Brent Dalton]

I'm to understand that the rear diff sensor is not a PID but a DMR. Can you read DMRs?

No, it is not supported yet in hptuners.

 

[EFI]

Then with oil coolers and the aluminum radiator my cooling issues were gone, even in 90+F weather at the track.

What size oil cooler(s) did you go with?

 

[Brent Dalton]

Back to engine coolant temperature(ECT). Most of this is common knowledge, but I thought I'd quantify it for the forum as I see alot of the "tune for fans to come on earlier", but no specifics. So I pulled the stock tune on my mustang(pic attached below). It shows that the desired ECT is 212 F. Also of note, Cylinder Head Coolant Temp (CHCT) runs about 10 degrees hotter than ECT. This means that, in stock configuration, it shouldn't be uncommon to see ~223 F on the dash display. It also means the car isn't getting as hot as the dash display leads us to believe. Still, I think both of those temps are hotter than I'm comfortable with.

The other thing worth mentioning is the fans don't come on at all until 212 F (40%) and at 100% at 223 F. That is ECT, not CHCT! So for the fans to kick on full blast, we are talking about ~233 F on the CHCT gauge on the center display. Yikes!

My 170 F thermostat arrived and I should have some time this weekend to play around with this some while I prep the car for Road Atlanta next weekend.

Here are the possibilities that I'd like to see what kind of change I see with normal street driving. Not sure I'll have time to try all of them, but I'll report back what I do. At the track, I'd only be able to change the fan settings. Hopefully, these changes will get ECT under control.

1. Turn fans on earlier
2. Drain coolant and put 100% water in with stock fan settings
3. 100% water with fans coming on earlier
4. 100% water with water wetter, stock fans
5. 100% water with water wetter, early fans
6. 100% water with water wetter with 170 thermostat, stock fans
7. 100% water with water wetter w/ 170 thermostat, early fans

I need to look around some more to see what I want to set the fans to. On my RX7, I have the fans coming on at 190 F and cutting off at 180 F. Anyone have any feedback on what they have used?

 

[Plimmer]

I don't think the fans are going to do anything at the track. There is no way those fans can duplicate the airflow created by 60 + mph at the track.

Fans can only help at slow speed or stopped.

 

[Brent Dalton]

Tracking all

 

[stoli]

Tracking all

I'll be at Sebring this weekend and I'll try to remember to grab some data. I should even be able to log temps with the nGauge. (I'll have to see how the custom logging works, I've only used the pre-set logging).

My setup:

100% water w/Wetter
170* Thermostat
Early fans (Lund's default setting)

 

[stoli]

I didn't data log anything, but cylinder temps were below 210 90% of the time. There were a couple of times I saw it in the teens once when in 'traffic' it jumped to 224 until I got into clean air and it dropped right down.

 

[GT_Roadcourse_Newb]

I didn't data log anything, but cylinder temps were below 210 90% of the time. There were a couple of times I saw it in the teens once when in 'traffic' it jumped to 224 until I got into clean air and it dropped right down.

What kind of temps weather-wise?

 

[stoli]

What kind of temps weather-wise?

About 85 by noon and 90 by 3:00. Humidity was 'low' for Florida of only about 50% in the morning and up to 70% by the end of the day.

 

[GT_Roadcourse_Newb]

Will have a test of my cooling setup tomorrow, barring some issue.

Went with

1 Gal. 'Be Cool 25001' Coolant, 1 bottle of Water Wetter and the rest Distilled Water.. In a Mishimoto Reservoir.

High of 97 degrees projected at the track!

 

[Plimmer]

Anybody know what size the plugs are in the MT-82 transmission and the differential? Is yes, post up and we can ask Brent to add to the first post.

I bought one of these and should receive it next week:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Heavy-D...ash=item35ddf9526e:g:QxoAAOSwrklVYBN-&vxp=mtr

If it looks good I'll use it for gearbox and diff cooling. Setrab have some nice thermal switches to turn the pump on when it gets hot:
http://www.setrabusa.com/products/switches/index.html

So please post up the plug sizes and I'll start putting together a home made cooler and share all the part numbers I use.

 

[Bahndvr]

Plimmer, check out this too:
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/oilsystems.htm

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