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Cooling, suggestions....

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Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
5,237
4,227
Santiago, Chile
At my last track day the temp was getting into the low nineties. I found after 5min, the engine temp was deep into the red. I had to slow down and coast to get it down again and put the heater on full blast. Felt like a BBQ in the car. What is the most cost effective way to drop the temp??

We are just getting into summer and temps can go a fair bit higher.

I was thinking about the following

1) Change the grill or cut out the holes for the lights to let more air in.
2) Add a big oil cooler
3) Hood with more openings
4) Bigger fan
 
I would change the grill to the Roush or Saleen style and get a bigger better radiator. Possibly also an independent oil cooler so the oil doesn't heat the water and vice versa.
 
Change the grille to a billet or VERY open design. That's the #1 thing you can do to improve cooling, and the least expensive. Start there first and if you're still having issues, go to the 302S radiator and air-to-oil cooler. The hood didn't effect cooling at all, but it is cool 8)

**edit** If you're still having cooling issues after changing the grille, you should consider the new GT500 fan. It's also inexpensive and improved my cooling noticeably last year.

There is also a fan/oil cooler made by Fluidyne that many of the race cars are using and it's highly effective, but more expensive than the grille and GT500 fan. Check with LS110 on the specifics. They had them on the Chuckwalla cars that we ran last February.
 

JScheier

Too Hot for the Boss!
Where are you / the track located? What's the elevation? I'm at 6000' and have cooling issues that others do not. Here is what parts I threw at it:

1 aluminum 302s radiator with water wetter
2 GT 500 fan
3 air to oil cooler (For Racing)
4 302 R grill
5 Tiger Racing hood (not sure the hood actually helped)
 
Everyone seems to be same the same thing, and I would agree. Start by replacing the grille first. Gary is correct that I changed to a Fluidyne 302R oil cooler and radiator, but it wasn't until I switched my grille for the 2nd time to a completely open style like Gary is suggesting, that my temp problems went away.
 
I ran VIR when it was 90+ degrees out. The 302S grill was my only cooling mod. The temp never went above half on the gauge.
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
I replaced mine with a seven bar Roush billet grille and it works like a charm. I did have to get a GT surround for the grille to work but it still came in about $30 less than the 302S.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
The cheap suggestion is to run without a grille at the track.

Elevation is also probably an issue for Splatter, along with running small/tight tracks.

When I run the heater at the track, I usually open the passenger sides and aim them out the passenger window.
 

Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
5,237
4,227
Santiago, Chile
Good ideas Grant! Will try removing the grill first and try not to die of heat stroke by blowing out of the car instead of in my face!! To much heat might have made my brain slow. I think I lost a couple of kilos that day.! This track is only 2500 feet so probably not much of an issue. But the sun down here has a very high UV rating. The tarmac was very very hot. Nice to see the brakes held up with out boiling, great stuff Castrol SRF

PS, My P springs and Panhard bar are in Florida waiting for the next ship out to Chile.
 
Splatter said:
Good ideas Grant! Will try removing the grill first and try not to die of heat stroke by blowing out of the car instead of in my face!! To much heat might have made my brain slow. I think I lost a couple of kilos that day.! This track is only 2500 feet so probably not much of an issue. But the sun down here has a very high UV rating. The tarmac was very very hot. Nice to see the brakes held up with out boiling, great stuff Castrol SRF

PS, My P springs and Panhard bar are in Florida waiting for the next ship out to Chile.
You'd be surprised. I'm between 1500 and 2000 feet and have had more of an issue than the guys at sea level. Altitude will likely contribute to cooling challenges in your case.
 

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