Nomex Honeycomb Radiator Protector

[OLOABoss]

Gary,

It hurts to see all you have done to improve cooling with little effect. Radiator, oil cooler, Tiger hood (which I really thought would do the trick getting air out of the engine compartment) Really like the newest theory of water pump cavitation could be the problem. Now if Kendal would source a under drive pulley, hint hint, it would eliminate that question or possible solution. Being a FL car no way I'm pulling HVAC though I might try the water/Pencool 2000 route instead of antifreeze.

Peter

 

[ace72ace]

I would expect lower temps with the same environmental conditions with a brand new condenser. Those mashed up fins definitely weren't helping air flow & cooling at MPH.

 

[cloud9]

Gary,

It hurts to see all you have done to improve cooling with little effect. Radiator, oil cooler, Tiger hood (which I really thought would do the trick getting air out of the engine compartment) Really like the newest theory of water pump cavitation could be the problem. Now if Kendal would source a under drive pulley, hint hint, it would eliminate that question or possible solution. Being a FL car no way I'm pulling HVAC though I might try the water/Pencool 2000 route instead of antifreeze.

Peter

Yea I'd like to find the silver bullet and it's peculiar that everyone else isn't running into the issue to the same degree. Certainly running at sea level is a benefit, but I'm also not in the Rockies. At RA a few weeks ago I was pushing 250 at the top of 5th in 84 degree ambient. Pulling the grille dropped peak coolant temp to 240 even after the ambient rose to 91.

It will be interesting to see if the new condenser improves things when I'm back at RA in a couple weeks. If it does, and then proceeds to get smashed up again I guess it will be decision time. Like you I really don't want to pull the AC out of the car....yet.

It looks like they stuck me in with a bunch of your buds in the GT3RSs. I just hope they don't mistake me for a turn-in cone

 

[PeteInCT]

The new condenser will not get banged up at all as long as u install the Nomex honeycomb. Don't leave home without it ! ;D

 

[rom]

Nomex ordered

wondering though if at LOW speeds the temp may rise a bit more with the Nomex...
here my thoughts feel free to correct me, as Im no scientist :

1) low speeds, city street use, trafic jams : nomex may hinder the cool outside air to circulate freely into the fins behind, since air cannot be force fed through its honey comb design.
2) high speeds/tracking: nomex , from its virtues of honey comb material, is PAss Thru as long as air is being forcefully fed through it ( high speed / good air pressure)

am I just a retard or does this make any sense ?

 

[PeteInCT]

Repost when you receive the Nomex. I think you'll find that it presents very little back pressure to: incoming air. I drive my boss on the street only to get it washed to pick up gas but from what I can see in slow city driving there is no impact to coolant or cylinder head temperatures at all.

 

[rom]

ok Pete !

PS: you dont wash your car yourself , shame on you ! ;D

 

[PeteInCT]

actually i do wash it myself at 1 of those do it yourself places. No water pressure at home is just too low on the garage side of the house and I'm too lazy every every time ! ;D

 

[OLOABoss]

Gary,

It hurts to see all you have done to improve cooling with little effect. Radiator, oil cooler, Tiger hood (which I really thought would do the trick getting air out of the engine compartment) Really like the newest theory of water pump cavitation could be the problem. Now if Kendal would source a under drive pulley, hint hint, it would eliminate that question or possible solution. Being a FL car no way I'm pulling HVAC though I might try the water/Pencool 2000 route instead of antifreeze.

Peter

Yea I'd like to find the silver bullet and it's peculiar that everyone else isn't running into the issue to the same degree. Certainly running at sea level is a benefit, but I'm also not in the Rockies. At RA a few weeks ago I was pushing 250 at the top of 5th in 84 degree ambient. Pulling the grille dropped peak coolant temp to 240 even after the ambient rose to 91.

It will be interesting to see if the new condenser improves things when I'm back at RA in a couple weeks. If it does, and then proceeds to get smashed up again I guess it will be decision time. Like you I really don't want to pull the AC out of the car....yet.

It looks like they stuck me in with a bunch of your buds in the GT3RSs. I just hope they don't mistake me for a turn-in cone

Gary,

I'll tell them to watch their mirrors for you. If you get a chance to see Peter Bekkers (Trackcar) license plate white GT3RS, Randy Proudfit White GT3RS, Juan Porro blue GT3RS 4.0, John Machul, GT3RS Grey, Michael Jenkins Vikings wide receiver GT3RS, and Lewis in his lowly red 997.2 GT3 and tell them to give you a cold brew on me. They are a really good bunch of guys.

Peter

 

[cloud9]

LOL, I'll make sure to wave nicely when I'm pointing them by. You think Michael will mind if I'm a Cheesehead? Of course he'll already be deep into Packerland already so he must not mind

 

[ChuckP]

Used the Nomex honeycomb for 3 days at Watkins Glen. Never saw coolant temps above 218 on the Aeroforce. Running factory fill standard coolant, stock radiator and Roush billet grille. Found a couple of pebbles and rubber chunks in the honeycomb that surely would have bent fins. I think this item is a great $20 investment! Thanks Pete!

 

[cloud9]

OK Pete I just ordered a sheet. Says I'll have it tomorrow (they're nearby in NE ) Your install instructions say to install in front of the radiator, but the pic of the lower grille opening makes it look like it's in front of the condenser ???

 

[cloud9]

Gary,

It hurts to see all you have done to improve cooling with little effect. Radiator, oil cooler, Tiger hood (which I really thought would do the trick getting air out of the engine compartment) Really like the newest theory of water pump cavitation could be the problem. Now if Kendal would source a under drive pulley, hint hint, it would eliminate that question or possible solution. Being a FL car no way I'm pulling HVAC though I might try the water/Pencool 2000 route instead of antifreeze.

Peter

Yea I'd like to find the silver bullet and it's peculiar that everyone else isn't running into the issue to the same degree. Certainly running at sea level is a benefit, but I'm also not in the Rockies. At RA a few weeks ago I was pushing 250 at the top of 5th in 84 degree ambient. Pulling the grille dropped peak coolant temp to 240 even after the ambient rose to 91.

It will be interesting to see if the new condenser improves things when I'm back at RA in a couple weeks. If it does, and then proceeds to get smashed up again I guess it will be decision time. Like you I really don't want to pull the AC out of the car....yet.

It looks like they stuck me in with a bunch of your buds in the GT3RSs. I just hope they don't mistake me for a turn-in cone

Gary,

I'll tell them to watch their mirrors for you. If you get a chance to see Peter Bekkers (Trackcar) license plate white GT3RS, Randy Proudfit White GT3RS, Juan Porro blue GT3RS 4.0, John Machul, GT3RS Grey, Michael Jenkins Vikings wide receiver GT3RS, and Lewis in his lowly red 997.2 GT3 and tell them to give you a cold brew on me. They are a really good bunch of guys.

Peter

Well now that I've totally hijacked this thread......found this interesting:

Jenkins also has another hobby that involves speed. He loves racing, loves what it offers, a little like football.

“Just the thriving aspect of it. You sweat pretty hard inside a car and when you’re working that hard people don’t realize how much you’re working. There’s not that many similarities to football unless you get into an accident and get hit, and that could hurt a little bit,” Jenkins said."

 

[VoodooBoss]

Used the Nomex honeycomb for 3 days at Watkins Glen. Never saw coolant temps above 218 on the Aeroforce. Running factory fill standard coolant, stock radiator and Roush billet grille. Found a couple of pebbles and rubber chunks in the honeycomb that surely would have bent fins. I think this item is a great $20 investment! Thanks Pete!

That's interesting as I have basically the same setup as you, Aeroforce, stock coolant, stock radiator and billet grille, and have been seeing a consistent 217 running at tracks close to sea level with approximately 80 degree temps. How were roketman's temps this past weekend? He looks to be running almost as fast as cloud9.

 

[JScheier]

OK Pete I just ordered a sheet. Says I'll have it tomorrow (they're nearby in NE ) Your install instructions say to install in front of the radiator, but the pic of the lower grille opening makes it look like it's in front of the condenser ???

It goes in front of everything. Trust me . About a twenty minute install. Wear gloves do your hands don't end up looking like grated cheese.

 

[cloud9]

OK Pete I just ordered a sheet. Says I'll have it tomorrow (they're nearby in NE ) Your install instructions say to install in front of the radiator, but the pic of the lower grille opening makes it look like it's in front of the condenser ???

It goes in front of everything. Trust me . About a twenty minute install. Wear gloves do your hands don't end up looking like grated cheese.

Thanks John. You have the cooling issue licked now?

 

[PeteInCT]

My Bad - per John it does go in front of the condenser - I was speaking too generally. I didn't need any gloves though, the rubber seals on the left and right side of the a/c condenser are very flexible. In any event it will fit perfectly as long as you seat in in the the lower channel that sits directly in front of the a/c condenser alon the bottom.

 

[cloud9]

My Bad - per John it does go in front of the condenser - I was speaking too generally. I didn't need any gloves though, the rubber seals on the left and right side of the a/c condenser are very flexible. In any event it will fit perfectly as long as you seat in in the the lower channel that sits directly in front of the a/c condenser alon the bottom.

Appreciate the heads up on this Pete!

 

[2012YellowBoss]

Sea level seems to be the big deal here. I am sure I'm not running as hard as many of the experienced trackers so that has also helped me but I am interested to hear what Rocketman's temps were. The 13 does have a different airflow, I am not aware of any other changes to the cooling system. In fact if I remember correctly one Grand-Am team I spoke with were having more temp issues with the 13 nose then the 12.

For now I am sitting this one out, we do not have a lots of rocks down here just sand and marbles and my modified S grille seems to stop the marbles.

 

[PeteInCT]

IMO most of the damage is caused by marbles and bugs. And the marbles tend to go in low under the grille. For the price of the sheet of Nomex its very inexpensive insurance.

The highest head temp I saw was still in the 220's, nothing ever at or over 230. The town of Watkins Glen is about 500 ft above sea level, so my guess is the track is somewhere between 800 and 1000 ft. Just a guess.