Intercooler sprayer, onto a radiator

[RomanV]

Okay, basically the issue I've got is that my radiator is JUST on the verge of not being adequate for track days.

After 6-7 laps of Taupo, the temperature starts to creep up slightly... then if I back off for say, 1/2 a lap or a lap, I can go for another 6-7 laps without issue.

I've admittedly got a tiny radiator, with only a small coolant volume.

Although I realise that moving to a larger radiator is an obvious solution, there are packaging issues which make this difficult, hence small one in the first place.

So I've been thinking that a possible solution, (given that this issue only arises at trackdays, and it wouldnt be a constant hassle) could be to run an intercooler sprayer type setup onto the radiator to increase its efficiency, that perhaps switches on at a certain temperature.

Is this likely to do acheive meaningful, seeing as how you're using water, onto air, to cool hot water?

If it works for an intercooler, should work for a radiator too?

Other possible solutions:
-Slightly wider radiator for better cooling and more volume.
would need to be custom made and therefore $$$
-fit air cooled oil cooler, less work for the factory oil cooler, than runs from the coolant system - already have remote filter kit and lines for this.
-Upgrade my heater core to something grunty, turn on while on the track and enjoy the tropical in car climate
-water wetter stuff? Does this work?

What are your thoughts, people of Toyspeed?

I think I could rig up a second windscreen washer bottle with a power source easy enough, and try it out.

[Grrrrrrr!]

Can you force more airflow thru the radiator with better ducting/sealing?
How hot does it get? over 100 or not?

[strx7]

-water wetter stuff? Does this work?

Yes it does work, use 1 bottle instead of antifreeze and make sure you get rid off the antifreeze out of the system (i assume you are running antifreeze)

antifreeze actually lessens the cooling properties of water, while water wetter actually enhances it.

[Mr Revhead]

Yeah could try and find a corrosion inhibiter only.

Better oil cooler could work too.
Also possibly try a different oil. Some don't transfer heat as well as others. Would depend on how much heat is in the oil. Got temp gauges?

What about switching the fans on earlier?

[DexGT]

Yes water wetter will help , but the main thing is that the air has to go though the radiator and not around it . On my intercooler there was a 50deg difference in intake temps between ducted and unducted , obviously it is unlikely to be this much for your radiator but it does make a big difference.
If you have already ducted your radiator then ignore everything I said after the water wetter comment

[RomanV]

Also possibly try a different oil. Some don't transfer heat as well as others. Would depend on how much heat is in the oil. Got temp gauges?

Nah, no oil temp gauge.

I guess that it would make sense to get an idea of oil temps prior to going down that route.

I dont think changing oil would help though, on its own...

As if the oil isnt transferring heat, water coolant system needs to do it instead.
If the oil is transferring heat, it transfers it into the coolant via factory oil cooler, so same issue with more cooling capacity etc required.

What about switching the fans on earlier?

Fan manually switched on all the time while on track.

Sounds like water wetter will be the way to go, may as well try the cheapest and easiest solution first!

The radiator has a sealed shroud on the back to the fan, and I've got a shroud of sorts blocking air from entering the engine bay apart from into the engine air intake or the radiator. Although there are a few other holes in the radiator bulk head thing which I could try fill up which may help.

edit:

Radiator size / shrouding / etc looks like this currnetly:

The square cut out on the left hand side is where the engines air intake comes from. So main places air can go, is through the radiator, or into the air intake.

[rollaholic]

whats your current radiator? is it a standard one from something? looking at a thicker alternative to the same radiator might help in that case, obviously giving you a bigger coolant volume. maybe some ducting from the nosecone as well? it looks like at the moment air is prevented from going around the radiator, but its not being specifically directed through it either.

antifreeze is able to store less heat energy than straight water, but it does raise the boiling point of the mixture which is obviously helpful.

i guess if you can maintain it under 100 degrees thats less of a factor.

[Mr Ree]

If you dont want to get an external oil cooler (which would keep your water temps under control) then making a cheap water sprayer set up would be the next option I would look at, as it will make alot of difference provided you have good atomisation of the water.

That shroud in the pic above wouldnt lend itself to great airflow imo.

Also, I would want to have data on how hot the water is getting, as Im guessing you are currently relying on the factory gauge?

[RomanV]

whats your current radiator? is it a standard one from something? looking at a thicker alternative to the same radiator might help in that case, obviously giving you a bigger coolant volume.

It's an aluminium twin core Suzuki Swift radiator.

maybe some ducting from the nosecone as well? it looks like at the moment air is prevented from going around the radiator, but its not being specifically directed through it either.

Yeah, my thoughts so far have been about creating the pressure differential between one side of the radiator and the other, this is what makes air flow through it.

However air could be just going under the car and entering the engine bay after the radiator perhaps, dont have the factory undertray as it wont fit anymore.

If you dont want to get an external oil cooler (which would keep your water temps under control)

Considering it.

then making a cheap water sprayer set up would be the next option I would look at, as it will make alot of difference provided you have good atomisation of the water.

There are two factory locations in the engine bay for a washer bottle, so I could use one as the resevoir/pump for the water sprayer, and get a nozzle or two that sprays out mist easily enough I guess. Could be interesting to see how it goes.

That shroud in the pic above wouldnt lend itself to great airflow imo.

Also, I would want to have data on how hot the water is getting, as Im guessing you are currently relying on the factory gauge?

Yeah, only the factory gauge. No idea on exact temps etc, but creeping up slightly above half, then I back off a bit.

The only real idea behind the shroud is to create a pressure difference from one side of the radiator to the other, and also have the engine air intake in a high pressure area.

[RedMist]

I also don't like your shroud. You need to think of air like a fluid, put your car on it's rear bumper and flow water over the radiator. If you can hold a head of air in front of the radiator it forces more flow through it. So if you can bucket air into the radiator. While people concentrate on the entry the exit is often ignored. You need as much flow out of the radiator and reduce under bonnet pressure as much as possible. Don't butt a fan shroud up to the back of a radiator, allow as much standoff as possible.

[RomanV]

It's a little different when the panels are on, as they overhang around the edges of the whole thing.

The bonnet overhangs the top edge and seals off the top crossmember, so air cannot go straight up and over.

When the gaurds are on, they seal the sides in...

But the bottom is just open though really, so probably not ideal there, are could just go under the car.

Will maybe look into that.

[BZG Wagon]

Have you got bonnet vents? (might not be the best solution to try first).

[RomanV]

If it was a different style of car I'd consider bonnet vents, but want the outside appearance to be standard.

Got a few other ideas to try from this thread before getting that carried away

Cheers for the suggestions so far!

[1I1]

Have you got bonnet vents? (might not be the best solution to try first).

Theres another idea I think is quite cool, not sure how effective it is though. Nismo Z-Tune R34 front guards have holes in them which allow heat to escape.

You can see in the top left hand corner of this pic

[Mr Revhead]

^ does that have vents in the rear of the guards?

[Mr Ree]

What a gorgeous strut bar.

Function over form

[1I1]

The car in general is awesome.

Rev, yup:

[d1 mule]

I had similar issues, i did water wetter, a vent and sprayer (operated off the window washer pump) and dropped the tepms by about 15 degrees.


from reading what you said, the rear of your radiator is blocked off apart from a hole where the fan is. This cant possibly be helping. assuming its just flat alloy etc over the back of the rad not all fancy curves etc like a factory one.

[RomanV]

It is a factory shroud/fan...

Good to hear positive feedback about the water wetter etc, will definitely be first thing to try.

[matt dunn]

Fan manually switched on all the time while on track.

Fans on all the time is a backwards step.
At speeds above about 50kmh you get more airflow with the fans turned off,
as when they are powered they cant spin fast enough to get the air flow through.