need advice on cooling upgrades
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
need advice on cooling upgrades
I know this has probably been asked a few times, but new products hit the market regularly. Plus I'm a novice at this so i want to make sure i get the right hardware.
2011 base vette with an aftermarket ECS 1500 blower system + Houston area heat and traffic + constant need for A/C = 235+ temps and climbing.
Want to refresh the cooling system with a better radiator and fan setup, along with any other suggestions.
I looked at the Dewitts site, and they are PROUD of those things! plus I dont know which one I
need as there are like a dozen options with various internal coolers.
I've heard great things about mishimoto in general, but not specific to this application.
I've seen the term SPAL fans, but not sure what exactly that is.
I will be doing the work myself, so ease of install and wiring would be important.
Are there any additional ways to evacuate the heat under the hood? ducted blower fans?
All advice is welcome!!
Thanks!
2011 base vette with an aftermarket ECS 1500 blower system + Houston area heat and traffic + constant need for A/C = 235+ temps and climbing.
Want to refresh the cooling system with a better radiator and fan setup, along with any other suggestions.
I looked at the Dewitts site, and they are PROUD of those things! plus I dont know which one I
need as there are like a dozen options with various internal coolers.
I've heard great things about mishimoto in general, but not specific to this application.
I've seen the term SPAL fans, but not sure what exactly that is.
I will be doing the work myself, so ease of install and wiring would be important.
Are there any additional ways to evacuate the heat under the hood? ducted blower fans?
All advice is welcome!!
Thanks!
#2
Meth kit running 50/50 mix, and as you pointed out, Dewalt radiator with dual fan set up and SSR as PWM so you can push the fans harder, and not burn up a stock PWM..
Also, make dam sure you have a void area between your inter cooler, and the condenser coil in front of the radiator, so condenser/radiator can still get fresh cooler air at lower speeds, and not just the hotter air through the inter cooler/condenser alone.
Looking for gap like this, and a way for air flow into the gap as well.
Also to add, when when the last time you back washed the radiator and condenser, to get the collected debris out of them.
Also, make dam sure you have a void area between your inter cooler, and the condenser coil in front of the radiator, so condenser/radiator can still get fresh cooler air at lower speeds, and not just the hotter air through the inter cooler/condenser alone.
Looking for gap like this, and a way for air flow into the gap as well.
Also to add, when when the last time you back washed the radiator and condenser, to get the collected debris out of them.
#3
Advanced
Thread Starter
i have flex fuel, so never needed meth, does it help that much with cooling?
what dewitts radiator do i need? and i assume the fans it comes with are the right ones?
no idea what an ssr or pwm are. lol
I will check for the air gap, is cxracing the company that supplies that one?
I washed it out last fall, didnt see a huge difference.
what dewitts radiator do i need? and i assume the fans it comes with are the right ones?
no idea what an ssr or pwm are. lol
I will check for the air gap, is cxracing the company that supplies that one?
I washed it out last fall, didnt see a huge difference.
#5
i have flex fuel, so never needed meth, does it help that much with cooling?
what dewitts radiator do i need? and i assume the fans it comes with are the right ones?
no idea what an ssr or pwm are. lol
I will check for the air gap, is cxracing the company that supplies that one?
I washed it out last fall, didnt see a huge difference.
what dewitts radiator do i need? and i assume the fans it comes with are the right ones?
no idea what an ssr or pwm are. lol
I will check for the air gap, is cxracing the company that supplies that one?
I washed it out last fall, didnt see a huge difference.
PWM pulse width modulation
A lot of good suggestions mentioned above. But You can also address the coolant too.
You can increase the coolant's specific heat by :
1. Adding Redline's water wetter (this will not increase Sp. Ht. but it will reduce the surface tension of the coolant) this enables the coolant to absorb more heat from the engine.
2. Using a 30% coolant/water mix
3. Using De-ionized water to mix with the coolant.
This should get you about a 10°F drop in coolant temp.
#7
SSR solid state relay
PWM pulse width modulation
A lot of good suggestions mentioned above. But You can also address the coolant too.
You can increase the coolant's specific heat by :
1. Adding Redline's water wetter (this will not increase Sp. Ht. but it will reduce the surface tension of the coolant) this enables the coolant to absorb more heat from the engine.
2. Using a 30% coolant/water mix
3. Using De-ionized water to mix with the coolant.
This should get you about a 10°F drop in coolant temp.
PWM pulse width modulation
A lot of good suggestions mentioned above. But You can also address the coolant too.
You can increase the coolant's specific heat by :
1. Adding Redline's water wetter (this will not increase Sp. Ht. but it will reduce the surface tension of the coolant) this enables the coolant to absorb more heat from the engine.
2. Using a 30% coolant/water mix
3. Using De-ionized water to mix with the coolant.
This should get you about a 10°F drop in coolant temp.
Have been in Houston in the winter time, with temps below freezing, so would not screw around with Dex cool ratios, to raise is freezing point and chance having the coolant freeze up to take out the cooling system and motor.
Last edited by Dano523; 04-29-2024 at 09:22 PM.
The following users liked this post:
JayO (04-26-2024)
#8
A 30/70 mix will yield a freeze point of 5°F. Unless your minimum ambient temperatures don't fall below +10°F you should be OK. This is with a 5°F margin of safety. Check your area of locale to determine the minimum ambient temp.
#9
#10
Still not enough if he ends up in Dallas in the winter time, ends up with Ice storm and car is sitting out side for days, since roads are too iced up to even try to drive the vet back to warmer Houston (or most other cars) on until the roads start to clean up and are drive able again.
#11
Still going with 50/50 mix, and better radiator and cooling fans to start with, and if not meth kit, then can play the water injection alone kit that BMW uses on their track type designed boosted cars instead.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/09/10/h...ks-bmw-m4-gts/
And water injection alone is nothing new, since VW bug and Micro van guys where using it on the air cooled engines in the deserts back in the 60's/70's, to keep the air cooled engines from over heating when the air temps are 120+ degrees.
#12
Still going with 50/50 mix, and better radiator and cooling fans to start with, and if not meth kit, then can play the water injection alone kit that BMW uses on their track type designed boosted cars instead.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/09/10/h...ks-bmw-m4-gts/
And water injection alone is nothing new, since VW bug and Micro van guys where using it on the air cooled engines in the deserts back in the 60's/70's, to keep the air cooled engines from over heating when the air temps are 120+ degrees.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/09/10/h...ks-bmw-m4-gts/
And water injection alone is nothing new, since VW bug and Micro van guys where using it on the air cooled engines in the deserts back in the 60's/70's, to keep the air cooled engines from over heating when the air temps are 120+ degrees.
#13
Is the heat build up due to not enough cooling in the first place, or the multi hits of the boost that is heat soaking the engine isntead.
If problem is stop and go traffic, when not on boost or engine heat soaked from repeat hits, that is an easy one, and when the inter cooler was mounted, not enough free gap on the bottom of it, to the front of the condenser/radiator, and all the air being pulled into the raditor at the stop lights, is going through.being choked by the hot inter cooler.
So again, need a gap between back of inter cooler to front of condenser/radiator, so cooler air can be pulling up from the bottom between the two, so your not just pulling air through the hot inter cooler, or choking off the air flow with the vains of the inter cooler at slow or stop light traffic.
If problem is stop and go traffic, when not on boost or engine heat soaked from repeat hits, that is an easy one, and when the inter cooler was mounted, not enough free gap on the bottom of it, to the front of the condenser/radiator, and all the air being pulled into the raditor at the stop lights, is going through.being choked by the hot inter cooler.
So again, need a gap between back of inter cooler to front of condenser/radiator, so cooler air can be pulling up from the bottom between the two, so your not just pulling air through the hot inter cooler, or choking off the air flow with the vains of the inter cooler at slow or stop light traffic.