One of the most important engine cooling modification is to ensure the
sheet metal shields that fit between the radiator and the front of the
car are properly installed.
The problem is simple. The Healey engine compartment does not shed air
very well... especially when the car is moving slowly or not at all.
Consequently, unless the car is moving rapidly, hot air from the engine
compartment merely stirs around in the engine bay. Some people add
extra fan blades. (This makes the air stir around faster, but does
nothing to bring in fresh air, or remove stale hot air.)
Note: If you are circulating a lot of air through the radiator, but it
is drawing that air from inside the engine compartment, it won't cool
the water in the radiator.
However, if the sheet metal shields are in place (or better still are
augmented with extra sheet metal designed to limit air flow into the
radiator from anyplace other than the front of the car), the car will
not have overheating problems (even if the car is in stop and go
traffic.)
I've sure seen and heard of a lot of people who go through incredible
lengths at engine rebuild, radiator core modification, and extra fan
blades proudly talk about their car running at reasonable temps so long
as the car is moving fast. However, when their car is in stop and go
traffic, some still complain about overtemps. On the other hand, I've
not yet seen someone with proper metal shields complain about
overheating...in any driving situation.
(this observation has been recorded in the archives by lots of listers,
but it seems to be forgotten periodically...lol)
-skip-
Leonard Berkowitz wrote:
> My car has always run very hot (usually close to 212F) in any thing that
>resembles warm weather. I have tried rebuilding the engine, oil coolers,
>auxillary fans, Texas cooler, 6-blade Moss fan, various spark advance and
>carburator settings and was never able to cool down my motor. Until this
>year, when I had a new radiator built with two extra rows. Miraculously my
>baby never goes over 200F even on 95F days when I run at sustained speeds of
>70-75 MPH.
|