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Re: Under Hood Heat

To: Douglas Pruitt <DOUGLAS.PRUITT@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Under Hood Heat
From: Steve Laifman <laifman@flash.net>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 07:50:24 +0100
Doug,

While ther may be some "shunting" at the fan driven idle air velocities, the
actual discussions about horn holes and lower valance hole air guides was more
directed at a moderate to high speed application, where the air velocities,
turbulence, and engine compartment "back-pressure" were coming into play as
influential parameters.

IF there is an idle heating problem, once the obvious bad radiator, collapsed
intake hose, bad water pump, blocked passages, loose fan belts, and better fan
blades have been considered, I have found that nothing beats a good eletcric
fan.

Yesterday was pretty hot here, about 90 in the valley.  My car is being painted,
so I am driving my fiberglass "Ferrari" with the V-^ Fiero GT in the rear, and
the radiator in the front.  I have temperature gauges on the  oil, water, and
the outside air at grond level.  The ground level air was hovering over 100F.
On surface streets, clippping a good 40 mph between lights, I was crepping over
210F.  Now I know the engine can take those temperatures, but I was unhappy
about the rate of change.  It kept climbing.  To stop it from becoming
uncontrolled boil-over, I switched on the front mounted radiator's stock Pontiac
electric fan.  after dropping 25 degrees in 7 mnutes, I turned it off.

While this is a fully shrouded, full coverage, stock GM fan system, similar
results (and this was damn dramatic) can be obtained in a Tiger.  Later in the
day it was even hotter, and I used the fan at 60 mph, so it's not just "idle
only" effective.  The key is enough CFM for your needs.  I know I can't get
anything larger than 12" in front of my Tiger radiator, and those flow about
1,000 CFM, but I think (I'll measure when I get it back from the painter, I
could get two 12's, side-by side.

As you know, I am also looking at the small, but not insignificant, benefits of
horn hole coverage (easy) and lower valance duct hole air containment ( a little
trickier) to allow what's supposed to go thru the radiator to get there - while
moving.

If you've got any thoughts, or experience here, I'd appreciate your comment.

Steve
--
Steve Laifman         < One first kiss,       >
B9472289              < one first love, and   >
                      < one first win, is all >
                      < you get in this life. >


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