EVO radiator compatible?

[bradc]

The reason I ask is because the sizes are very close

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-153015308.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-153285289.htm

New hoses may be needed and custom fans, but a very tempting idea to try and stop my car from overheating. Might try and find a spare one through my contacts to see if one fits.

[Gly]

i looks like it will,

but buy the looks you'll need....(minimum)

custom-ish water hose's
modified radiator mounts,
and custom fans,

not hard to do, i wouldn't think

[Kenneth]

The reason I ask is because the sizes are very close

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-153015308.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-153285289.htm

New hoses may be needed and custom fans, but a very tempting idea to try and stop my car from overheating. Might try and find a spare one through my contacts to see if one fits.

If the problem is air flow related rather than the radiator, then a bigger radiator isn't going to help.

why don't you find out what the real problem is before you go trying random things to see if it helps?

The most likely cause for your issues based on your descriptions is that the air flow through the radiator is stalling at high speed.

[bradc]

yeah I've got a whole heap of 1.6mm aluminium sheets here that I'm going to have some fun with and see if I can direct more air to the radiator. I don't have any under tray at all, and I think a lot of the air is going either side of the intercooler and straight out through the bottom of the wheel arches.

They are about 1200 long, but only 180 wide which is a bit annoying. I'm thinking of using them to basically block off the bottom section of the car under the front bumper and to make two ducts that direct air that would otherwise pass by the sides of the intercooler straight into the radiator.

[Kenneth]

yeah I've got a whole heap of 1.6mm aluminium sheets here that I'm going to have some fun with and see if I can direct more air to the radiator. I don't have any under tray at all, and I think a lot of the air is going either side of the intercooler and straight out through the bottom of the wheel arches.

They are about 1200 long, but only 180 wide which is a bit annoying. I'm thinking of using them to basically block off the bottom section of the car under the front bumper and to make two ducts that direct air that would otherwise pass by the sides of the intercooler straight into the radiator.

how many is a whole heap?

what sort of condition are you plastic wheel arch liners in? There are a fair number of plastic parts around there which I reckon would very much play a part in whether the air is directed through the radiator or not.

You may find having a strip that goes across the front of the car blocking off between the bumper and the radiator is of use.

[bradc]

about 30-40 pieces!

My plastic wheel liners are in perfect condition, which is strange I know! However I'm missing just about everything else. I can see the gearbox from looking through the wheel arch on the passenger side. I do have the equivilant piece on the other side that acts as a guard for the belts though. There is nothing in the centre at all.

[Turbo_Steve]

Bodge diagnostic:
Try taking the bonnet off and see if you can get it to heat up.
If you can, you have a surface area issue. If you can't, you have an airflow problem.
I figure Kenneth is on the money, and you've got an airflow issue, rather than insufficient surface area, especially as you've spotted that the Evo & VR-4 have similar surface area.

[Subaru ETA]

yeah i was was about to suggest that....but try it without the bumper

[AllBeItMine]

The problem is probably this.

Your massive intercooler blocks your radiator.

At full noise your turbos are probably setting fire to the air they will be running so hot.

So the intercooler is red hot and slows down and heats up the ambient air that goes through it - which means your radiator is getting washed with half speed warm air.

probably not good when your engine is doing 7000rpm for 30seconds at a time.

[bradc]

Yeah I also think that the intercooler lets a lot of air escape either side of it which goes straight down through the wheel arches.

The intercooler wasn't getting super hot though, sure it was hot to touch on the incoming side, but by half way it was fairly cool.

[Turbo_Steve]

Intercooler won't make that much difference to air temperature....that isn't how they work (they're essentially a heatsink, storing heat and letting it away gradually, rather than cooling it instantly).

An intercooler WILL seriously disrupt the airflow to the radiator, however.

Not sure how much space you have between your rad and your intercooler, brad, but ducting from the (useless) foglight vents to the radiator to increase pressure on the inlet side, with ducting from the intercooler to the wheel arches should see increased airflow.

Better yet, chuck the intercooler away, fit a charge cooler and put the radiators for it in the foglight spaces.
Rejoice in the extra heat sinking capacity.

[bradc]

My intercooler was staying cold to touch on the passenger side, it is doing it's job well

I'm going to make up ducting that will direct air from the sides of the main bumper into the radiator, that should make quite a big difference. You can see in the photo just how big that gap is, and because I don't have any undertray at all, the air can just go straight through the holes either side of the intercooler and straight out through the wheel arch

[Kenneth]

I think this is the problem. Block this up and you will force air to go through the intercooler, then it will go through the radiator.

Or get your other bumper fitted which essentially will do the same thing.

You probably also want to go down to pick a part and get the plastics that stop the air going out through the sides of the engine bay.

[bradc]

I am going to make Aluminium ducts in those two places that direct air straight to the radiator

[Kenneth]

I am going to make Aluminium ducts in those two places that direct air straight to the radiator

I wouldn't do that. If you direct the air to in front of the radiator you essentially pressurise the back of the intercooler, reducing it's efficiency.

block it off and force the air through the intercooler. If the intercooler is very close to the frame that houses the air con radiator, then a large portion of the air that goes through the intercooler is also forced through the radiator (it is the only way through)

[bradc]

the intercooler stays cold though, so I don't think a small increase on the other side would affect it too much

[AllBeItMine]

the intercooler stays cold though, so I don't think a small increase on the other side would affect it too much

Yes the intercooler stays cold - but at what price to the air that passes through it?

plus - it only feels cold to the touch, it will still be hotter than ambient.

[bradc]

it won't be much hotter than ambient though, and even if the intercooler does heat the air up that goes through it, it will only be by a few degrees if that when the car is moving at high speed.

[Goku]

I would suggest taking a leaf from the RX7 boys.....

You might find a more effective way is to angle the intercooler one way and the radiator the other like this kind of thing ( < )

Maybe not to that extreme, but it would require a lot of modification to the front of the VR

[Turbo_Steve]

In fairness, the intercoolers temperature isn't going to make a huge difference to the radiator as long as there is plenty of airflow. Intercoolers take time to heat up and cool down, so they should never get "hot" per se. Certainly not hot enough to impact the temp of the radiator. What heat they do gain should be quickly disipated at speed. Brad, I think you're suffering from some kind of air stall..either the air can't get through all those rads, or you have a pressure drop that is making it flow round them.

If one end of your intercooler is getting properly warm, I'd suggest your turbos are at the top of (or outside) their efficiency range, and less boost and more advance may actually net you more power. Maybe.

Block the sides of the intercooler so the air HAS to flow through it and not around it.