Cooling Issues on Track, What is the solution?
11-09-2012, 10:27 AM
#61
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Here's another question...
With the 37mm Koyo going to/from the race track the coolant temps would stay at around 180 unless it was could outside, then would drop to 160-170 range. I expect to be even lower than that with the TSE radiator on the highway commutes. So my question is, how low is too low? Only concern is doing any damage to the engine.
Also, does anybody have a picture of how to partially block off the radiator to artificially raise coolant temps on the highway if I am to low in temps for comfort? Thanks!
With the 37mm Koyo going to/from the race track the coolant temps would stay at around 180 unless it was could outside, then would drop to 160-170 range. I expect to be even lower than that with the TSE radiator on the highway commutes. So my question is, how low is too low? Only concern is doing any damage to the engine.
Also, does anybody have a picture of how to partially block off the radiator to artificially raise coolant temps on the highway if I am to low in temps for comfort? Thanks!
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11-09-2012, 10:45 AM
#63
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Isn't the thermostat at a minimum setting at that low of cooling temps, smallest opening? If the car is at 140 degrees on the highway at 70 mph with the thermostat at minimum setting, is that OK?
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11-09-2012, 11:33 AM
#65
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Several times I have seen cooling system setups that should be good enough to cool the car they are on but they are not. Most every time I have found the problem to be the system is not holding full pressure.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
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11-09-2012, 11:40 AM
#66
Several times I have seen cooling system setups that should be good enough to cool the car they are on but they are not. Most every time I have found the problem to be the system is not holding full pressure.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
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11-09-2012, 11:45 AM
#67
I've had the worst issue just getting ******* radiator caps that work. I've been through 3 madza ones and a parts store one before I got one that didnt die after a couple of weeks. On all but the most recent one, once the car is warm you can just gently squeeze the upper rad hose and watch the coolant flow into the overflow. When they're new they dont do that and the one good one in there now doesnt do it either.
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11-09-2012, 12:09 PM
#68
I've had the worst issue just getting ******* radiator caps that work. I've been through 3 madza ones and a parts store one before I got one that didnt die after a couple of weeks. On all but the most recent one, once the car is warm you can just gently squeeze the upper rad hose and watch the coolant flow into the overflow. When they're new they dont do that and the one good one in there now doesnt do it either.
I've seen nearly as many engines killed due to bad caps as bad rads.
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11-09-2012, 12:27 PM
#71
The radiator or the caps or the thermostat? Thermostat is the one that came in the car from the factory. Rad would be whatever mazdaspeed sends you when you buy a legal stock radiator for a manual tranny car. And cap would be 3 that came in a box that said mazda on it, from mazda speed, and another the came in a box that said autopart international on it, from autopart international.
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11-09-2012, 01:06 PM
#72
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Several times I have seen cooling system setups that should be good enough to cool the car they are on but they are not. Most every time I have found the problem to be the system is not holding full pressure.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
The minutest of pinhole even if it takes a week to measure the coolant loss will cause the system to overheat when you flog on it for a full session at a time and the system pressure drops because of the small hole.
Have to pressure test it when it is cold to find the leak because when it’s hot it vaporizes too fast to find the drip. I made my own pressure tester by cutting up a presta bicycle tube and stuffing the valve in a piece of hose that fits on the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck. Carefully use a bicycle pump to put about 25 psi in the radiator and see if it holds steady pressure for a half hour or so. Don’t put much more than 25psi or you might pop the radiator.
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11-12-2012, 11:52 AM
#73
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Got the radiator installed over the weekend. Cap is really close to where my intercooler piping is routed and will need to be changed but works for now. 1st test is this coming Sunday at ACS. Will report back but am very hopeful. The TSE unit lines up SOO much better with the factory undertray at the bottom, it's awesome.
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