Unfortunately I'm having heat management issues. I was hoping that I would be fine given my current setup: FM Crossflow Rad, FM Stage 2 Fans, OEM undertray, OEM air guide (both trimmed to accommodate intercooler piping), GarageStar cooling panel to cover top of bumper, 70% water 30% antifreeze. Pretty much ticked all the boxes for the cooling system. I was hitting 219 degrees the other day on the freeway. This was on an uphill grade, with a/c on with ambient temps in the 90s.



Looks like the system is marginal at best. I noticed that whenever I went into boost the temperature would climb significantly, and it would slowly head back down if I backed off. Before the turbo I never went over 207 even under similar conditions.

So what now? I'm going to pressure test the system this weekend and make sure there are no leaks. I'll also try bleeding it again just in case I have an air pocket. I have a spare radiator cap I can use for testing in case this one isn't holding pressure. If it comes to it, I've had my eye on the FM brushless stage 3 fans for a while now. That soft-start feature would really improve driveability in stop and go traffic.

 

I doubt fans will help at freeway speeds. I found that the stock air guide is not a replacement for proper ducting.
DNM

 

You're probably correct and ducting is certainly the cheaper option so I'll go down that route first. I'll have the car up in the air pretty soon to put my new front hubs in and I'll see if I can come up with some sort of plan. Ideally the ducting would be easily removeable for service.

I disconnected my EBC to determine if my issue with hitting boost cut was due to a problem with the actuator, boost creep, or EBC settings. It held 7 psi perfectly with EBC disconnected, so the actuator is fine and the un-ported wastegate can flow enough. With EBC, I was hitting 11 psi recently while when the car was dyno'd it peaked at 10. I'm going to leave the EBC disconnected at least until I sort out the heat issues and the boost cut, maybe even until my built engine is ready. It's less power, but with my longer commute I'm willing to sacrifice that for better reliability.

Recent additions to my parts hoard:


I decided to build a motor after my diff housing broke. No plans to run any more power than my 2554R can make, I just want way more headroom for peace of mind. I picked up a 1994 block and a freshly resurfaced 99 head. Currently have the ARP main studs and head studs, and I just bought a set of eagle rods. So far everything has been second hand. I've been on the lookout for supertech pistons but I may have to buy those new given that I want a specific compression ratio and size.