Best Methods to cool down motor? (overheating issues)
 

Last track day (my first one) I had some overheating issues, I have another one coming up and the track is longer so I need to be running cool.




Since I am in Arizona would it help me to run 100% water with water wetter in it? Right now I'm running 50% antifreeze I think.



I have a Koyo Radiator, would modding so that both fans run help?


What else can I do that isn't too difficult?



Thanks!

Yes on dumping antifreeze out. I run distilled water and bottle of water wetter.

Also tape off/duct the entire area around the radiator. Ensure that any air that enters the front mount opening... ONLY can get through the radiator.

I experienced the same my track day a few weeks ago...and mine is pretty much stock, no turbo.

Having the heater on w/ full blower will help some, too.

on the track, you don't want your fans turning, they will act to block the airflow at track speeds instead of promote airflow. Antifreeze will reduce water's natural 'specific heat' (that is to say: it will reduce waters ability to hold and transfer heat energy) 100% water is better than water/antifreeze mix at transferring that heat from your engine to your radiator any day of the week! (Literally, the ONLY 2 purposes for antifreeze are to A: keep your coolant from freezing, and B: to act as a lubricant which prohibits corrosion) Water wetter will serve to reduce the surface tension of water much like soap does. (Bill nye, the science guy FTMFW!) It is also a corrosion inhibitor. Basically, it will increase the 'speed' at which energy can be transferred from the engine to the water, and then from the water to the radiator.

Your absolute largest gain (if you've got at least average intelligence, then you've done this already) is a coolant reroute.

After that, look for ways of promoting airflow across the heat exchanger. Ducting and Extraction hoods come to mind. Also, you will absolutely want to get rid of any "fan shroud" if you've added one. They're fantastic for the street/autoX, but they prohibit airflow at track speeds. If you've raised the back of your hood (cowl induction?) then put it back down. Mazda put the rubber in there where your hood seals to the rear of your engine bay for a reason. That's a high pressure area and will serve to significantly reduce airflow through your heat exchangers.

Finally; If you've removed the stock miata undertray PUT IT BACK.

That undertray serves to protect the engine and belts from crap coming up from the bottom. In my honest opinion, thats a SIDE EFFECT.

The undertray serves VERY EFFECTIVELY to increase the pressure differential across the heat exchangers. If you don't have the undertray, you've commited thermal suicide.

Bought the car a month ago and it didn't come with an undertray. Also haven't done a coolant reroute. Is a kit required or can it be done for cheap? I'll swap out the system with water, since that's easy.

The bigger Koyo is a good solution


Another thing you can do in summer is remove the thermostat completely (it is removed from my track Spec Miata along with the A/C and I never have overheating problems even when in an hour race on a 98 degree day with 100% humidity!)

Excuse my ignorance but what does removing the thermostat do?

even the manual says only 40% antifreeze at most.

it opens up to much more free flowing (ever notice how small an amount of fluid is actually allowed through even with a thermostat open?)


in w2w racing, antifreeze isn't even allowed so distilled water and water wetter is how everyone on-track does it (along with no thermostat)

BTW: I do NOT have that under tray on my SM any more (and it did a 10 hour enduro like that before I even bought the car!)

+1 on the Hood extractor. Do this
https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...ght=carbontrix

<-- has one for sale.

I noticed a difference during freeway driving by adding/removing this alone...

http://tinyurl.com/3xjuabj

Your SM doesn't show these symptoms because it has a much bigger problem; it suffers from never-ending turbo lag :giggle:

When going to refill the system with water, remember it will take several fills and drains to get a good amount of the antifreeze out (I think we did a fill and drain 4x to get it all out of the system)

I'm going through the same issues on the street only when the AC is turned on.

1. Run a 90/10 mixture water/antifreeze (or water wetter)
2. Add the coolant reroute
3. Duct everything from the front bumper to the radiator (this is my next step to see if it helps)

it was 102*F out at lunch. i was running the a/c and my coolant temps didnt get over 202*F in stop and go traffic. ha.

remove the thermostat and see how much cooler you run (I hope you have a REAL water temp gauge installed btw)

removing the thermostat does nothing. unless it's stuck closed.

I already told you what to do in email, and that was to make ducting to force air through the heat exchangers.
http://www.pitstopusa.com/SearchResu...ategoryID=2749

Right now ISC racing has the best water reroute on the market if you can't make your own, like a man. You have to call them though because their website sucks my ass...and feel free to send me their rear swaybar as a service fee. Any reroute you buy from anyone else will have shitty adapters, external thermostat housings, and crappy rubber hose with a spring in it. The ISC one is all metal and all man, and I know you have a thing for men in general. You don't have to deal with 4' of rubber hose to weather and fail in a couple years.

I built my own out of necessity because I demand reliability first and foremost. I bet Abe could make a copy of mine if you're interested. He's about to convert mine to hardpipes.

I thought a shop was going to "move the intercooler" in a failed attempt to make it cool?