General Miata Chat A place to talk about anything Miata

Throttlebody Coolant Bypass

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-11-2009, 03:42 PM
  #1  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
 
pdexta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 2,949
Total Cats: 182
Default Throttlebody Coolant Bypass

One of my friends was telling me that he did a throttlebody bypass on his MSM. Apparently the coolant runs throught the throttlebody to prevent it from freezing in severe cold weather. According to him by rerouting the coolant to bypass the throttlebody you're able to keep intake temps cooler. I tried searching for people doing that but wasn't able to find anything.

Given that I live in south Florida where it never freezes, and even if it did freeze I hate cold weather and my car has no top, no windows, and no heater so it certainly won't be leaving the garage if it's under 50 degrees, are there any drawback to doing the reroute? Is the coolant serving any other purpose than warming up air going into the motor?
pdexta is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:00 PM
  #2  
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
hustler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Default

do it.
hustler is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:21 PM
  #3  
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
 
Braineack's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,493
Total Cats: 4,080
Default

what's colder: 190-210°F coolant temps or 40-120°F ambient temps?

Braineack is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:27 PM
  #4  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
 
pdexta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 2,949
Total Cats: 182
Default

[QUOTE=Braineack;380467]what's colder: 190-210°F coolant temps or 40-120°F ambient temps?

So uhh, I did the math and it appears the ambient temps would be cooler.

Is 190-210 the coolant temps we're supposed to be running? Whoops. I gotta do something about the begi reroute!
pdexta is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:28 PM
  #5  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

More specifically though, what is the easiest way to bypass this system? Just run the line that would normally go into the peice under the throttle body to wherever the out from the air valve on the manifold goes?
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:28 PM
  #6  
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
 
Braineack's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,493
Total Cats: 4,080
Default

and really the coolant only passes through the idle valve...
Braineack is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:33 PM
  #7  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

Originally Posted by pdexta
what's colder: 190-210°F coolant temps or 40-120°F ambient temps?

So uhh, I did the math and it appears the ambient temps would be cooler.

Is 190-210 the coolant temps we're supposed to be running? Whoops. I gotta do something about the begi reroute!
After careful calculations I came to the same conclusion.

190-210 is high for a car with a nicely done collant system. Don't sweat it. I never hit 200 unless I forget to turn my fans on in stop and go traffic.
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:37 PM
  #8  
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
 
Braineack's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,493
Total Cats: 4,080
Default

Even if I had the most efficient cooling system in the world, I'd still want to operate the motor somewhere between 190-200°F
Braineack is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 04:57 PM
  #9  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

:shrug: I idle during the day at about 185 (180* thremostat) and doing repeated pulls on the highway get up to maybe 195* - all according to MS reading the stock sensor. My aftermarket water temp gauge who's sensor is in the upper radiator hose sees lower temps as that's right after cooling in the rad. At night, cruising/idling is just about flat 180*.. this is with just a larger koyo alum. rad and both fans on switches in the cabin so I can run one or both on demand.
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 05:03 PM
  #10  
Elite Member
iTrader: (33)
 
RotorNutFD3S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Newnan, GA
Posts: 2,518
Total Cats: 30
Default

Originally Posted by ThePass
My aftermarket water temp gauge who's sensor is in the upper radiator hose sees lower temps as that's right after cooling in the rad. At night, cruising/idling is just about flat 180*..
Upper radiator hose is the return from the engine to the radiator. Coolant flows in to the engine from the radiator via the lower radiator hose.
RotorNutFD3S is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 05:09 PM
  #11  
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
hustler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Default

190-200* ftw!
hustler is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 05:14 PM
  #12  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

You are right I am wrong... not sure why I was thinking the flow was backwards. Anyways, having that sensor after the thermostat means it doesn't read until the water gets up to temp and then the thermostat opens, so if ever the thermostat was stuck, I'd know immediately b/c the stock gauge would be reading and the aftermarket one would not.
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 06:53 PM
  #13  
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
 
Savington's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,099
Default

One 11" spal and a big radiator kept my motor at 194-197 with no reroute. Reroute, one Spal and a 180 degree thermostat and I'm at 184-187.
Savington is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 08:52 PM
  #14  
Elite Member
iTrader: (22)
 
Rafa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sunny Spanish speaking Non US Caribbean
Posts: 3,224
Total Cats: 3
Default

Originally Posted by pdexta
One of my friends was telling me that he did a throttlebody bypass on his MSM. Apparently the coolant runs throught the throttlebody to prevent it from freezing in severe cold weather. According to him by rerouting the coolant to bypass the throttlebody you're able to keep intake temps cooler. I tried searching for people doing that but wasn't able to find anything.

Given that I live in south Florida where it never freezes, and even if it did freeze I hate cold weather and my car has no top, no windows, and no heater so it certainly won't be leaving the garage if it's under 50 degrees, are there any drawback to doing the reroute? Is the coolant serving any other purpose than warming up air going into the motor?

Forgive my dumb question but; what did your friend do with the coolant line he was bypassing?
Rafa is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 09:02 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
therieldeal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Northeastern CT
Posts: 547
Total Cats: 2
Default

i was told that the coolant flowing through the ISC valve is actually to cool it. so... cutting off the coolant flow could cause it to burn out.
therieldeal is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 09:11 PM
  #16  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
 
pdexta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 2,949
Total Cats: 182
Default

Originally Posted by Rafa
Forgive my dumb question but; what did your friend do with the coolant line he was bypassing?
There is one line going in the throttle body and one coming out. Unhook both of them and connect the lines. I did it when I got home from work today, took about 10 minutes and everything seems to be working fine, so apparently it works.
pdexta is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 09:16 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
iTrader: (8)
 
turbobluemiata's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Springfield, IL
Posts: 1,012
Total Cats: 0
Default

pics?
turbobluemiata is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 09:18 PM
  #18  
Elite Member
iTrader: (22)
 
Rafa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sunny Spanish speaking Non US Caribbean
Posts: 3,224
Total Cats: 3
Default

Originally Posted by pdexta
There is one line going in the throttle body and one coming out. Unhook both of them and connect the lines. I did it when I got home from work today, took about 10 minutes and everything seems to be working fine, so apparently it works.
Thanks.

+1 on pics whenever you can.
Rafa is offline  
Old 03-11-2009, 10:23 PM
  #19  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
 
pdexta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 2,949
Total Cats: 182
Default

Man, I can't help but feel like you guys are all just mocking me, telling me to do some dumb **** that no one in their right mind would do, then when I actually say that I do it you ask for pictures so you can take the mockery to a whole new level, and eventually it spreads all over the internet... I really hope I'm not "that guy", sigh...

I tried to take some pics, but it's hard to get a shot of. It's really one of those things that when you look at it, it's very very simple.



In the pic you can see the inlet on the throttle body and the hoses bypassing the throttle body. The outlet on the throttle body is behind the inlet (can't be seen in the pic). If you look at it on your car, it should be pretty self explanatory I think.
pdexta is offline  
Old 03-12-2009, 06:32 AM
  #20  
Elite Member
iTrader: (22)
 
Rafa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sunny Spanish speaking Non US Caribbean
Posts: 3,224
Total Cats: 3
Default

Hey pdexta; thanks for the pics and...I'm in no position to mock anyone when it comes to things mechanical
Rafa is offline  


Quick Reply: Throttlebody Coolant Bypass



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:15 PM.