Cooling Issues!!!

[tonycharger72]

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on helping me keep my Zed cool!!!

 

I have an RB30ET engine, t3/t4 top mount and custom forward facing plenum,

 

I have stuffed both the radiator and intercooler in the engine bay, got the idea of some bloke with an RB26 powered zed, mine looks very similar,

 

There is almost no clearance between the radiator and the intercooler,

 

My intercooler is a 3" thick and is 600mm (wide) x 300mm (tall),

 

My Radiator is out of a Holden Rodeo, 3.2L V6 4x4 ute type of thing, its core diemensions are 635mm (wide) x 440mm (tall) x 35mm (thickness), it has an aluminium core with plastic end tanks,

 

Its a touch larger and thicker than the Jags that Run radiator,

 

I have tried using the following alternatives to keep my car cool,

 

Cheap 16" thermo fan without a shroud - really sh#t,

Spal 16" thermo fan with curved blades (2200 cfm one) with a shroud - just kept the car cool when at speed and when stopped engine started to go past 90deg celcius,

Stock RB30 engine fan without a shroud - this was the best alternative so far, keeps the car at the correct temp, but if you sit and idle for long periods or get stuck in traffic, starts to overheat,

Stock RB30 engine fan with a shroud - was better of without the shroud!!! car starts to overheat pretty quickly even at speed!!!

 

 

Why is my setup not keeping the engine cool???

 

Anybody got any ideas?

 

Is the intercooler and radiator to close?

Is the intercooler blocking the radiator air-flow to much?

Would a thicker radiator work better?

 

Any suggestions would be great, starting to get sick of making shrouds!!!

[NickandM 72 240Z]

If you aren't getting enough airflow through the radiator it won't matter how think it is, also the vl commy's used to overheat due to airpockets not being able to "bleed" out into the radiator because they mounted them lower.

Could be a stuffed thermostat, water pump or blocked radiator.

Also another thing to remember is that too much anti boil/freeze isn't good either, it doesn't disperse heat as well as water does.

If you've run any "stop leak" through it and havn't filled the cooling system with ONLY water that stuff will also mix with the anti boil/freeze and create blockages.

Hope some of that helps, I only mention these things because they have happened to me.

 

Cheers Nick

[NickandM 72 240Z]

Think was meant to be read as thick

[tonycharger72]

There is a bleeder valve on top of the intake plenum for the RB30's - this is the highpoint for the RB30 cooling system, thats how to get all the air out,

 

Dosent help me much though, I have a custom forward facing plenum without this little bleeder valve attached ,

 

Before I put the turbo on I installed the intercooler, even at that point when the engine was still N/A it was really struggling to keep cool,

 

Like you said in your first paragraph, I think im blocking the air flow to much by stuffing the intercooler bang-smack in-front of the radiator,

 

Probably going to have to move it,

[240Zed]

Just throwing ideas out there:

 

Would twin thermo fans be better than one large one?

 

Some vents in the bonnet to let the hot air out.

 

What condition is the water pump in? is it as old as the engine or have you put a new one in?

 

Maybe one of those davies craig electic water pumps might help?

http://www.daviescraig.com.au/main/display.asp?pid=47

[Pop N Wood]

When does it overheat, while driving or sitting still?

[z_cars_rule]

have you boxed off the front of the car so any air HAS to go thru the IC + rad? if not the air will just go through any hole it can find with less restriction.

[tonycharger72]

Q:have you boxed off the front of the car so any air HAS to go thru the IC + rad? if not the air will just go through any hole it can find with less restriction.

 

A: Yes, the intercooler DID sit right in front of the radiator, but i moved it outta the way - i kept the radiator in the same position and moved the intercooler to just behind the front spoiler, forward approx 170mm and down 150mm,

 

I installed the Spall 16" thermo fan (moves around 2000cfm) and it just barely kept it cool, pretty much had to run it continuously even when at speed,

 

I then installed the engine fan (with no shroud) and drove it around then let it sit and idle for about 40mins, didnt go above 82deg Cel approx,

 

This is a good start , however I live in Canberra and when i did this little test it wouldnt have been more than 5deg outside, dont know what it will be like when the temp hits 40deg (which it can hit in summer),

 

Q: When does it overheat, while driving or sitting still?

 

At the moment its pretty much staying put at 82deg with the engine fan, if i run the thermo fan it really struggles to stay at 82deg and as soon as i stop the temp starts to rise,

 

 

I would really heaps prefer to run a thermo fan instead of the Engine fan though, so much easier to install and surround with a shroud - making a shroud to fit my engine fan and radiator has been interesting so far....................

 

Might have to spend up big and purchase one of those thermo fans that moves 3000cfm of air,

 

But before then, i will replace the thermo-stat and the water-pump, both are at least 2 years old and probably arent what they used to be,

[Careless]

When I took the thermostat and waterpump out of my RB30, I had a mini-stroke.

 

so much damned rust and calcium deposits, that I actually had to pry my thermostat out.

 

Hopefully when I get it back it's clean as a bean!