Do most of us need radiators more than we thought?

Methodical4u · 11-02-2011, 03:07 PM

I was looking around last night and bored and came across an interesting article on engine cooling and such.

I will just post what I found which is here Engine Cooling | Coolant Performance | Radiator Additive

For those who don't want to go through several pages of reading however, it says

"This means that heat load to the cooling system at rated power (Usually expressed in BTUs per minute) is approximately equal to the rated power of the engine expressed in BTUs per minute (HP X 42.4 = BTU/minute). From this we can see that if an engine is modified to increase its horsepower, the load to the cooling system will also increase. In fact, the heat load to the cooling system will increase by about the same percentage as the increase in engine horsepower. So, if we increase the engine horsepower by 20 percent, we can expect an increase of about 20 percent in the heat load to the cooling system."

In a nutshell, a lot of the power we are gaining through mods, we are losing through engine head... we all certainly know already how hot the oil gets in these things, every little bit could help right?

red6spd · 11-02-2011, 03:32 PM

If I was to go FI I would deff get a better cooling system. As for normal boltons I think we are good.

Jordo! · 11-02-2011, 03:54 PM

Unless you are overheating, leave it be -- and you shouldn't be with a stock or lightly modded set up.

Overly cool thermostats/extra big radiators can keep the car in warm up mode longer, which isn't desirable.

Extra oil cooling is more of an issue, and even that is generally not a major concern for most people.

Red__Zed · 11-02-2011, 04:00 PM

Z's rad can dump way more heat than it will deal with unless you block airflow

christian370z · 11-02-2011, 05:11 PM

The water temperature on the Z is actually pretty good, even with full bolt ons in track conditions. Concentrating on oil coolers is much more beneficial, however one concern I have about the new OEM water cooled oil cooler on the 2012 Zs is that water temps will be negatively affected in extreme conditions.

DJ-of-E · 11-02-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

So, if we increase the engine horsepower by 20 percent, we can expect an increase of about 20 percent in the heat load to the cooling system."

You have to remember this is a general sense. Not all radiators and engines are designed equal. This makes some sense, but general heat rises up exponentially due to engine bay design (increase 100% in power = 200% heat rise, use intercooler). On the new Celicas, even if you double the HP, you do not need an intercooler because of large mouth gap plus angled radiator setup. On the Z, the stock radiator is very beefy, but still not enough to cool the oil :shrug:

_ace_ · 11-06-2011, 12:25 PM

Generally speaking, the car should have been designed with some margin, meaning the capacity of the cooling system should exceed the max heat the car will produce by some engineered factor. So the first XX% power increase will be free as the radiator will have some spare capacity.

Of course, the oil cooler shouldn't be necessary either, so...

11-02-2011, 03:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Methodical4u A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,393 Drives: 11 370 6mt pw w/sp Rep Power: 16	Do most of us need radiators more than we thought? I was looking around last night and bored and came across an interesting article on engine cooling and such. I will just post what I found which is here Engine Cooling \| Coolant Performance \| Radiator Additive For those who don't want to go through several pages of reading however, it says "This means that heat load to the cooling system at rated power (Usually expressed in BTUs per minute) is approximately equal to the rated power of the engine expressed in BTUs per minute (HP X 42.4 = BTU/minute). From this we can see that if an engine is modified to increase its horsepower, the load to the cooling system will also increase. In fact, the heat load to the cooling system will increase by about the same percentage as the increase in engine horsepower. So, if we increase the engine horsepower by 20 percent, we can expect an increase of about 20 percent in the heat load to the cooling system." In a nutshell, a lot of the power we are gaining through mods, we are losing through engine head... we all certainly know already how hot the oil gets in these things, every little bit could help right?

11-02-2011, 03:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
red6spd A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 3,277 Drives: 2010 Z Coupe M6 SPT Rep Power: 21	If I was to go FI I would deff get a better cooling system. As for normal boltons I think we are good. __________________ 2010 Base+Sport 6spd: Stillen G3, FI Non-Resonated CBE, FI Non-Resonated Test Pipes, UpRev Tuned, Custom 24R Oil Cooler, JDM Rear Fog-OEM Harness. ???Whp ???WTQ (Will find out come spring time)

11-02-2011, 03:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jordo! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: nirvana Posts: 6,394 Drives: 2023 NATM Rep Power: 418	Unless you are overheating, leave it be -- and you shouldn't be with a stock or lightly modded set up. Overly cool thermostats/extra big radiators can keep the car in warm up mode longer, which isn't desirable. Extra oil cooling is more of an issue, and even that is generally not a major concern for most people. __________________ Enjoy it. Destroy it.

11-02-2011, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
christian370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Newport Beach Posts: 3,900 Drives: 2010 370Z/Saab 900se Rep Power: 432	The water temperature on the Z is actually pretty good, even with full bolt ons in track conditions. Concentrating on oil coolers is much more beneficial, however one concern I have about the new OEM water cooled oil cooler on the 2012 Zs is that water temps will be negatively affected in extreme conditions. __________________ -320whp / 259wftlbs- SP Rays -- RE-11s -- SpecialtyZ Tune -- Swift Springs -- Stillen 25R Oil Cooler -- Stillen G3 Intakes -- Berk HFCs -- F.I. 12" CBE -- Stillen Sway Bars -- Es14 Spring -- INGS+1 lip -- CF Spoiler -- GTR Start Button -- VLED Parking Lights -- PWJDM V2 shift knob

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11-02-2011, 04:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 120	Z's rad can dump way more heat than it will deal with unless you block airflow

11-06-2011, 12:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
_ace_ Base Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: USA Posts: 140 Drives: 370Z Rep Power: 14	Generally speaking, the car should have been designed with some margin, meaning the capacity of the cooling system should exceed the max heat the car will produce by some engineered factor. So the first XX% power increase will be free as the radiator will have some spare capacity. Of course, the oil cooler shouldn't be necessary either, so...