HPDE3 Report: 2g Talon with cooling mods

[awdfun]

My first event of 2009 went well. I made the transition to DE3 for this event and I'm really glad I did because speeds are much higher and there wasn't near the traffic issues there were with DE2. I could actually drive hard for the entire session without catching up to a long line of traffic. It was great!

This is also the first time I didn't drive my car to the track. A buddy offered to loan me his car trailer so I figured why not. My stock tranny hasn't been shifting real nicely, and it has two years of track days and autocrosses on it...so I took him up on the offer and loaded the car up.

Prior to this event, I was having cooling issues. Even with the heat on and both fans clicked on with DSMLink, I was hitting something over 230 degrees only half way into the 20 minute sessions. And being Phoenix, AZ, it was a bit warm out to start with. So I splurged and bought a Koyo radiator. Well, that turned out to be a bunch more work than anticipated. The Koyo was a full inch thicker than my old radiator which meant my 16g j-pipe didn't fit behind the radiator fans anymore.

Thinking it would be a better fix, I decided to turn the compressor housing ~160 degrees and make a downfiring 16g setup. I never was fond of running IC piping an inch from the FP exhaust manifold, so why not, right? TRE sent me a few pics of work they did years ago, so I had somewhat of an idea of what needed to be done. Attached is a pic of how we welded up the wastegate posts, and the final setup with intercooler piping.

All done, right? No...the J-pipe was eliminated but the main radiator fan wouldn't clear the wastegate. Well, that meant I was going to have to get some aftermarket fans that would fit, and quickly, because the event was just over a week away at that point.

I ordered two 12" puller SPAL's from RRE. One of the thin ones (1230 CFM) and one thicker one (1360 CFM). They fit quite well, and I had decent clearance with each fan mounted. See the attached pic with the fans bolted to the Koyo. For anyone that hasn't mounted fans with brackets, it took me a LONG time to make all 8 brackets, bent at the right angle, and with the correct distance between the mounting holes. I wasn't going to chance the little zip tie mounting system with all the miles (hard miles) I put on this car.

All done, right? No...The A/C side fan (the smaller of the two) was practically touching the lower heat shield by the wastegate flapper arm. So I tossed the oem radiator brackets and fabbed up new ones that tilted the radiator a bit over 1/2" closer to that front frame support bar. And finally, everything fit under the hood without contact where there wasn't supposed to be!

Of course I still had to wire them, build a heat shield for my exhaust manifold, and a few other things prior to the track day, but I was 90% there!

 

[awdfun]

Or so I thought

I wasn't sure if the stock wiring would support the current pull of the new fans, so I wired up two relays and had to figure out a place to mount them. Turns out there is a neat little place just below the fuse box that works pretty well.
(look just behind the K&N in the first pic for the distro block and relays)

I ran the signal switch for the main fan to both signal wires from the oem harness. That way the ECU still controls it (plus I can alter when it comes on with DSMLink).
For the second fan I wired a switch to the center console / dash area so I could turn it on or off at will, regardless of ignition switch position. I never really felt great about leaving the key in the ignition with the fans on after autocrossing or track day sessions.
The second pic is the aluminum angle iron I found in a scrap bin, and then a pic of the "blue switch" mounted next to my wideband display (where the radio used to be).
After a quick test of the wiring, all was well and I was ready to hit the next project.

As most know, the FP exhaust manifold leaves lots to be desired from a heat shielding point of view. I ordered mine ceramic coated. It may have helped a few degrees, but it sure wasn't going to cut it for much other than moderate street use. I had been running the header wrap on it previously, but that put out a heck of alot of heat as well. So I was determined to make my own heat shield - especially since the stock shields don't necessarily cover the turbine housing and wastegate area all that well either.
(Plus, after quick research on DSM fires, I'd say 3 out of 5 were from the dipstick popping out and oil igniting on the exhaust manifold. Having a header wrap material that absorbs oil there didn't make a whole lot of sense...)

Using tag board, scissors and tape, I cut and shaped and taped and cut until I was happy with my design. It wasn't all that bad to cut the sheet metal with a tin snips, bend it in the right locations, and drill a few holes to bolt it together. It was my first time fabbing something out of sheet metal, so go easy on me. And although it aint purrdy - let me tell you it works better than anything I've tried yet!

After getting the car back together and taking it for a few test drives, I felt it was ready for the rapidly approaching event. So I registered for DE3 and packed up the truck

 

[awdfun]

That's a decent summary of the cooling mods...I'll jump to the event.

Session 1:
I was able to get the lead instructor which was awesome. I ran two laps to warm up and he gave me a few pointers on lines and where to go deeper or turn in quicker. We got the green flag and off I went after a really nice white GTR in front of me. Half a lap into it we get a yellow flag, and two corners later a red flag. Someone hit a wall on lap #3 of our first session. We sat on the track at a stop the rest of our 17 minutes. Talk about a LONG download session

Session 2:
Finally, we get a full session - and it was a few minutes longer too!
Things were going great the first few laps as I push the car harder and harder to a comfortable, yet challenging pace. I was over driving a few corners a bit, and coming in too wide and slow in a few corners still, but my instructor commented on how smooth and alert to other drivers I was. Until my check engine light came on

I figured at this point I have a trailer, I've been to four events and had cooling problems at all of them, and I have a Koyo and huge fans turning all the time. I was pissed. I said F-it, I'm just going to drive the car and see how hot it gets.

It got hot. Hot enough to fill my coolant overflow bottle, and get 80% of the way to the top of the stock temp gauge. I'd guess 230-235 but didn't have a laptop in the car. But it never blew, ran pretty good actually.
This download session was much better, and I was cleared to take a passenger with me.

Waiting for my 3rd session, I was awefully mad with such high coolant temps and all that work I put into the car. So I started looking at how I could get more air to the radiator. Cut a big hole in the bumper, right? So I lowered my previous vents (next to the eagle symbol) and cut the "mail slot" in the bumper. Turned out half decent for being pissed off and armed with a razor blade... As you can see in the pic, it wasn't perfectly straight but it should help!

So I sit in the car, flip the fan on to see how much air it sucks out of the modified front bumper vents. Wait...flip the fan off. Flip it on. And off. The frickin fan didn't work! 30 minutes later I narrowed it down to the frickin $7 NAPA switch that quit sending a 12 v signal to the relay. So my second session was probably without a second fan. Well, now I have front bumper vents and a signal wire bolted directly to the battery terminal (then close the hood, start the car, drive up to grid, and sit there with the fan spinnin away...)

Session 3:
My girlfriend has been awefully understanding of me at this point. All *spring* (edited per the GF's request, not just a week prior...) I was in the garage, and now instead of smiling and having fun I was pissed off. What a saint to deal with me that day! But I told her to grab a helmet and we were going to have some fun this time. And have fun we did!
We lined up about mid pack. With each lap, I clicked up the pace. One car at a time I was slowly working my way through the pack. I kept asking my girlfriend if she was ok, if she was comfortable, and she just knodded. I figured she had to piss really bad or something the way she was squirming around in the seat, but she said she was fine so I clicked off a few more laps and upped the pace. And a few more laps and upped the pace. I kept looking from apex to coolant gauge to braking zone.
And for the VERY FIRST TIME I ran the entire 20 minute session without getting over 225 degree coolant temps! That may not sound great, but it was so rewarding to finally drive a full session and not have to pit or let 5 guys pass you as you take a cooldown lap. I couldn't believe it. I drove hard, and harder, and harder yet and the temps stuck between 220 and 225. Finally, progress!

So after the session I give my girlfriend a big hug and thank her for putting up with me...
I was smiling ear to ear so she was finally relieved that I wasn't ready to go postal on the world. I asked her if she had fun, and she gave me a pretty interesting look. Apparently she wasn't ready for the transition from the NASCAR oval to the infield track. She said something like "So we are going 110 mph with the wall 6" from my right shoulder. Half a second later we end up with the infield wall 6" from your side of the car, and I didn't have a clue where we were going!". Yup, that probly woulda scared the crap out of me too.

Session 4:
Much like session 3, I hardwire the relay signal for the second fan and head to grid. I was talking with a few other drivers on grid, just hoping with the Phoenix heat (now at 97 degrees ambient, 12x degrees on track) that the car would behave again. We get the 2 minute signal so I hop in and get buckled up, and made sure my girlfriend was buckled up nice and tight again.
Still watching my coolant gauge after each corner, I started working on hitting the lines that the instructors were helping me with. And with each lap, I realized my brakes had been absolutely incredible all day. One by one I reel in a car, setup a pass, and wait for a point by. (Since I had a passenger, the track officials said they would be watching me, so I figured I oughtta be nice to make sure I keep my passenger priveleges...)

Well we finally setup a pass on a blue WRX, and we got the checkered flag a few corners from the pass. I about jumped out of my seat when my girlfriend starts yelling. I was trying to figure out what happened for her to be yelling when I realize she is saying "You WON! You WON!". I was like WTF?
Well, she was paying attention to the line up on grid and I had passed everyone in front of me, including a brand new Z06 vette and a Nissan GTR. I never paid attention...I just wanted my car to run right, and remember my lines. I was having so much fun I didn't care where I was in the pack, my car wasn't overheating!!


This is a video that one of the guys took that was parked by me in the pits. A huge thanks to him as it is my only track video so far. The camera is on his trunk pointing backwards - definately cool footage.
YouTube - Talon HPDE
It's also my first attempt at making a video, as I trimmed his original 15 minutes down to 2 minutes. Lemme know what you think - I could use some pointers!

So from here I have three or four months of local autocrosses to hit up, then most likely more track events this fall. Looking forward to my first Time Attack entry...along with bigger bumper vents, hood vents, and maybe even some race tires?

 

[BoostFrenzy]

Very nice track writeup. I have a suspicion that your HUGE front mount may be the cause of the overheating issue. Just a guess . I foresee a carbontrix hood vent in your near future.

Good luck with your next events!

 

[awdfun]

Thanks BoostFrenzy! I'm sure my temp issues have *nothing* to do with the size of that intercooler. Or the A/C.

I still enjoy road trips to Mexico, California, Colorado, etc. There are so many incredible roads and amazing scenery out there, I'm just not ready to get rid of the FMIC and A/C quite yet. For example, the attached pic I took on Sunday at an elevation just shy of 10,000 feet. Passengers sure enjoy A/C after a decent hike at elevation, and I sure enjoy the boost I can run on the way there!

I still a few things I want to try before the removal of the A/C or FMIC.
-open up the bumper vents for more airflow into radiator.
-hood venting for hot air out of radiator/engine bay.
-hood vent for only the exhaust mani/turbine housing heat (separate from engine/radiator vents).
-Front air dam/splitter to help reduce airflow under the front bumper and increse flow through bumper.

And thanks to those patient enough to wait for this website to load. It is getting awefully slow and twice failed to post my reply.

 

[snowborder714]

Great write up! It's great to see you got your problems worked out. Hopefully next outing will prove to be even more fun and a lot less problematic!

Are you still running with the stock seats/seat belts? If so, how do you feel about them? When I autox'd last summer, I felt like I was all over the place in them.

I can't wait to get out on the track - hopefully the end of June!


BTW, have fun emptying the Koyo if you typically drain from the radiator

 

[awdfun]

Yep, still on stock seats and belts. They suck. Even my girlfriend wants me to get new ones.

I rarely use the drain on radiators. I have a big tub that I put under the lower radiator hose and just disconnect it there. Way faster!

 

[BoostFrenzy]

And I forgot, CLEAN looking Talon! Love the Evo 9's on it.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Nice write up.
I'll be attending my first HPDE on the 30th of May at Thunderhill in Willows, CA.
I'm very nervous about coolant temps, so I'm trying to get as many cooling
mods as I can before I have to resort to cutting holes in my bumper and hood.
Eventually I'll pick up a Vented Carbon Fiber Hood unless I find a way to
make the OEM hood vented without the funny looking vents that I've seen
on other DSM OEM Hoods.

I just picked up a set of Evo IX rims with about 80% tire left on them.
Plan to burn those up at the track events and then get some R-Comps.
I designed some ducting between the FMIC and A/C Core and also devised a
way to seal around the Radiator to Core Support so all the air that goes in
thru the FMIC will get ducted thru the radiator.
I plan on installing the ducting this weekend.
I have an Evo III Oil Filter Housing that will be installed.
This will eliminate the POS Water Cooled Oil Cooler and allow me to run an
Air Cooled Oil Cooler.
Just waiting on the Oil Cooler and -8AN Hardware.
The Oil Cooler should help lower coolant temps by at least 10%, I've read
reports as high as 20%, but if I get temps in check by 10%, I'll be happy.
What do you run for your Brake Set-up?
For now, until I can afford the TCE Big Brake Kit, on the street I run
Porterfield R4-S Brake Pads with Power Slot Rotors, (rotors came with the car when I bought it),
but on the track RRE told me to run a front set of Napa Rotors ($70/pair) and R4-E's Pads $220 shipped for rotors and pads.
Already have Braided Lines and Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid.

You need to fill out your mod list so we can see what you got and where we
measure up for track events based off of your mods.

Do you have suspension mods?
I've got Tein Flex CO's
RMDSM Sways
Complete Prothane Bushings
New Inner & Outer Tie Rod Ends

Keep up the good work, and keep us posted

 

[awdfun]

Thanks guys!

Strm Trpr - Good luck at your first event! Run that IX wheel/tire setup in as many events as you can. As for brakes, I destroyed a set of R-4S pads with my old (big AEM rotor) setup. The R-4S pads were good enough for my very first track event, but barely. I then went to R-4E's and loved them. After my AEM rotors started cracking from the abuse (at all the cross drilling holes) I upgraded to my Wilwood/TCE kit. It's the 13x1.1 rotor with the upgraded 6 piston front calipers (BSL6n) and so far I absolutely love them.

I think R-4E's and decent rotors will give you enough brake on street tires in your first few events with propper brake use. Depending on speeds, track temps, car weight, etc, you'll have to decide from there what the next step will be. A few brake ducts may keep you happy for years.

To keep your coolant temps down, watch the distance between you and the car in front of you, pull your front license plate if it blocks airflow, and hope that external oil cooler helps a bunch (got the basics like a 16 psi rad cap and a low coolant concentration?) I usually turn the boost down and richen it up just to be safe, but this last time I let ECMLink v3 do it's job running slightly modified EVO8 timing and fuel maps. I can't say enough about v3!
And use as little throttle as possible. Obvious, right? But if you concentrate on propper braking, getting the apex right, and carrying as much momentum as possible, you don't have to mash the throttle to produce a decent lap time. Much easier said than done...

For the rest of my mods, my other build/writeup thread should have most of that.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/road-course-autocross/311795-summer-racing-my-2g-talon.html
I'll try and update my mod list soon though so it is easier to compare. Here is the quick list on suspension:
JIC FLT-A2 Muellerized coilovers
poly suspension bushings
SPC upper front arms
RMDSM sway bars
Basically all new suspension arms/ball joints and wheel bearings as well.
My alignment settings are in the other thread. I did have a bit of understeer with my new set of RE-01Rs at the last event, so I hope to go a bit more aggressive with everything before the next event.

 

[tsiboosted]

Great write up awdfun....Glad to see you got out on track and improved on all your runs. Having a supportive girlfriend helps out too Mine is 100% behind me and my racing. I do still believe your front mount contributes to your cooling issues. I have seen guys in the past (Collier) have the same issues and have either gone back to a sidemount setup or tried a "V" mount setup. I know with talking to him, the sidemount was the only consistant setup he coould find. I use the Dejon big side mount intercooler in my setup and my temps never get over 185 degrees. Even in the middle of the summer in the south which is very hot.

Like someone mentioned already. You may want to look into the RRE hood vents to get some of the hot air out of the engine bay as well. You may want to think about wiring the fans up to one switch to where you can flip them on anytime you want to get away from DSM link having to kick them on. Also, on the switches....Get some good quality ones from Pegasus. Pictured below are the ones I use and get the job done very well. Only $4.99 a peice. They will more than handle what you may want to do here.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You said you were having some understeer issues as well....Try raising the ride height on your coilovers about .5 - 1" in the rear and see if that helps. Do you have the RM sway bar in the front as well? If so, next time you are at the track. Try disconnecting the front bar to see if that helps as well. Could try raising the rear tire pressure too. Maybe by as much as 3 psi higher than the front to force the car to rotate through the turns. Just some things to consider is all.

 

[awdfun]

Thanks tsiboosted, I'm always open to another brain!

I was actually looking at aircraft switches very similar to the Pegasus ones. I'm not a fan of the slide on spade type connections, so I'll be ordering a few threaded contact type switches.

When do you run your fans?
At my last event I had both on 100% of the time. But two different race drivers suggested I turn them off after my warm up lap as they may be a restriction. My guess is the way the car is currently set up, I just don't have enough high pressure air openings in front of the car to get the mass air flow I need through the radiator for adequate heat transfer. And even if I did, there isn't decent escape route for the hot air, so all that pressure will now sit in front of the block/turbo instead of in front of the radiator. So right now I have to force the issue by pulling fresh air with large fans and to hell with the passive flow.

But if I was to open up the front bumper vents enough, and figure out a hood vent with enough surface area, maybe at that point I'll have enough airflow at speed to the point where the fans may become a restriction? Just thinking out loud here...

 

[tsiboosted]

I hear you on the slide on terminals. I did not sue slide on terminals, I soldered my wires to the terminals on the switch. I only run my fans when I am sitting on grid....After that, I get enough air to my radiator where I do not need them once I am running. Now maybe in the summer months, I kck them on just as a mental thing you know?

Yeah, getting the air to the radiator is a must...But as you said, the hot air needs an escape route other wise. Its just hot air banging around under the hood and that is not a good thing. If you are getting to the 230 temp range, that could become an issue. You still running 2 bottles of Water Wetter and the rest water or some other combination? I always flush my coolant system before every event as well. Fresh wetter and fresh water are a must when at the track.

The hood vent will have to help get the hit air out from the engine bay. I would probably go that route first. Even if you wanted to try and shim your hood and raise it up slightly near the windsheild, that could lead to something. Just a quick and easy test to see if it would allow the hot air to escape a little better. Just use some washers under the bolts where the hood hinges are to lift the hood slightly out of where it sits now. Nothing drastic, say 1/2 inch or so would make a good testting point. It may look strange when you first do it, but its jsut a test before you go cutting holes into your hood you know?

 

[TSiAWD666]

I'd agree with the speculation that running your fans during driving is doing nothing and perhaps a detriment. I'd be interested to hear you results of testing this, though you seem convinced otherwise.

Here are some suggestions that I've used to help with my cooling, but I haven't yet gone to an hpde to verify the results:

- Hood latch removed (replaced with hood pins) allowing for a radiator shroud plate rather than a hole for the air to escape.
- Intercooler to Radiator ducting. I just have some metal plates bent/cut/shaped that are mounted to the car to direct airflow from the intercooler's backside to the radiator. The idea was to make sure air is forced towards the radiator rather than allowed all around the sides. The bottom piece screws into the bumper's lower metal reinforcement.
- Foam padding between the radiator and the support. Prevents air from escaping into those gaps. Used pipe insulation with a sticky edge, cut in half. Makes getting the radiator bolted in a slight bi*** heh.

JM Fabrications makes a heat shield for the fp race manifold if you ever get tired of yours, but yours looks great.

 

[awdfun]

Actually, the windshield/hood junction is a high pressure area. Raising the back of the hood will only push air into the engine bay, not help to vent it.

Besides, my stock hood is not in very good shape...so I'm more than happy to experiment with it.

At the last event I did not run water wetter, it was a last minute crunch to get the car together and I wasn't going to drive 20 minutes out of my way just for that. I did run a ~90/10 mix of water to coolant though, I'm sure that helped vs. my old mix that was good to zero degrees. Now that it stays above freezing at night I'm not worried about it.

I just wish there was a safe stretch of road to do testing on this stuff! My coolant temps are never an issue unless I've been working my brakes hard enough to get my wheels too hot to touch. Road trips, spirited canyon driving, and autocrossing just doesn't stress the car enough.

 

[tsiboosted]

I like the idea of removing the latch assembly for hood pins. That is on my list to do as well very soon. Then as you said, you can fab a shroud over the radiator to keep the air flowing towards the radiator area instead of escaping around it. The fans do help some when temps are high on track as he is getting. Although, I dont think his issue has to do with the fans themselves being restrictive....I think he has an issue of hot air not being able to escape the engine bay causing the motor to run under very high temps. 230 degrees to me is too hot for the engine. He has not seen any issues as of yet, but running for an extended time that high is not good for the engine. It needs to be at leats 30 35 degrees cooler than what he is getting to now at only 10 minutes on the track.

How much of the AC & Heating stuff do you still have in the car? When all of mine came out, it dropped the temps by over 10 degrees. I know you still drive it on the street so this may not be a good option for you. Just curious was all.

 

[tsiboosted]

Actually, the windshield/hood junction is a high pressure area. Raising the back of the hood will only push air into the engine bay, not help to vent it.

Besides, my stock hood is not in very good shape...so I'm more than happy to experiment with it.

At the last event I did not run water wetter, it was a last minute crunch to get the car together and I wasn't going to drive 20 minutes out of my way just for that. I did run a ~90/10 mix of water to coolant though, I'm sure that helped vs. my old mix that was good to zero degrees. Now that it stays above freezing at night I'm not worried about it.

I just wish there was a safe stretch of road to do testing on this stuff! My coolant temps are never an issue unless I've been working my brakes hard enough to get my wheels too hot to touch. Road trips, spirited canyon driving, and autocrossing just doesn't stress the car enough.

Gotcha there....But on track you are getting to 230 degrees right ? Just on the track? Yeah, when I come off the track my brakes are "literally" smoking. Especially on high speed tracks where we are getting to 130+ mph and braking hard.

I do still believe that some of these issues are related to your front mount. But since you dont care too much about the hood now....Maybe getting the RRE hood vent; or one like it, is the best option for you right now. And maybe going to hood pins instead of the factory latch system. So that way more air can get to the radiator. There is a thread on here from around a year or so ago talking about making a shroud and ducting air to the radiator. But it would take some searching to find it.

 

[snowborder714]

This thread?
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/turbo-system-tech/245981-fmic-ducting.html

 

[tsiboosted]

Yes sir, thats the one there. He did a nice job of making that in my opinion. Maybe trying something like that would help on these issues as well. Just some more thoughts is all

Heres a few shots from his thread....But check out and read the whole thread. Its pretty good on how he did it. And it worked out well for him with his front mount setup.

 

[Strm Trpr]

<------ Will be doing ^^^ this weekend.
I plan on putting a lid on it to funnel the air thru the A/C Core and finally thru the Rad.
But after looking at those pics again, maybe I won't, we'll see.
I'll also have a log of before and after temps to post up.

 

[dieselsdad]

The front mount IS the major cause of cooling issues for most. Remember all the talk about not needing all that throttle? Same goes for that intercooler. You would be surprised how well duct tape works for sealing EVERY single hole, nook or cranny that air can get through. SEAL IT UP. My dedicated racecar runs the stock rad and one fan and while now only used for sprints, used to do enduros back when it was a pro car.

 

[BoostFrenzy]

What about an external oil cooler? From looking at your picture of the front end, it looks as if there may be some room left to add in a small oil cooler core. You'll just have to find an Evo3 OFH.

My thinking is that with an external oil cooler, then you can either cap off or reroute the coolant lines going to and form the stock water cooled OFH. Then the coolant just has to cool off the block. And then the external oil cooler will be cooling off the oil that is supplied to the turbo and the engine internals. At least that's my plan. A good Radiator, an oil cooler and a hood vent and your bumper cutouts should be superb at keeping temps in check on track even with the A/C core still in use. I plan on nixing the A/C and keeping my bumper somewhat uncut.

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

Boost Frenzy, thats the setup I did and my temps hover around 190-200 degrees on track. After a long session, it might creep up to 210. A lot better than the 230+ it would spike to and I would have to bring it down. I think if I NACA duct my intake with a box, and create ducting for the radiator I will not have a problem at all with coolant temps. I also just heatwrapped my manifold and plans for heatwrapping the turbo, 02 housing and downpipe when I switch to my new turbo setup.

A surprising (to me at the time, but its kind of obvious) was when I used tape to block off my fog lights holes, and the holes under the headlights, my temperatures came down a few degrees. And I definitely noticed when they blew off cause my temps would come up again. Therefore I bought 386-customs carbon fiber overlays on the fog lights to block that area, and I plan on doing some bodywork up front to reduce any body gap.

-FMIC
-RRE Carbon Trix Large Vent
-External Oil Cooler
-Blocked coolant lines to oil cooler
-Aluminum Radiator
-Stock A/C Fan always on
-Sealed radiator to support
-Bottom seal on FMIC

 

[awdfun]

I do think my fans may be a restriction at speed now. Friday night I rewired both fans to come on with the main fan signal from the ECU, instead of leaving both fans running all the time.

My coolant temps were ~4 degrees cooler than usual this way. And that was even running my A/C since it was over 90 degrees outside. I'll have to look at the control specs on the 2g fans, but it looked like anything over 50 mph and the fans would turn off.

I still need more airflow though...driving to a wedding Saturday I was running around 220 degree coolant temps with the A/C on driving 20-30 mph behind traffic. Fresh air is a huge benefit!

 

[BoostFrenzy]

Very good to hear Don. Happen to remember ambiant temperature that day? One of the problems that both awdfun and I face is that our local road courses are all in the middle of some kind of dessert. So both track and ambiant temperatures can be 100+