Radiator air deflector... Pics?

[forcefed86]

Read a few threads on this. Wondering if it's better off to just seal all the space between the IC and the radiator. (seems this would be sending air that was already heated into the rad. core) or to mount a scoop of sorts below the radiator directing fresh cool air up into the core.

Also instead of hacking up a hood for ventilation, could you shim the rear of the hood slightly and remove the weather strip seal on the aft portion of the hood? This would allow heat to escape and not cost much.

Any success stories with either method? Pictures of install?

Also wouldn't using foam to insulate between the two be a bad idea? I'm just thinking when the foam gets wet it would hold moisture and cause corrosion issues.

Thanks.

 

[Mizzat508]

I have no experience, but i think the foam would be a bad idea. Also, i think blocking the air between the intercooler and rad would be counter productive. Again I have no experience.

I have been thinking about cutting some vents in my hood, but I do feel it would be a better idea not to cut it up. I would think the shim idea could work...but again, i'd like to hear some success stories. Also, i believe there is a plastic piece under the rad that catches air coming through the front bumper.

Pics please because I have been thinking about doing some of the same mods.

 

[Yamahaulin]

I made an air dam to bolt on to the bottom of the core support so that it scoops air up to the radiator and behind the fmic so that radiator is getting fresh air not already heated air. Very simple to do with some sheet metal. If you need i can get you some pictures.

 

[forcefed86]

I made an air dam to bolt on to the bottom of the core support so that it scoops air up to the radiator and behind the fmic so that radiator is getting fresh air not already heated air. Very simple to do with some sheet metal. If you need i can get you some pictures.

Pics would be great. I'll poost up some of the pics of what I did as well. Temperatures dropped a good 20* here so I don't know if it helped much.

 

[Yamahaulin]

Back with the pictures. I don't remember the exact number but with the cooling system like this I dropped quite a bit.

 

[DSM_PWR]

Got any pics with the front bumper on?

 

[Yamahaulin]

Here they are. Hope this helps you guys out some. I will be wrapping my exhaust manifold with DEI Titanium Exhaust wrap to complete my cooling upgrades.

 

[fullCircle]

Nice air dam... My question/concern would be that while the air dam is providing the radiator with fresh air... it would also be creating a high pressure point on the backside of the intercooler thus reducing the cooling efficiency of the intercooler. believe me, I'm not knocking what you have come up with just curious if that high pressure point affects HP's out on the road. i don't see it causing much of an issue on the dyno.

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

My concern with a scoop like that would be the negative aerodynamic effects. I could see lower engine temps but also lower 1/4 mile times. Depends on your goals I guess.

 

[Yamahaulin]

Well i have 2 gm iat sensors i'm about to install on either side of the intercooler i'll understand more if it is having a negative side effect to the inter cooler not effieciently cooling.

 

[jjrock5]

I predict a nice speed bump yanking the hell out of that scoop in one clean shot.

 

[fullCircle]

I predict a nice speed bump yanking the hell out of that scoop in one clean shot.

That was the other concern i had, either way it still looks very well done.

 

[estoyaqui30]

I like that, except for the speed bump thing! I'm always scraping the bottom of the front bumper cover. I was thinking about trying to make some sort of ducting from where the side mount IC used to be.... has anybody tried that already? I really need to find a way to get the under hood/water temps down. I'm running a FP race manifold with a FP-3052 and between the all of the exposed exhaust piping there is sooo much radiated heat.

 

[Yamahaulin]

I have 5 and a half inches ground clearance. So far not scraping on speed bumps around here.

 

[Thomas91169]

you want to block any air from flowing through the FMIC and escaping before flowing through the radiator, you want to force air to move through both units and into the engine bay. Any gap between the two will let air escape and go around the radiator and not through. The incoming air being pushed through the fmic with the speed of the car will help push that air through the radiator as well, but if theres gaps, it will just take the path of least resistance and go around.

any openings or ducting between will introduce a pressure variance, and possibly would stop air from coming through the FMIC completely. A set of slimline puller/pushers set between the FMIC and Radiator will also help alleviate any pressure variance and keep air moving through the FMIC and into the radiator at a stoplight.

ultimately the best thing you can do is shitcan your stock (and likely worn out) radiator for a new OEM or an aftermarket, install pusher/pullers between the FMIC and Radiator to have airflow at stops, and to use waterwetter to increase the heat-transfer efficiency of the radiator. The problem is a bunch of people are fighting uphill battles with heat due to old and inefficient radiators. The older they get, the more gunked up they are and the less efficient they are at transferring that heat out of the coolant.

another idea, as shown by yamahaulin's pics, is the wasted area above the FMIC that sits level with a good upper 1/4 portion of the Radiator. A set of openings in the bumper to allow more air to enter (as well as air not being heated by the FMIC) would also help.