Fan switch "On" while lapping?
04-17-2010, 07:21 PM
#1
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Fan switch "On" while lapping?
I have had a fan switch, 180F thermostat and Water Wetter lying around for 9 months for my C6 Z06 and I'm finally getting around to installing them. I am running to hot (oil 260F-300F) on some of the Calf. tracks and I'll be running at Buttonwillow in a several weeks which is notoriously hot(even in May).
My question is does controlling the fan with the switch really help when you are at speed on the track or does it only help when you are in the pits? For those of you that have a switch, do you leave it on for the duration while you are lapping? How much did it help you?
I'm hoping that the Water Wetter will be good for about 10degF. I'm not counting on any lower temps with the thermostat.
John
My question is does controlling the fan with the switch really help when you are at speed on the track or does it only help when you are in the pits? For those of you that have a switch, do you leave it on for the duration while you are lapping? How much did it help you?
I'm hoping that the Water Wetter will be good for about 10degF. I'm not counting on any lower temps with the thermostat.
John
04-17-2010, 08:23 PM
#2
i doubt it will make any difference on the track, you are already pushing a lot more air through the radiator on the straights than any fan would. the fan's primary function is moving the air through when you are idling/moving through slow traffic- so it may help you cool the car back down in the pits.
watter wetter may drop your temps a little (don't expect anything significant, I got about 3-5 degrees "improvement").
if you have quite a few miles on the car, the best bang for the buck would be pulling the radiator out and pressure washing out the stuff that's clogging the "cells" - on my C5 this was worth about 10 degrees and put a stop to boiling the coolant as I pull off the track.
if you only see 300 degrees occasionally I would not worry too much. If you get to those temps on every hot day/session, time for bigger radiator and oil cooler.
watter wetter may drop your temps a little (don't expect anything significant, I got about 3-5 degrees "improvement").
if you have quite a few miles on the car, the best bang for the buck would be pulling the radiator out and pressure washing out the stuff that's clogging the "cells" - on my C5 this was worth about 10 degrees and put a stop to boiling the coolant as I pull off the track.
if you only see 300 degrees occasionally I would not worry too much. If you get to those temps on every hot day/session, time for bigger radiator and oil cooler.
04-18-2010, 09:47 AM
#3
Team Owner
i doubt it will make any difference on the track, you are already pushing a lot more air through the radiator on the straights than any fan would. the fan's primary function is moving the air through when you are idling/moving through slow traffic- so it may help you cool the car back down in the pits.
watter wetter may drop your temps a little (don't expect anything significant, I got about 3-5 degrees "improvement").
if you have quite a few miles on the car, the best bang for the buck would be pulling the radiator out and pressure washing out the stuff that's clogging the "cells" - on my C5 this was worth about 10 degrees and put a stop to boiling the coolant as I pull off the track.
if you only see 300 degrees occasionally I would not worry too much. If you get to those temps on every hot day/session, time for bigger radiator and oil cooler.
watter wetter may drop your temps a little (don't expect anything significant, I got about 3-5 degrees "improvement").
if you have quite a few miles on the car, the best bang for the buck would be pulling the radiator out and pressure washing out the stuff that's clogging the "cells" - on my C5 this was worth about 10 degrees and put a stop to boiling the coolant as I pull off the track.
if you only see 300 degrees occasionally I would not worry too much. If you get to those temps on every hot day/session, time for bigger radiator and oil cooler.
The 180 stat will do nothing but just open at 180; once open you will have the same coolant flow rate as the stock stat. Cleaning the radiator and the A/C condensor will be a big help. Airflow at speed will be much higher than the fans can achieve.Oil temps in the 260-300 range won't be a problem with synthetics. But a larger oil cooler will help especially if the ambient air temps are high.
Some people have good luck with Water Wetter, but I have also heard that it really is effective for just a few degrees and has a failry limited life, maybe 6 months or so before it loses its ability to help cool. You might try flushing the antifreeze mix out and run straight distilled water with a couple bottle of Water Wetter.
At the end of each session, you should be getting at least one cool-down lap. That will bring fluid temps down to a normal range and when you get back in the pits, let the engine idle for a couple minutes and raise the hood between sessions.
