Iceing the intake with gel pack test.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 9,946
Likes: 39
From: South Carolina
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Iceing the intake with gel pack test.
Just to test the theory of cooling the intake, I went ahead and tried it out.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. The bottom of the manifold was 170 degrees. The time from putting on to checking was half an hour.
I used a Raytek laser temp gun.
If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. The bottom of the manifold was 170 degrees. The time from putting on to checking was half an hour.
I used a Raytek laser temp gun.
If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 264
Likes: 1
From: La Grande Oregon
Originally Posted by steve40th
Just to test the theory of cooling the intake, I went ahead and tried it out.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. The bottom of the manifold was 170 degrees. The time from putting on to checking was half an hour.
I used a Raytek laser temp gun.
If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. The bottom of the manifold was 170 degrees. The time from putting on to checking was half an hour.
I used a Raytek laser temp gun.
If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 4
From: Hinckley Ohio
Originally Posted by steve40th
Just to test the theory of cooling the intake, I went ahead and tried it out.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. ..............If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
I put frozen gel packs on top of a wet rag on the intake and the temp of the top of the manifold, LT1, went from 175 (drove around for a half an hour, engine temp 185, oil 200), to 125, and gel packs are still frozen, well slushy. ..............If there is any other thing to check while doing this little experiment, other than track (thats next week), let me know and I will try.
For me personally it is BS since it is not practical for the street!!!!!
Not flaming track performance, but this is a good example of the sometimes huge difference in what a car does at the track, but doesn't relate at all to street performance......
Old question...is a car with an iced manifold bone stock....opinions vary
Looking forward to your track results
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Originally Posted by Mr Dave
Drive around in FL heat and heavy traffic with a 180 thermostat and there is a substantial benefit in going to the 160 thermostat. No BS involved.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Heat transfer from the intake manifold to the air passing through it is very low and most of the transfer only occurs where the air is close to the metal, the, "wetted surface". Air is a very poor conductor of heat so using ice to cool the intake manifold doesn't cool the air passing through it very much. I would expect larger variations in successive runs than between runs with and without the ice.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,510
Likes: 4
From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by rick lambert
Iceing the intake is as old as dino poop-it really works, whereas going with a 160 thermo is 
. Try dry ice-BUT wear friggin gloves-like heavy rubber ones 
. Try dry ice-BUT wear friggin gloves-like heavy rubber ones 
packing your intake with cold dino poop may not smell too good but the result is cooler intake air, which is denser air, which is more combustable air in the cylinder....Does Poop-Boys carry this stuff?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 1
From: Cincinnati Oh
true, but it also depends on the fan efficiency, etc.
A lower T-stat just requires MORE time to warm up to operating temperatures, since coolant is flowing through the radiator "sooner" than a 180* T-stat would... but we're talking minutes here, and once the car heats up then it all comes down to the efficiency of the coolant system (fan, rad, coolant mixture, etc).
One of the bigger drawbacks to a 160* T-Stat is that with long-distance interstate travelling in cooler weather, the coolant temp will dip well below 180-190 degrees and become detrimental to overall engine efficiency.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,510
Likes: 4
From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by jfb
Bullcrap!!!!!!!! The 160 stat will be wide open just like your 180 stat and your coolant temp will settle at the temperature where the radiator gets rid of heat as fast as the engine makes it which is above 180 F.
why do people still think a lower temp t-stat == cooler running engine??
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
Romanstud, keep in mind that Steve has a LT1 which is reverse flow. A 160 tstat acts like a 180 in a L98 due to this. (this is why the factory t-stat is 180 and not 195 on the LT1) Also, I myself, Mackey, Mr Mojo, and several others have seen that staging the car in the 160 or a little less makes more power then 180-200 range. This has been proven time and time again. Now I wont argue wear or emissions by running cooler, but power it does help.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 9,946
Likes: 39
From: South Carolina
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Originally Posted by LT4BUD
The whole problem with icing the intake is that it is for track only.....as you observed the ice is already melted in just 30 minutes or so......so if you want to artifically go fast at the track it is a tried and proven technique....but not very effective at the unforseen need for performance on the street...
For me personally it is BS since it is not practical for the street!!!!!
Not flaming track performance, but this is a good example of the sometimes huge difference in what a car does at the track, but doesn't relate at all to street performance......
Old question...is a car with an iced manifold bone stock....opinions vary
Looking forward to your track results
For me personally it is BS since it is not practical for the street!!!!!
Not flaming track performance, but this is a good example of the sometimes huge difference in what a car does at the track, but doesn't relate at all to street performance......
Old question...is a car with an iced manifold bone stock....opinions vary
Looking forward to your track results
Modifications are what people do to make there cars wuicker. If this works, then a cold air system would be viable, even tough ours are VERY limited to very few availablefor C4's.
Track will be Friday, depending on Weather , Oahu Hawaii (DA averages around 1200, yes at sea level, 88% Humidity, 29.9 Bar)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,695
Likes: 0
From: Chicago Illinois
Originally Posted by 93 ragtop
Romanstud, keep in mind that Steve has a LT1 which is reverse flow. A 160 tstat acts like a 180 in a L98 due to this. (this is why the factory t-stat is 180 and not 195 on the LT1) Also, I myself, Mackey, Mr Mojo, and several others have seen that staging the car in the 160 or a little less makes more power then 180-200 range. This has been proven time and time again. Now I wont argue wear or emissions by running cooler, but power it does help.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Originally Posted by MikeC4
why do people still think a lower temp t-stat == cooler running engine??
What a thermostat doesn't affect is the coolant temp during periods of extended idle when there's no airflow past the radiator. Temps will continue to climb until the fans turn on.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,510
Likes: 4
From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by 96GS#007
Lemme see..... I run a 160* thermostat. During the summer months (90*+ temps) the coolant temp during highway cruising is always in the mid 70s with 176* typical. With the OEM thermostat it was mid 190s. In my book, a 20* drop is a difference and I'm pretty sure that 176* is cooler than 19x degrees. I could be mistaken....
What a thermostat doesn't affect is the coolant temp during periods of extended idle when there's no airflow past the radiator. Temps will continue to climb until the fans turn on.
What a thermostat doesn't affect is the coolant temp during periods of extended idle when there's no airflow past the radiator. Temps will continue to climb until the fans turn on.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
An iced intake would still be considered stock because your not actually adding anything onto the car physically, its nothing more than a temperature change. If it were a performance radiator or water pump, then thats not stock.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Originally Posted by MikeC4
Wow! well i'll de dipped in dino poop! Yes, 176* is cooler than 19x*. But if you take a 160* and a 180* t-stat, drop them in a pot of boiling water(212*), they will both be in full "open" position, and allow the same amount of coolant flow......you may have another variable assisting in your cooler running engine....but what do I know....
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 1
From: Tomahawk WI
Drive around in FL heat and heavy traffic with a 180 thermostat and there is a substantial benefit in going to the 160 thermostat. No BS involved.
It will take a longer time to get to temp because the stat opens sooner but it simply will not run cooler. The temp of the stat has zero influence in the sustained operating temp.
I know a little bit about hot weather.