Dirty Howie

Maybe you should clamp it and reduce you coolant temps. You were running 235* or so right? Lots of air has to be getting by !!


DH

Dirty Howie

Update:

Brought the car in today. I am getting a new A/C condenser. So that should help air flow. But thats not why they are replacing it. So I still have to see what they can determine if anything thats causing high temps . Hopefully they will do or find something. Otherwise I will install the new oil cooler I got and blow out the radiator fins and go with more water and water wetter.

What ever gets done will be tested in 3 weeks at the same track and probably very similar temps


DH

Minkster

Mine is the same. Don't believe this would cause a cooling issue.

Still going to Paradise?

Dirty Howie

Thanks for checking Rich

Yes and the car is there right now. I complained that my AC was not coming on HOT sometimes and that my AC condenser seemed bowed and not straight. So they are fixing some AC/VENT motor door and going to give me a new AC condenser. So I will have new condenser and next saturday will be having a local mechanic in Newbury Park installing a new oil cooler. So I will have unrestricted air to the radiator. I'm not too sure Paradise will/can do anything about the radiator (will find out tomorrow). If not I already ordered the 24 inch air nozzle gun with 90* bend to blow as much crap as possible out of the radiator. I will also lower my coolant to 20-30% with some Water Wetter and take it back to ACS on 9/17. If it still runs hot then I must have a bad radiator or water pump (unless you have other ideas)

I am also going to order the 3 piece air damn cause mine has been scraped down a little over 84 miles and the pieces don't even hook up correctly. So even if it has no possible effect on air flow to the radiator it must be slowing me down and giving me lift at 130mph thru the Roval


DH

Minkster

The primary heat exchanger for the engine is the radiator. If you're overheating, it's not working either due to low air flow or low coolant flow, so you're on the right track. My bet would be the radiator being clogged up with debris based on the number of track days you have done on so many different tracks. If the water pump were bad, I think you would see cooling inefficiency at all engine and vehicle speeds since coolant flow would be affected. Restricted air flow through the radiator would be more evident with vehicle speed, what you're experiencing.

When you get it back, take a pin light and shine it through the radiator (when it's dark is best) and see how much light is present on the other side. If that doesn't look good, I would take someone else’s suggestion and spray the radiator with degreaser, let it sit and rinse it out with water, followed with blowing it out. My $.02.

By the way, I'm in VA on my annual visit. Drove the Z here for the 5th time . I think most of the miles I have put on the car are going back and forth across the country.

Good luck and I'll be following your predicament.

:cheers

2k Cobra

Didn't read the whole thread, but if not already mentioned, I would check the thermostat while you are working on the car. If it isn't opening all the way it will cause big problems.

Good luck, 2k

Dirty Howie

Would this happen only on track or during normal operation as well?


DH

Minkster

All the time.

Dirty Howie

Update:

Picking up car from dealer. They found nothing wrong with the cooling system. They cleaned out the radiator fins a little when they replaced the AC condenser but they didn't remove the radiator or use any chemical so I will check this. They said the radiator looked okay. So maybe the oil cooler and condenser were so plugged the radiator just wasn't getting enough air flow.

Next week I am installing the new oil cooler and dropping some coolant and adding some water wetter. I will blow out the radiator fins at that time, possibly using some engine cleaner too.

9/17 it will be put to the test on the track and I will update again.


DH

Dirty Howie

UPDATE:

Well I am happy to report that my coolant temps were down to what is probably normal (I never used to check them). With 77* ambient the highest I saw was 221* and it was around 212 to 216 when ambients were 66* My oil was also lower in the 265-270* level.

What I had done:

1. found and fixed the radiator shroud which was not sealing in the front allowing air to divert into the engine bay. Actually discovered this by noticing the lower part of my air filter was stained by moisture passing thru the front grill and over the shroud which was sagging in the front

2. had the AC condenser replaced (thanks GM) so that was flowing back to new

3. replaced my oil cooler which had bent/clogged fins

4. blew out the fins of the radiator.

5. dropped my coolant down to about 20-25% with can of WaterWetter

6. replaced the side air dam pieces that were worn down. The middle piece was not worn

So I plan regular maintenance now to keep this from happening again. I have 85K miles. So maybe every 20K miles or so.

Thanks to everyone who gave advise


DH

Hercules Rockefeller

How can your temperatures be this low? Aren't you running a thermostat?

TS Motorsport

Howie you can also purchase a coolant fan switch to manually turn the fans on. Do you run a cooler thermostat? I always use DEI radiator releief it works better than water wetter. Drops temps by as much as 20 degrees.

Dirty Howie

Rob

You know all too well that they could not possibly be that low. I corrected my post.

But I was very happy with the result.

Did you see I did a 1:51.62 on my used street tires If I put a set of Hoosiers on you might be in trouble


DH

Dirty Howie

Never hear of this stuff. Do you have a link??


DH