Adis

I've got the standard front-mount centri SC intercooler airflow restriction issue, so I just installed a Dewitts dual fan rad to help with my coolant temps. With the new rad and outside temps 90* if i drive like a grandma it's steady at 215-220, but it takes about 10 minutes of spirited driving before i'm hitting 235+ and my AC turns off. Although I've got the SC and headers making my engine compartment nice and hot, I'm convinced that I've got enough radiator to keep the coolant temps low enough to not have the AC shut off, even driving hard. I think it's just an airflow issue. So my next project is to mod the set up to get more air flowing across the rad. here are some ideas:

install a separate trans oil cooler (currently it's in the rad)

install a separate engine oil cooler (lower engine temps-less cooling needed by coolant)

move the rad aft to get more space between it and the intercooler

take out the fog lights and duct air from the opening to the sides of the rad.

move the air dam back so that it is deflecting air up to the rad

raise the air filter/sc inlet tube so it doesn't hang in front of the rad

cut out the underside of the front fascia in front of the intercooler

cut out (as much as possible) whatever is blocking the small central fascia scoop

fab some really good shrouds

any suggestions/criticisms are welcome. i'm not really sure what the optimum set up is for getting max cooling out of this rad, but i'm certain that with the intercooler/condenser/rad all stacked one in front of the other, it's not happening in my car. also i basically don't have any shrouds around the rad now, what are some basic shrouding principles to get started making an efficient shroud system?

I've got a 160 tstat, and the fans are coming on full at 180 (i think). thanks for any suggestions.

Motorhead-47

Question: You have a 2010 Grand Sport MN6 car with dry sump correct? What did you do with the Z06 size engine oil cooler that was up front? Is it still there or ?????

Adis

Correct. If you are talking about the long cooler that sits aft of the rad - I don't have one. The only cooler there is a puny PS fluid cooler. AFAIK it never had one, since I don't think removing the EO cooler is part of the SC install process. . I've always wondered how the EO gets cooled in this system...

Motorhead-47

The 2010 Grand Sport MN6 coupe with the dry sump engine got the Z06 air-to-oil cooler. It is mounted just forward of the AC condensor.

So either...

a. Your installer removed it and that isn't the issue. He could have either blocked off the fitting above the oil filter or used a Dewitts which has an internal engine oil cooler. You could confirm this by seeing if you have oil line fittings on the DRIVER'S SIDE of the radiator. They would look the same as your transmission cooler lines on the passenger side.

b. Your car shipped with the fluid-to-fluid LS9 oil cooler but doubtful

c. It is still in there and you have a stack up of supercharger air-to-air intercooler, oil cooler, AC condensor, radiator and then power steering cooler. Possible

Z06 oil cooler which went in the 2010 GS MN6 Coupe. Notice it does not sit aft of the radiator as you mentioned but rather is forward of the AC condensor...

TSLAVette

Motorhead, somebody took the front of your car!!!

Slwsvt

You don't have any shrouds now? Meaning you took off the air deflector set up? Little confused. During my build of my set up for whatever reason the shop left off the front air deflectors. When I put a new one on it dropped temps 20 degrees. Night and day difference.

06z06_427

The 2010 up z06s have the new water to oil coolers mounted on the side of the block like ls9 setup. Do the GS have this also?

BadAV

It won't get you where you need to be, but how about starting out with one of the simplest things you can do - Water Wetter in the coolant. It works; I run it in the coolant on the Avalanche and in the Magnacharger intercooler.

Motorhead-47

My buddy's 2010 GS has the air-to-oil cooler up front.

Adis

Thanks for all the replies guys.

No there is no EO cooler. When I bought and installed the Dewitts I just got the one with the TO cooler to fit the existing set up. So, yes, either the car shipped without one, it was taken off during the SC install, or someone snuck into my garage and stole it. Again, I don't think that the ECS install involves removing the EO cooler (...Doug?) So I'm inclined to think that it never had one. I don't see anything that looks like a oil-to-water exchanger mounted anywhere either. Where exactly would it be if it was there?

As far as shrouds go, I've still got the air dam, but the modifications for the SC set up leave a big gap (see photo) which allows air coming up from the dam to flow under the rad.

I have the ECS shroud covering the top of the IC/con/rad but with the Dewitts in there it doesn't seal up on the back side (the dewitts is shorter and deeper than the stock rad.) So air can flow over the top of the rad (see photo)

Other than that, all the stock shroud bits were removed and there is nothing on the sides of the rad to keep air from going around.

Again, I don't really know anything about airflow through the fascia, past the various air-to-whatever exchangers, and into the engine bay. But it seems to me that if I spend a little time optimizing the flow that exists, it should have a noticeable effect. Especially given that the IC, condenser, and rad only have about 0.5" to 0.75" between each of them.

Water wetter is definitely in the plan.

Motorhead-47

LS9 style oil cooler ties in directly above the oil filter and the water lines go into the block via a threaded freeze plug and the other end of the water line goes to a "T" in the upper radiator hose.

Slwsvt

I saw the photo. Your problem is your missing that deflector that directs the air thru the front of the radiator, in turn where your fans will pull the air thru. Fix that problem and your temps will change big time. I had the same problem due to the incompetent shop leaving it off for no reason.

AU N EGL

did you try cleaning the radiator out ?

air hose to blow the dirt, sand and dead micky ds bags out of the fins?

You might be suppressed how much chit gets in the fins

8850

Not only make sure all is clean but also no bent fins on the radiator, evaporator or coolers. Easy to get some bent with the installation of a supercharger.

Adis

OK, I see part of what's going on. The SC installer 1.) removed the front fascia extension which is a shroud bolted to the inside of the front fascia that directs air on the lower side of the fascia opening leading to the rad, 2.) trimmed off the top of the air lower deflector (the part which seals to the bottom of the rad.) So I definitely need to seal up the space between air deflector and radiator.

Again, I think this confirms the fact that I need to really optimize airflow to the rad. Correct me if this is not right, but what I need to do is ensure that whatever air possible that I can have flowing either through the fascia, or from underneath the car, needs to be directed through the various heat exchangers. With no possible way to sneak around, over, or under. Anybody ever DIY a rad shroud? What materials are best? (I can't do fiberglass.) Can I buy sheet plastic and cut, heat form/glue/weld? Suggestions?

Also, how is air flow optimized: high pressure to low. Meaning should I keep the inlets small to ensure that there is flow in the direction I want? For example, If I were to cut out a big chunk of the lower side of the front fascia (where my wrist is in this photo), will that get more air up to the heat exchangers, or would it actually make the airflow from under the car less efficient, buy equalizing the pressure?

Similarly, If I make ducts from the fog light housings do I need to ensure that the geometry is such that the inlet is smaller than the outlet to ensure flow in the direction that I want?

The radiator is brand new, I installed it last week. I did a thorough cleaning of the condenser and IC when I reinstalled them. The car only has 2300 miles on it anyway. Thanks again for your replies.

WHITE_SHARK

subscribed!

I have Centri setup SC and Dewitts radiators and dual fans... sill suffering from the heat! car is overheating quickly in stop and go traffic..

I you can manage to solve this!

Slwsvt

I went thru the same problem you are having. Just listen like I said in my previous post, lol and go to the GM dealer and buy a new air deflector. It will bolt straight in and cover the area that your hand is going thru the opening. That bar is where the air deflector bolts to. You will see a big drop in temps with that deflector on there.

Adis

Will do SLWSVT. If you saw 20* drops then that is a good start. Do you still get temps over 235* when you are running the engine hard? My goal is to be able to have the engine cooling system under this threshold in all but the most extreme conditions. What I mean is, in stop and go traffic on a hot day with little airflow, will only shrouding the rad keep my temps low? Traffic where I live is horrible and I drive aggressively pretty much all the time to get through it. I want my car to be able to handle it. Right now, in summer heat, a short drive across town, with me fighting to get through traffic, gets me over 235* Having an engine cooling system that simply keeps the engine from overheating in 20 minute track session bursts, or through several runs at the test and tune, isn't acceptable. I want to be able to run the car, with AC in hot city traffic without having to worry about the AC shutting down.

I'm still wondering if my car had an oil cooler from the factory...?

Slwsvt

I ran the car real hard late Sunday afternoon with temps in the low 90s. I had a couple of pulls thru 5th gear and temps hit 220, but cooled right back down. Obviously when stopped the air deflector is doing nothing. But I would say over 15-20mph it is adding plenty of air. I can cruise at freeway speeds with the AC on in 95-100 degree temps and run about 207 temps. Without the air deflector it was in the 225 range and I had to turn off the AC. Good luck. Very interested to hear your results.