I'm not convinced that my KE Laser isn't running too hot?!?

TheyDontWantMus · 02-02-2013, 10:14 PM

I've measured over 100 degrees on the top radiator hose, on a 30ish degree day.... I don't know what would happen on a 40 degree day!

Its running a large 52mm thick alloy radiator, with a modified suzuki swift fan, also has a high flow thermostat.

I'm wondering if the intercooler, and aircon fans are restricting flow too much, plus the AC condensor, if maybe the thicker radiator is just too thick, and/or the high flow thermostat is flowing coolant too fast...

OR! if there's something else I should consider... or maybe the temperatures are fine...

graham7773 · 03-02-2013, 11:23 PM

Stupid question time. In the Suzuki, were the fans mounted in front of the radiator? Have you checked for correct rotation? You have a high flow thermostat, what temperature does it open at? My car is not a performance model but I am using an 82 degree thermo and never have any heating problems.

graham7773 · 04-02-2013, 11:59 PM

By the way, are you running good quality coolant/corrosion inhibitor? Nulon long life comes to mind. If you use a 50/50 mix with demineralised or distilled water, the boiling point of your water will go up to 128 degrees Celsius. My thinking is that performance engines need something like that. Btw, I could not edit my last post. That radiator, while looking good, looks way too small. My Telstar radiator is 50% wider than that.

TheyDontWantMus · 05-02-2013, 07:32 PM

knew there was something I was meant to reply to :p

its an 82 degree thermostat, fan air direction is correct...

I've driven it about half an hour the past few days, and just left the fans constantly on, and it seems ok like this.

Its Tectaloy 60 plus, but it should be noted, that although the higher concentration of ethylene glycol in coolant, the higher the boiling point, it also conducts heat worse... Its also the pressure that raises the boiling point ;)

Its the largest width/height radiator the car was made with, but twice as thick as stock.

burnz · 05-02-2013, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheyDontWantMus

I've measured over 100 degrees on the top radiator hose, on a 30ish degree day.... I don't know what would happen on a 40 degree day!

Its running a large 52mm thick alloy radiator, with a modified suzuki swift fan, also has a high flow thermostat.

I'm wondering if the intercooler, and aircon fans are restricting flow too much, plus the AC condensor, if maybe the thicker radiator is just too thick, and/or the high flow thermostat is flowing coolant too fast...

OR! if there's something else I should consider... or maybe the temperatures are fine...

image

have i missed something? sounds normal.

all engines become effient at above 100*C..

you should measure the temp of the lower radiator hose, to make shure your rad/fan combo will work on 40+* days..

TheyDontWantMus · 05-02-2013, 08:19 PM

Its barely dropping 15 degrees across the radiator from memory.

I've got a decent coolant temperature gauge on the way, so I'll be able to keep an eye on things.

graham7773 · 06-02-2013, 10:50 AM

"the higher the boiling point, it also conducts heat worse... Its also the pressure that raises the boiling point ;)" Low air pressure is why you cannot make a a decent cup of tea on Mount Everest, Boiling point of water drops markedly.

)
Been playing with engines for 50 years so aware of the effect of pressure on boiling point. Glycol ie coolant, was used @ 100% in the Rolls Royce Merlin 12 cylinder engines fitted to Spitfires and Lancaster bombers, among others and conducted heat very well. Is there something in todays mix that has reduced the thermal efficiency of the coolants available?

TheyDontWantMus · 06-02-2013, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham7773

Is there something in todays mix that has reduced the thermal efficiency of the coolants available?

The ethylene glycol

Its great where you live in freezing temps though.

graham7773 · 07-02-2013, 07:05 PM

TheyDontWantMus

"The ethylene glycol

) Its great where you live in freezing temps though."

I suppose it does get a little nippy at 21000 feet where the Lancasters spent a lot of time and the Mk 1X Spitfires would have been even cooler at 41000 feet.

TheyDontWantMus · 08-02-2013, 10:38 PM

I temporarily fitted the new temperature gauge today...

At one point, while sitting in traffic, the temp got to just over 100 degrees, but with normal driving it sat around 95...

I'm really not sure what temperature these engines are meant to run at, it has an 82 degree thermostat, and the engine fan comes on at 92 degrees...

TheyDontWantMus · 01-03-2013, 06:55 PM

I don't think the radiator fan can really keep up...

on another note!

Laser will randomly go rich at idle, blip the throttle, and it goes back to stoich, only to revert back to rich 20-30 seconds later...

O2 sensor output to the ECU is from the MTX-L wideband, so its all good (no stock 02 sensor, but the issue was still there when using it)
TPS is just a switch, but seems to work as it should, and is adjusted correctly.

I tried shorting out/open circuiting the TPS, as its just a switch, but couldn't get the issue to reoccur.

The "stoich" AFR doesn't look like closed loop mode to me...

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1892/wtfmate.png

This was another log, where you can see the AFR cycling between slightly rich and slightly lean, till I unplugged the O2 sensor, and it went super rich, only to revert back to somewhere on the middle ;)

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7...0214200721.jpg