Cooling System Issues

[badhairdave]

nah defo not trapped air in there.. have bled it properly til no bubbles coming out the bleed screw.

nothings changed either,.. and the problem has got worse over last few events so something is up

Get the gas test done on the coolant to confirm HG. It's the easiest way to rule it out.

With the problem getting progressively worse it seems pretty likely.

Running E85 is probably helping to keep your temps down as well....

Probably wouldn't hurt to under drive the water pump either.

Edited March 7, 2011 by badhairdave

[ssxRicho]

I've had similar issues in the past with cheap radiators. My first one clogged up with shit and did the same as what you are describing.

Take the rad out, put a garden hose on one end and let it rip. If it flows fast, you have other problems, if it doesn't get a new rad. (Thanks to Trent for that)

[Simon-S14]

done pressure test on radiator.. 15psi for 5 mins and no drop in pressure

comp tested with works ryco comp tester which does read lower then most

1: 90

2: 90

3: 90

4: 95

5: 95

6: 90

[The Dan]

done pressure test on radiator.. 15psi for 5 mins and no drop in pressure

comp tested with works ryco comp tester which does read lower then most

1: 90

2: 90

3: 90

4: 95

5: 95

6: 90

Shouldn't it read the same as most? If you have 90 compression, you have issues

[Simon-S14]

it should.. but its been dropped a few times and manhandled a fair bit.

but yeah 90 is low... but motor runs like a dream.. wtf

[R31Nismoid]

radiator holding pressure doesn't mean it's cooling the water decently.

I still reckon that is the issue (once you rule out HG)

A decent cross flow radiator is around $800

[Simon-S14]

final test will be the hydrocarbon one.. but im fairly certain now the HG is ok.

yeah pressure is ok in the system but as you said something is not right... must be either rad, thermostat or water pump

[DVS JEZ]

A pressure test doesnt rule out headgasket straight away. There is more combustion pressure than water pressure therefor exhaust gas and cylinder pressure can still be leaking into the cooling system.

[R32 TT]

Is it losing any water at all?

I had a headgasket issue last year, leaking into the cooling system it displaces the water and leaves you with air.. try getting it on dyno and watching the overflow tank when it hits boost. I did the same test you did by checking for leaks up to 20psi and it was fine while idling in the car park. Watch it come on boost though and suddenly the overflow tank starts bubbling violently.

If you haven't got a dyno to test on, just take the overflow pipe off the overflow tank and poke it outside the bonnet and go for a run. You'll soon see it go off like a pressure cooker.

[D_Stirls]

Do you still have the factory oil cooler?

what are your oil temps doing?

I have the same issue with my CA, couldn't keep it cool even with a 150% thicker radiator (25mm R32 Vs' 10mm Standard CA). Once i fitted a oil cooler never had an issue again.

Mt theory is that the only way that the engine could get the heat out of the oil is through the coolant.

[Simon-S14]

i have an aftermarket oil cooler (and still the OEM near the filter block) and oil temps reach 130 ish after hard laps.

not really losing water... it doesnt use it. it pushes it out the rad once boiling and doesnt suck it all back in.

[Scooby]

i always thought that was typically an air leak ie pushes water out but sucks air back in, but you've had a pressure test. maybe the rad cap is the problem and letting water out but sucking air back in. HG as suspected might explain why the water is being displaced.

Edited March 7, 2011 by Scooby

[XxNinjaxX]

try a new cap

tk test

compression test

and do a cylinder leakage test

or maybe all your need is a n1 pump with a bigger pulley so it works best at higher rpm. does nismo even make n1 sr pumps? lol

[Simon-S14]

its an RB25 mate but yeah im onto those things in the list

[femno]

You still havent answered the question as to what type/thickness FMIC youre running.

Have you made any effort to ensure all airflow actually travels through the rad ie sealing and cowling of the radiator to the rad support???? Same with the oil cooler?

Any type of cooler works 1000% better with ducting/cowling.

It appears the car is mostly used for drift??? You need to make the most of the little airflow you get...

Again a pressure test shows absolutely nothing about the cooling ability of the radiator.

[Simon-S14]

sorry mate missed your post.

its a 400X300X76 core mounted right in front of the rad. reason for this was to run shorter cooler piping and have the cooler in a safer position then the tradiational fmic location.

i have made an alloy box section up also which directs aii the air coming in from the front bar thro the IC and rad.. the sides are blocked off so it is un able to go anywhere else.

[DVS JEZ]

Looks awesome but most of the airflow will need to come in from where the sides of ur pretty alloy duct is. Try running without that.

[N1GTR]

Does anyone have info on the effects of adding in more passes in the radiator to the water pump and the rest of the system?

[R31Nismoid]

Well Snowy is running a triple pass PWR items ATM i believe. So far so good.

Looks like that front bar is smaller than the ducting?

Also what is on top where the rad support is? If there is no panel, all the air is gonna do is go that way as it'll look for least resistance.

Or simply go around the sides. Also how much room between I/C & Rad?

Perhaps just take a photo looking down onto it

What cooler is right @ the bottom of the I/C?

[Simon-S14]

front bar and duct are a snug fit, same size. the sides are the same width as the rad.. air is forced thro the cooler and the rad. the IC is 5mm away from the radiator. no top panel. should probably make one up.

the little cooler at the bottom is a power steering cooler.