Following on from the intercooler thread, for those using full width front mounts such as GRS, what arrangement do you find works best for water cooling?

I fitted my GRS with a gap between cooler and radiator, to allow one kenlowe fan (12" maybe?) to be mounted directly to the rad. The reasoning behind that was to allow full airflow to the IC without being obstructed by any fan(s), and the fan directly on the rad so it wasnt blowing through the cooler first.
I find this ok most of the time (running 1 bar boost), but on a summer track day with airtemps exceeding maybe 25degC, i can only manage about 5 or 6 laps before it overheats Rad was brand new with the cooler BTW, and the water pump is gen ford and less than 10k old, so my cooling system should be fine.

What are your IC/rad/fan arrangements and do you have any issues?

 

fan on rads then cooling in front of that otherwise the fans aren't doin there job

 

Get one of those turbo coolers to help cool the water.

 

i have a turbo cooler in fact Performance Ford used my RST to do testing with, they rely make a difference im fitting fans no mine

 

could somone post pics up of when they have fitted there cooler..i need to know where to plumb it in

 

there is a feature in performance ford mid this year

i fits in the original hoes of the original s2 intercooler

 

I run a GRS twin pass with Kenlow fans on it, It is a tigh as possible to the radiatior and the air blows through both of them.

I have no problems with temperatures what so ever

 

Thats why i installed it all as described but it doesnt seem to be working as hoped!

Turbocabbie:
Do you do trackdays with that set up, and what boost are you running?


I'm basically just wondering if there is a definitive best way to do it, if all you have is I/C, rad and fan(s). (Not supplementing with turbocoolers or oil coolers etc)
Incidentally, dont GRS inlet and outlet pipes need to go right where the original S2 intercooler went? Hence not being able to fit a turbocooler?

Cheers for ideas so far

 

im running a lot of boost, on after market management, not sure what it is at the moment though as it really needs mapping again due to recent changes
I don't do track days, but where I live the car can sit in traffic for a very large period of time.
I am aware of track day cars which run the same setup without issue.

 

If your water temps are really that much of a problem then disconnect the water cooling from the turbo, thats what produces most of the heat and it isnt needed so long as you let your turbo cool down before you turn off your engine (like a Series 1, and a lot of the jap motors).

 

i run a GRS intercooler with twin fans on the radiator and my temps were ok with that set up! i then added an Airtec turbo cooler and now even after a track session the temp gauge only goes up to just above the halfway!!
You can disconnect the water pipes to the turbo but i wouldnt recomend doin that because the turbo will run a lot hotter than it should as you take away half of its cooling system!!

 

I wouldn't nessesarily agree there. Most good tuners disconnect the water cooling from their turbos. Especially if its for track use. The last thread I looked up as my T34 wasn't watercooled and I thought it might cause problems, I'm sure Hadland and Rainbird both said they advise everyone who comes to them to disconnect their water cooling to the turbo, but I may be wrong. You need to let the turbo cool down though after use.

 

I'm not saying it cant be done because i know it can!! But you should take into account that if the turbo is designed to use both water and oil to cool it then if you take away the water cooling effect then the turbo is bound to run a lot hotter!
Turbo's that are designed to run on oil cooling alone have much bigger oil ways to compensate!
I take my car to a good tuner and they have never advised me to disconnect the water pipes!!

 

Basicaly, water cooling is there to aid turbo longevity and for no other reason!
As long as you let the turbo cool down and change your oil regularly you will be fine, if you dont then it will get coked up and reduce the life of the turbo!

From Garrett:

"Following a hot shutdown of a turbocharger, heat soak begins. This means that the heat in the head, exhaust manifold, and turbine housing finds it way to the turbo’s center housing, raising its temperature. These extreme temperatures in the center housing can result in oil coking.

To minimize the effects of heat soak-back, water-cooled center housings were introduced. These use coolant from the engine to act as a heat sink after engine shutdown, preventing the oil from coking. The water lines utilize a thermal siphon effect to reduce the peak heat soak-back temperature after key-off. The layout of the pipes should minimize peaks and troughs with the (cool) water inlet on the low side. To help this along, it is advantageous to tilt the turbocharger about 25° about the axis of shaft rotation.

Many Garrett turbos are water-cooled for enhanced durability."

I wonder how many of us here have had a turbo seize up through coking?
I bet almost all of us have retired our turbo's becasue the seals have gone and we are smoking!

 

Cant find anything on the Garrett site about it being ok to disconnect the water pipes though!! strange that!!
Bet if you rung Garrett or Turbo Technics they would advise against it and would probably void the warrenty if you did!!
I know how i'd rather treat my Ł607 Stage 2 blower!!!

 

addiction no need to be sarcy mate!!

I was just trying to help by explaining what the water cooling does and why!!
That way anyone reading can make an more educated decision on whats best for them!

 

Karlos i was'nt being sarcy!! and after 24 years of working on car's i think i know how water cooling works!!

 

i have a radtec mounted at the front and a small fan on the radiator rite over to side of radiator(the passenger side of radiator).fits perfect and cooling is superb.reason it fits is because ive got only 1 small fan at the side.

 

Addiction. Think my post came across wrong. I wasn't having a digg at you saying you were wrong, just I didn't think disconnecting the water was a bad thing. I was told the water cooling, although is handy if its your average jump in the car, tear down the road for 20 mins then park up at the supermarket, not caring about your turbo. But ripping around a track all the water cooling is doing is sending higher than boiling temp water from the turbo around your engine and oil "cooler" and in fact making the whole car run hotter.
Your right that water cooling will aid the life of the turbo. But speaking from experience disconnecting the water cooling from my turbo cut the water temps by a 1/4 on the standard temp gauge.

 

I personnally wouldnt disconnect the water cooling from my turbo,if you think about it,hammering the car on track for 20 mins is hard enough on the turbo,without taking away 50% of its cooling!Plus NMS reckon its best to keep the turbo water cooled.Regards,Micky.

ps Anyone try adding "Water Wetter" to their cooling systems???

 

water wetter works very vell so i have been told

 

wots water wetter?

 

It reduces the surface tension of water which speeds up the rate at which it transfers heat. Can work very well. Remember, fans do NOTHING once the car is moving, they are only for use in traffic.

Marky G - can you post up a hi res readable copy of that article please?

 

iv'e had mine adapted to sit 6" lower so more air gets to the radiator and since doing this it's rare to see temps over the 85 degree mark but not had it flat out in 25 external temps yet

 

shouldn't you be at work