DeTomaso Mailing List: July 98, Message #41

Update on an old thread.  In March, many of you tried to lend me a hand
figuring out my cooling dilemma on my Formula Continental.  The culprit was
located.  The dividers in both of the side pods' radiators that are designed
to create the two pass water journey were missing.  Yep, the coolant was not
forced thru the radiators'
tubes and rather went direct from inlet to outlet.  I also had the radiators
recored with three rows vs two.  Thanks for all your help.

John, the cool racer, T
-----Original Message-----
From: Brent Perry <bperry@lacsd.org>
To: Mary Taphorn <marytaphorn@email.msn.com>
Cc: Multiple recipients of list <detomaso@realbig.com>
Date: Thursday, March 26, 1998 11:16 AM
Subject: Re: Cooling Subject


>> >> >> >> Warning! no Detomaso content
>> >> >> >>
>> >John,
>> >
>>
>> >1.  Put a 180 deg thermostat in (if the housing is still used) or the
>> >3/4 inch oriface.  Not to hold the water in the radiator longer, but to
>> >insure no boiling hot spots in the waterjacket/heads.
>
>
>.  How does
>> the use of a thermostat insure no hot spots?
>
>The thermostat (or restrictor oriface) causes waterjackets in the block
>to be pressurized.  This increases the boiling temperature of the liquid
>and helps to insure that liquid is transferring heat from the
>waterjacket surface and not vapor (steam).  Drilling the head sound like
>an attempt to fix a coolant flow problem in a specified area around a
>valve.
>
>>    Visually, the flow looks awesome.  The water exits the head into the
>> swirl pot and at only 4 grand is spewing out the uncapped pot.
>
>Good - It looks like your getting enough flow of water to the radiator.
>
>>         I've got two sets of sidepods for the beast and I'm currently
>> running the original reynard configuration that many others use.  The
other
>> pods are narrower reducing the inlet size and the cars frontal area.
Thus,
>> I am already running at a disadvantage aerodynamically down the straight.
>> Couple this with my wind catching rocker arm suspension against the Van
>> Diemen's push rod and you can understand my hesitancy in increasing the
cars
>> frontal area any more.
>
>The thought is that the current radiator is not getting enough air - or
>actually that you would like the car to run 30 deg or 13% cooler.
>
>In my mind you have four choices
>
> a.  More frontal area/ more suction same radiator
> b.  Same frontal area - same radiator surface area - less radiator
>resistance.(new Radiator)
> c.  Same frontal area - 13% more radiator surface area- equal or less
>radiator resistance.(new Radiator)
> d.  See how the guy who won does it.
>
>Is there a way to test how improved air flow across the radiator effects
>the running temp - say duck tape and some scoops.
>
>
>Anyway - It was fun - Hope it helped - you now know all that I know.
>Good luck - let us know how it works out.
>
>> >Brent 4130
>> >