NEHA

2001 VW Golf IV with 1.8T (GTX2863R turbo with external wastegate…. 300wHP on race fuel)

FMIC mounted in typical location (lower radiator opening).

I have purchased an all aluminum radiator that (per 034EFI’s website) offers 30% more cooling…. I have not installed this yet.

The car runs hot when racing it. I have turned on the heat in the car (full blast) to help with the cooling; the car is at 190-degrees (normal temperature) per the stock gauge at the top if I have the heat cranked; closer to 210-220 without it. This is why I purchased the new radiator; hoping that the better radiator will negate the need for the interior heat being cranked.

Seemed to run a little hotter this past weekend... I believe the water pump is good (it is internal and I got rid of the stock plastic version and replaced it with the metal version)

Now my questions…..

(1) I am thinking of installing a large louver plate on the hood to help evacuate the hot air (better flow thru the radiator); anyone else go this route?

(2) With a large louver plate closer to the front of the hood, would a smaller louver setup over the turbo negatively affect the effects of the larger louver? (my thought is the smaller louver would be over the turbo allowing heat to get out from the backside of the engine, especially after the run is done…. Right now I open the hood after my run to get the heat out)

(3) There is a plastic shroud on the back side of the radiator which means the air flow is only through the area with the fans are mounted. Anyone remove these shrouds? I understand I need to direct the air into the radiator so that it doesn’t go around it

(4) Aftermarket fans? Any benefit to a fan that moves more air? My thought is the setup should work without the fans when driving and the fans are only needed when stopped, so it doesn’t seem that touching the fans would help me with the racing end of things)

(5) I have thought of using Water Wetter (or the like) as it is supposed to allow the engine to run cooler…. My concern with that is having to remember to empty the system each year before winter.

(6) Any changes to the location or mounting of the radiator?

(7) Changes to the front end (grill or bumper) that allow for more air flow?

(8) Something else I will look at.... are there better flowing pumps available?

Thanks
Steve

Of course we talked already. I got mine from: http://www.hoodlouvers.com/

walterclark wrote:Of course we talked already. I got mine from: http://www.hoodlouvers.com/

Yep. We talked about the center mount H3 setup:
http://www.hoodlouvers.com/hummer/

Any thoughts on two louvers (one over the turbo)?

S

Keep in mind that toward the back of the hood from the front the air flowing over the hood goes from being a low pressure area (sucking air out) to being a high pressure area (blowing air in). You might work that to your advantage with multiple vents.

I wanted as much air drawn out as possible so the forward location was my best bet. It also happens to be right behind the radiator do that is the air it is mostly removing. My car also has a set of louvers across the rear of the hood to feed cold air to the plenum (originally headed for the interior). Last season I opened the seal between the plenum and engine bay a bit to let that cold air spill in over the intake and down across the exhaust header. I am hoping the combo is keeping the engine intake cooler and ducting more of that air over the car than under it.

With the louver in the back, my thought it more for letting the radiant heat (from the turbo) out from under the hood when I get to the top of the hill.

Once you are stopped it would indeed let heat rise out. When moving, the odds are there will be a high pressure area above the back of the hood and air will be forced into the engine bay.

I am going to cut a 2 foot hole through the firewall and run a tube all the way to the back of the car and put a huge exhaust fan on it.

I think I will wait on the back "vent" as I am not truly sure what affect it will have on my car.

Rabbit Farmer wrote:I am going to cut a 2 foot hole through the firewall and run a tube all the way to the back of the car and put a huge exhaust fan on it.

That I want to see. Then you can talk to the people at big ass fans and really move some air. http://www.bigassfans.com/product/indus ... wall-fans/

Maybe a snowmobile engine driving an exhaust blower from an M1 Abrams tank. Worked for these guys: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articl ... of-attack/

walterclark wrote:Keep in mind that toward the back of the hood from the front the air flowing over the hood goes from being a low pressure area (sucking air out) to being a high pressure area (blowing air in). You might work that to your advantage with multiple vents.

I did the test (on the Jetta... essentially the same as the Golf) with strings taped all over the hood. All the strings/streamers laid flat on the hood. Completely flat/unmoving in the center, flat but flapping around towards the front (lots of turbulence) and back.

Center of the hood: Am I correct that the fast moving air, with the edges of the louvers, will pull the air out from under the hood?

Is this high speed moving air (strings laying flat on the hood) across the center of the hood considered "high pressure" or "low pressure"?