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Underhood heat removal?

tarafied1

tarafied1

Well-Known Member
I'm getting ready for the Hot Rod Power Tour. The Hot Rod forums say I should expect a lot of traffic jams at the driver's meetings and in small towns and getting into the venues. My car hasn't boiled over but it gets hot sitting in traffic (in hot weather). I run 75% water, 25% coolant and water wetter. Car runs very cool at speed and even in slow speed limit areas but sitting still is a problem. I have a 3000 cfm electric pusher, no room for a puller. My thoughts, while it might look stupid, I'm wondering if I should try to jack up the back of the hood. It's an old drag racer trick to get trapped air out of engine compartment but may be a bonus in letting engine compartment heat out. I have to shut off the coolant flow to the heater because it cooks my wife's feet so I won't have that little extra cooling effect of turning on the heat in traffic.
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I think you have done all you can do without major changes. I think a slight rise in the rear would be fine and would let out the heat. The only other place to go is down and we know it don't like to go down while sitting still.
 
I should have put louvers in the hood before I painted it! The stock hood I had used a Boss 429 scoop that let the heat out when sitting still and it wasn't a problem, this hood keeps it all in.
 
While it certainly can't hurt, I really don't see it making much of a difference unless it's a fairly windy day. Driving along it will make a difference in under hood air temp but sitting in a line of traffic not the same. It requires a decent volume of air flow to draw that heated air up and out.
 
"Fast68back" said:
Why not a couple of the cowl vents like most of the E cars do?
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wouldn't you get fumes in the car?
"Horseplay" said:
While it certainly can't hurt, I really don't see it making much of a difference unless it's a fairly windy day. Driving along it will make a difference in under hood air temp but sitting in a line of traffic not the same. It requires a decent volume of air flow to draw that heated air up and out.
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well I have popped the hood before when I was sitting in traffic and that helped so I think some way for the hot air to get out is beneficial... and my old 429 scoop was open and let the heat out.
 
They all seem to have them. Post the question on the E board, or ask Jason....

Gotta spare hood you could hack up for the tour?
 
"Fast68back" said:
They all seem to have them. Post the question on the E board, or ask Nick....

Gotta spare hood you could hack up for the tour?
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Fixed it.


:nta
 
Is there a rubber seal at the rear edge of your hood? Maybe remove it to allow some airflow.
 
"Fast68back" said:
They all seem to have them. Post the question on the E board, or ask Jason....

Gotta spare hood you could hack up for the tour?
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yes, I intended to extend a steel hood to fit the E-nose but I just have too much going on and didn't get to it. Now I'm afraid there is no time.

"AzPete" said:
Is there a rubber seal at the rear edge of your hood? Maybe remove it to allow some airflow.
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there is but the gap between the hood and the body is pretty tight.
 
I say do it. Any heat extraction might just be that bit that keeps you from over-heating. Heck heat rises and it will escape then wouldn't it leaving the engine bay that much cooler. And as for fumes...why would there be fumes in the engine bay? Now you may draw heat into the car through the cowl vent but just keep that closed and use the main cooling system...your open windows.
 
I don't doubt some of the hot air will evacuate if the rear of the hood is raised above the fender and cowl heights. The issue I see is that sitting still it will be a very slow process all the while the engine is running producing more heat. This "trick" really works when the vehicle is moving. The air passing over the opening draws the hot air out in a much higher volume. Stuck in a hot rod traffic jam I just don't think it will deliver the needed effect.

I'd love to see it tested. I would also test some different thermostat ranges, coolant mixes (I'd go much higher water content with Water Wetter as well for this trip).

I don't remember if your car is an automatic or not but if it is you might also consider running your transmission fluid through a separate cooling unit mounted away from the radiator. The removal of this additional heat source may be enough to solve the problem.
 
"Horseplay" said:
I don't doubt some of the hot air will evacuate if the rear of the hood is raised above the fender and cowl heights. The issue I see is that sitting still it will be a very slow process all the while the engine is running producing more heat. This "trick" really works when the vehicle is moving. The air passing over the opening draws the hot air out in a much higher volume. Stuck in a hot rod traffic jam I just don't think it will deliver the needed effect.

I'd love to see it tested. I would also test some different thermostat ranges, coolant mixes (I'd go much higher water content with Water Wetter as well for this trip).

I don't remember if your car is an automatic or not but if it is you might also consider running your transmission fluid through a separate cooling unit mounted away from the radiator. The removal of this additional heat source may be enough to solve the problem.
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I do have 75% water now, with water wetter. I also do have a separate trans cooler mounted in front of the core support on the side where the battery used to be (bat is in trunk).
I think I will open up the cowl, it's as easy and I can block it off it proves to be an issue.
 
Stock flow water pump? Have you tried other pulley ratios? Thermostat ranges or even just flow restrictors? You might also fatten it up a bit and/or back off the timing a tad. I know I'm reaching but running out of ideas here!

Don't mean to keep :dh but I can't bear to picture your car off to the side of the road overheated while a bunch of Bow Ties wheel by!
 
Another option is to NOT get stuck in traffic. This is going to be difficult as the Power Tour normally proceeds at a pace that rivals funeral processions, but if you stay at the back of the pack and pull out of line during congestion you could ease some of the strain on your cooling system.
 
Lotsa good ideas here, wonder if something like this would help push the air around the engine to pull in fresh and force out hot?
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=34193&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10106&subdeptNum=10464&classNum=11211

You could temp mount it at the front right rad. apron where there are two ovaled holes I was thinking with a 4" hose to ~seal and pull the air in from in front? Only switch it on when the temps climb at a stop?

Damn work schedule, I'm going to be in Jackson MS that week :sad
Jon
 
"Horseplay" said:
Stock flow water pump? Have you tried other pulley ratios? Thermostat ranges or even just flow restrictors? You might also fatten it up a bit and/or back off the timing a tad. I know I'm reaching but running out of ideas here!

Don't mean to keep :dh but I can't bear to picture your car off to the side of the road overheated while a bunch of Bow Ties wheel by!
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I don't remember what temp thermostat I'm running, I may put in a 160 for the trip. I had underdrive March pulleys but I swapped the stock crank pulley back on to speed up the water pump and alt. I could back off the timing for sure, I'm running 14 degrees initial.
"daveSanborn" said:
Another option is to NOT get stuck in traffic. This is going to be difficult as the Power Tour normally proceeds at a pace that rivals funeral processions, but if you stay at the back of the pack and pull out of line during congestion you could ease some of the strain on your cooling system.
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That's the best idea but I do have to get into the venue by at least 6pm each night to get my card stamped for the long haul "goodies".

Jon,
That looks like a good idea (the fan)...
 
OK. Here's an unorthodox idea that might have merit. I'm all outta simple fixes.

Route the heater core return hose through a second smaller radiator. Maybe a frame rail unit? I know your engine compartment is tight. Not only would you benefit from the additional radiator but also the extended flow time.

The fan idea would put a pretty good drain on your alternator output. Not sure what all your running now electrically but preventing an overheating issue only to stall with a dead battery wouldn't be a good thing!
 
"daveSanborn" said:
Another option is to NOT get stuck in traffic. This is going to be difficult as the Power Tour normally proceeds at a pace that rivals funeral processions, but if you stay at the back of the pack and pull out of line during congestion you could ease some of the strain on your cooling system.
Click to expand...

I thought the Power Tour typically travels at speeds greater than the highway limit...
 
A 160 degree thermostat will do more bad than good. Once the engine temps reach 160..you get maybe one open close cycle and then the thermostat will open and never close to allow the water in the rad. to get any cooling time.

You could go under the hood and temp. mount a couple of the small 6" fans that you plug into your lighter socket. That would give a bit more air flow at parked speeds and can be removed easy.

Did I read that the heater makes your wifes feet hot??? That means the doors are not adjusted correctly to cut off the air flow thru the heater core.
 
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