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Under Hood Temperature Cooling
Looking for ideas on ways to cool the under hood temperature from the headers. My cobra has a 351 Cleveland in it. It runs fine with coolant temperature around 190 when driving (even 160 on open road good speed), a little hotter when in stop and go driving. However, when I turn the engine off or let it idle for very long the under hood temperature heats up to the point it boiled the clutch fluid. I ceramic coated the headers, put in heat shields that shield the fluid master cylinders both clutch and brake, built one for the clutch slave, rerouted the clutch fluid line and placed it behind a heat shield. That seemed to solve the problem with the clutch boiling, but now I have a problem that when the temperature goes over 190, I lose my electronic gauges (tach, charge, etc.). They come back as soon as I let it cool down.
I just have the dual electric fans upfront of the radiator with a good new aluminum radiator. I was wondering if putting in a mechanical fan in would force more air past the headers and help keep them cooler. Certainly open to other ideas. |
Do you have a manual override switch for the fans?
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Sometimes the problem is with the engine producing too much heat rather than an inadequate cooling system. Check this out: click here.
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If all you have are the two small fans in front of the radiator, that might be your problem. Those things don't do much good since there is very little shrouding to direct the flow. A rear mounted puller will move a lot more air through the engine compartment. Summit Racing and Jegs are good places to look for one. Get the largest one you can mount on the radiator.
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Goog comments. I have a manual switch and I leave it on all the time. I kind of suspected those two small fans were a little wimpy. I will look into the bigger puller fan. Thanks for the comments.
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The engine runs well and I don't really have an engine overheating problem. It is more of how to get rid of the ambient heat generated in a small space under the hood. The 351 Cleveland pretty much fills up the under hood side to side space, so the heat gets trapped. I think if I can get a much larger air flow around the engine it will remove much of the heat as it is generated. Everything works great out on the road with good air flow. The problem occurs in slow stop and go driving around town. I'll check out what Summit Racing has for puller fans. Thanks again, Bob
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Great. I will look at the Kirkham design, maybe will get some ideas of what will work in the space. Thanks, Bob
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Cheers, Glen |
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Some add hood louvers but that's probably not feasible on a finished car. http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...rcoat_005a.jpg |
I found that NOT shrouding the radiator completely helps airflow through the engine bay a lot. Of course, not so much at idle. I leave it open at the top.
I suggest to help air to escape by having gaps between bonnet and body. Ie do not run rubber all around. Are your side vents open? I have seen cars where they were just ornamental. Also, I never had inner fenders which helped airflow too. Do you have a scoop where eat can escape past the air filter? I am surprised though that your fuel doesn't boil... |
How about header wrap...just put it on my 351w headers...haven't had a chance to see what difference it will make but the package states up to 70% heat reduction...even at half that it would probibly do the trick...it looks great to.
Steve |
Header wrap could help too, but I have another thought:
Is the ignition advanced enough at idle?? |
I tried a couple of boat bulge fans but they got too hot and destroyed themselves.
Best bet.. install a 2 speed Ford Tuaras Fan puller for and 1990 Ford and a good manual switching system . No more cooling problems. |
Some of the older vw, products like jetta has two speed puller fans , The low speed kicks on normally when the ac is engaged, and the high speed when required by the radiator.......Two of these side by side kick on at 190 and even in this recent heatwave midday traffic it does not go past 195, I can put my hand down the side of the door and feel the air coming out of the vents and undercar.......it does have a 4 row radiator, the hood only has rubber on the back corners and across the front side to side...also I think I get
from the open brake duct s..... |
Like Steve said above, the first thought I had was the header wrap or heat shield. It is a heat shield over the headers. That is the first thing to do if you don't have them.
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