Project: Mavro Gato - 99 Turbo'd 3L

[Blackcoog]

Can you verify the thermostat is opening?

[FastCougar]

Good point ... how would you verify something like that if the car mostly runs in the middle with sporadic spikes? I'd have to pull the thermostat and boil it multiple times to see if it does open/close consistantly. Possiblity, but I think the cooling system is running good, just not effiently for the amount of heat I'm putting into the engine. I suspect if anything, the intercooler effeciency is lower than I first suspected. For the last few weeks, I have been trying to find an affordable way to temp. probe the intake air pre and post intercooler in order to properly rate it's effectiveness. I'm also trying to find a way to probe the pressure drop, which will be simple with someone else in the car taking gauge readings, but I need to tap the pipes for a vacuum/boost gauge on both sides of the intercooler first (on my list of things to do).

[fordrule]

i put my thermostat in boiling water and a thermometer. it opened ~160.

[FastCougar]

I drove the car into work today, and here are my temp observations. Standing still after boosting/running with the temp gauge in the middle for 10+ minutes, then slowly accelerating to the speed limit, the car will start to climb slowly to max out the gauge's sweep (buried in the red). No pinging or steaming is present. High speed fans kick in, but the temp does not lower at all unless I turn the heat on high (I use the defroster & feet setting since my gauges are in the center cluster for "face"). When turning on the heat like this, the needle drops VERY fast to the middle of the gauge, or even slightly below middle. Getting up to speed doesn't seem to help, but with proper ducting, I suspect it will. Basically, boosting the engine and then slowing to a stop induces full system heat soaking.

After getting off the highway very close to work, I decided to give it a few boost runs to induce this (for a 3rd time). Sure enough, started to climb above middle and I turned on the heat and it only got toward high without going into the red and then dropped quickly to middle. Got to the office (1.5 miles off the highway) and parked the car to let it idle (cheap turbo timer) for a few minutes. I popped the hood and quickly touched the intercooler pipe where it crosses over the top of the engine bay and the left side piping was nice and cold. However, where it goes over the radiator, to the touch, the outside of the piping was a good 10+ degrees different on the right hand side (before the BOV). I looked down and the high speed fan was not on. I hear it click on and get into the cabin to see the needle approaching the red. I sit and watch it sitting in the middle of the red (not fully maxed out) and it just sits there. The high speed fan is doing nothing it appears. So, I turn on the heat again and wallah ... needle drops from middle of the red to the middle of the gauge's sweep within 10 seconds.

So, what's happening is that by turning on the heat, I'm essentially adding another radiator into the system. After driving up to deliver Wadespencer's heads & front bumper, the car will remain parked until I have this solved. Any other suggestions?

[J-Man]

Sounds like you need some header wrap or even jet hot coating on your hot side piping.

[FastCougar]

Originally Posted by J-Man

Sounds like you need some header wrap or even jet hot coating on your hot side piping.

Yep ... already planned on that. Part of my R&R for the Cougar will be completely uninstalling the turbo system and inspecting the piping for cracks and to assess the system's health. At that time, I planned on wrapping the entire hot side piping in header wrap. Currently, the headers are wrapped, so if it's being heated from somewhere, it's from the radiator and fan dispersed heat combined with the radiant heat from the turbo & it's up-pipe/down-pipe as well. I need to address ALL these areas and see if that helps.

[J-Man]

Get to it!

[rbls4ever]

try some water wetter. or run less coolant to more water. you may be low on coolant by that description. the radiator isnt purged of bubbles and the heater core is full of coolant hence being able to cool the engine. just a thought....

[wadespencer99]

Can you turn the fans on at a lower temperature through the tuning?

[FastCougar]

Originally Posted by wadespencer99

Can you turn the fans on at a lower temperature through the tuning?

Sure can ... that was my first thought. I just need to take Tom's tune and adjust it right in the XCal2 since he unlocked it for me ... IIRC, unlocked tunes can adjust the fan cuting/cutoff points. I will check at lunch time ... look, it's lunch time