7mgte airflow issues

[supra87maniac]

Lately my car has been overheating at 60 mph+, so instead of starting a BHG thread I had it checked out. Compression is fine, coolant flow is optimal so the diagnosis was NO BHG. But he informed me that I have an airflow issue. Not enough air is passing through the radiator. It's a huge aftermarket radiator with OEM shroud and clutch fan. I have my intercooler tilted a bit and its fairly thick, but I have seen V-mount set ups so i figured this wouldn't cause this kind of issue. Has anyone else had airflow issues like this? Any suggestions to fixing this would be great and of course tilting the intercooler to maximize airflow is first on my list.

[James87supraturbo]

What brand radiator is it? Have you tried a coolant flush?

[supra87maniac]

Godspeed radiator, it's been flushed.

[supra87maniac]

I just read up on radiators. It seems that larger radiators aren't very good at drawing air through them and they just act like a huge heat soak (the radiator i have is huge). I live in a hot climate, what radiator do you think is the best for keeping these hot cars cool. Also, fans. OEM clutch fan or electric fans? I was leaning towards a fluidyne radiator with flex-a-lite fans. Or maybe just going back to an OEM radiator.

[SupraTrey]

Noone has a bigger IC and Radiator setup than I and I have no issues. Replace your waterpump, get a new fluid cuppler (fan clutch) and install some E-Fans...... I bet your problem will go away.

[supra87maniac]

I will just buy some electric fans and give you guys an update, it has a new waterpump 200 miles ago and the clutch fan seems fully operational. So you guys don't think my IC mounted at an angle has anything to do with it? I tried looking around and couldn't find anyone having restricted airflow problems that caused their vehicles to overheat. Also, do you suggest pusher or puller fans? The puller fans I plan on getting will have me getting rid of my OEM shroud because I plan on buying the flex-a-lite fans with the built in shroud. Suggestions?

[BlackWidTan]

Air in the cooling system?

[1QwikMK3]

At 60mph the e fans are more of an air flow restriction than anything else. You are pushing way more air through the radiator than the fans can draw. Do you still have the A/C condenser on the car? If so there could be some build up of stuff between it and the radiator.

So when you say overheating, do you mean the gauge is running near or into the red? or is it just creeping up higher than usual? I see you are in Texas, I lived in AZ for a couple years and my car generally ran hotter than in WA.(over halfway on the temp gauge) I ended up bypassing the thermostatic switch for the aux. fans so they'd come on with the ignition on, I also ran a 160 degree t-stat and after that I never had any issues, temp was always where it was before. I also vented the hood a little by spacing it up on the hinges, but I wouldn't really recommend doing that.

The IC could be playing a part, air flow might be slowed a little bit through it with it tilted. Hard to say though, you'd just have to try mounting it straight up if you can.

[supra87maniac]

Well, just an update. Stilll waiting on my new fans. I will update if it worked. Im gonna run them on a toggle switch through some relays. The temp just stays a quarter before max, doesn't peg out.

[supranasty]

Stock 10 blade fan is fine .
Try a water pump,fan clutch,thermostat,and radiator cap. Then jack the front of your car and burp the system with the radiator cap off.
High horsepower cars do it on stock fans...
Electric fans are great to save space when the stocker doesn't fit with the shroud.

[SMP142]

sounds like air in the system maybe. i would burp it again. i did remove the hood seal along the firewall and also shimmed the hindges to allow a gap for air flow. deff made the engine bay cooler.

[1QwikMK3]

Well, just an update. Stilll waiting on my new fans. I will update if it worked. Im gonna run them on a toggle switch through some relays. The temp just stays a quarter before max, doesn't peg out.

Right on, I'd toggle the auxillary fans too.

[supra87maniac]

I also have no heat shields on my aftermarket turbo, would it be a world of difference to get a turbo blanket? And horsepowerfreaks is being painfully slow about shipping my fans so it will be a while.

[ninjadude206]

Wish I saved a pic of the hood some guy cut vent holes in the underside of at the rear, but they weren't visible from outside, nice and stealth. Think it was in a build thread...

Checked your timing?

[supra87maniac]

Ok, put the car at an incline and bubbles came out like no tommorow. New problem though, after I bleed the system and the coolant level stays good for five minuted straight I turn the car off and the coolant starts overflowing and bubbling out of the radiator. How could air be getting in there after shutting it off?

[supranasty]

When you finish burping the system top off coolent and put the radiator cap on.
A Hot engine with no radiator cap will boil over when you shut it off always.

[supra87maniac]

Forgot about this thread. It was a leaky heater core. Smelled coolant in the car when the heater was on and found the carpet to be wet. It was also the reason the cooling system kept getting air in it. GT auto of Vidor TX is full of idiot mechanics who couldn't diagnose a simple problem that I had to figure out on my own. Their diagnosis sent me on the wrong path, looking for problems that didn't exist. Lesson learned.

[planemos]

Nobody wants to fix a leaking heater core because you always must tear out the whole dashboard

[supra87maniac]

After I changed the heater core it still overheats, it was leaking though so at least I got it taken care of. So I aked my good friend who has been a mechanic for 35 years and he told me to check my catalytic converters. I took my exhaust off and the catalytic converter is clogged pretty damn badly (the one at the downpipe). I was also looking around at other people having problems with their cats and all the symptoms match. I didn't check my newer seamless cat, but after reading about buying a cheap cat and how it can collapse under boost I am going to check it out too. I will update when I actually have the money to get a new exhaust. Im thinking about the driftmotion downpipe and exhaust.

[supra87maniac]

Fml!

[QWIKSTRIKE]

Noone has a bigger IC and Radiator setup than I and I have no issues. Replace your waterpump, get a new fluid cuppler (fan clutch) and install some E-Fans...... I bet your problem will go away.

I don't know about that Trey I think I am right up there with you. 12x24x4 IC and a CSF 3" Aluminum radiator.