controlling heat

[fiznat]

heat is a killer, we all know that, but what exactly are you guys doing to control it? There are a lot of options I know of, like bigger radiators, oil coolers, FMICs, bigger and better fans, etc.

What would you guys say is necessary to cool an engine running 15lbs of boost daily? I dont plan on running road courses just yet, but I would also like to protect my investment as much as possible. Is it worth it picking out a bigger rad? ...Or fans first? ...Or even an oil cooler? Watcha guys say?

[Nathan]

Ya GOTTA be JDM tyte and stack washers under the back of your hood! Actually, I AM planning on doing this as whatever heat I can remove from the bay is a good thing. Also, a bigger radiator, a fmic, and for now I'm leaving my mechanical fan since I think it sucks the hardest

[Structure240sx]

yea i was about to order a perma-cool 14" fan, but just saw pornflakes car for sale and realized if i jsut put my fan shroud back on, or made it fit, i should be fine. if i start to over heat at all then ill get the 14" until then ill save $80

[chandler]

OIL COOLER, cooler oil is always better qui gon chan

[Redline240]

Could a rad for a sbc work for a KA? I mean if rad hoses were made up to fit and some bracets to mount it, would it work? Or do they have different flow ratings or something? I know nothing about radiators but i do know that alluminum rads for sbc can be had for dirt cheap and they're huge...just a thought, any imput?

Also, a v-mount setup of a intercooler and rad offers superior cooling...although it requires a lot of custom work...

Redline

[C-Kwik]

It's doubtful you will have overheating problems with any boost on the street unless you have issues with the cooling system already, or you are at WOT most of your driving. On a road course, you are on it quite a bit more and can see overheating issues as early as about 10 psi of boost from others' experiences with the KA. A larger radiator will probably solve most cooling issues. S14's have a slight advantage as well as there is an upper grill that channels some cooler air to the radiator where the S13, most of the air to the radiator will have passed through the I/C first.

Oil coolers are another option, but you have to make sure it is not overcooling the oil. Oil likes to operate within a certain temperature. A thermostatically controlled oil cooler is a better idea if an oil cooler is the route you decide on.

Running a higher percentage of water in the cooling system can help. Water is better at transfering heat. There are also some products that are supposed to enhance the heat transfer capabilities of the coolant as well. I believe Redline Water Wetter is one of them. I'm not sure how effective it is though.

A higher pressure radiator cap can help if you have some minor boilover problems. The higher pressure will raise the boiling temperature. It won't make the engine run much cooler. It prevents air from forming in the lines so the coolant in the system can be more effective once beyond the boiling point of the medium at a lower pressure. It's a rather cheap upgrade and wouldn't hurt to do it anyways so long as the cooling system is in good condition. Higher pressures can spring leaks in a marginal system.