SR is overheating! help!

[redsx13]

Ok, so bottom line, ive got a problem with my s13 overheating, but its only when i drift (which is 90% of the time because its a track car only). It takes about 3 laps on an average day for the car to overheat, and around 1 if im running a bumper. I have the e-fans running full time because it doesnt seem like they do s***.

I have...

-koyorad aluminum radiator

-Flex-o-lite dual electric fans (has a shrowed with a rubber seal that runs around the circumference of the radiator...very nice) -stock thermostat (never replaced)

-huge fmic (which i think blocks the airflow to the radiator)

[zach-Ka]

Are your fans wired up as a push or a pull?I have a huge FMIC, CXracing aluminum rad, and one 14"fan no shroud. I can give my car hell and it wont overheat. there is no reason you should with the exception of your thermostat, or your fans being wired up as a push which would stop air from flowing through the radiator at high speeds. I hope this helps you.

[redsx13]

Are your fans wired up as a push or a pull?I have a huge FMIC, CXracing aluminum rad, and one 14"fan no shroud. I can give my car hell and it wont overheat. there is no reason you should with the exception of your thermostat, or your fans being wired up as a push which would stop air from flowing through the radiator at high speeds. I hope this helps you.

they are on the back of the radiator wired to pull

[zach-Ka]

I would run it without a thermostat and see if it overheats. If it doesnt then thats your problem.

[Doya]

Don't waste your time taking the thermostat out and running without one just so you have to take the cover off again to put in a new one. There cheap enough to replace even if you don't need a new one. The thermostat will have a little brass nipple on it, make sure to have the nipple facing up, or else air can get trapt between it.

Also, try opening the bleed screw on the top radiator hose a couple of times, you could just have air caught in the system.

[Azrial]

you may want to make sure you don't have an air bubble as well. If you go ahead and do the thermostat you might as well put a cooler one in it since it is a track car and is going to take some whoopin.

[moso]

if your not running a nissan thermostat then its quite possible that the orifice for the thermostat is too small, it happens with cheap replacements.

[redsx13]

I'm thinking since I allready have two puller fans hooked up I'm gonna install another two pushers on the front of the radiator. If I combine that with a nismo thermostat, I should have a bulletproof cooling system.

[bruinbear714]

Running without a thermostat will only buy you maybe a lap or two extra until your whole engine compartment heatsoaks.

Have you considered running an oil cooler setup?

[lumski240]

I'm thinking since I allready have two puller fans hooked up I'm gonna install another two pushers on the front of the radiator. If I combine that with a nismo thermostat, I should have a bulletproof cooling system.

Good luck with that..but you wont need the two extra fans. Get a new thermostat or dont even run one at all..

[chalmer240sx]

remove your thermostate. works for me haha

[redsx13]

So I just wanted to give you guys an update. As of last night the problem got worse. I'm at the point where I drift 1 turn and the temp goes up to 200 and doesn't come down. Even at idle with my 2 shrouded e-fans on full power the temp starts to climb a little before it slowely comes back down to 180 (running temp).

Something is serously wrong, I haven't changed my setup at all, and It just keeps getting worse. I'm thinking it's one of two things...

1. air in the system2. Sticking thermostat

P.s. I've heard bad things about running no thermostat, so Im thinking of just going the nismo route. The last thing I want to worry about is undercooling

[moso]

im supprised no one asked this yet and that i missed it for so long. how old is your waterpump? and.. seriously stock never replaced thermostat!

[Azrial]

Usually the waterpump will leak a bit if it's going bad. I always just replace both thermostat and waterpump at the same time. Since both parts are pretty cheap. Well the Nismo thermostat I bought wasn't but regular ones are.

[moso]

just because its not leaking dosent mean its good. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." - Carl Sagan

[redsx13]

just because its not leaking dosent mean its good. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." - Carl Sagan

haha, nice quote. Very true but...

Really how many moveing parts are there in a waterpump, and what causes one to "go bad". My understanding is that a waterpump goes bad when it's berings devolope an excessive amount of play which in turn causes the seals to go bad. At that point the fins will start to grind against the housing, and because of the blown seals, water will start leaking from the front I'd the block ( ie waterpump).

[redsx13]

Btw theres less than 50k on the motor

[moso]

the impeller can pop off the shaft or just freewheel. it dosent have to leak or make noise to be bad. dose your coolant "flow" through the radiator when the thermostat opens?

[lumski240]

whats the issue with "undercooling"

[redsx13]

the impeller can pop off the shaft or just freewheel. it dosent have to leak or make noise to be bad. dose your coolant "flow" through the radiator when the thermostat opens?

ya, the radiator and lines get hot when the thermostat opens. I serously doubt the waterpump impeller has stopped spinning, but I guess it's not out of the question. But if the that was the case, the car would oveheat the would overheat just from idleing which is not the case.

whats the issue with "undercooling"

It's just like running you car before it warms up. Just not a good idea. The colder an engine is, the faster it wears.

[Sleeper_RMS13]

Every body's sr is gonna be different...If you have the time I would try for a new head gasket.

[thomas.cena09]

Find some answer on several websites and get solved with the help of them.There must be something available.If i get anyone I will leave the link surely.

[lumski240]

oh got ya... do you have good events out there?? and how much do you pay and how much track time do you usally get? jw because poeple out here in co are b****ing about price

[redsx13]

oh got ya... do you have good events out there?? and how much do you pay and how much track time do you usally get? jw because poeple out here in co are b****ing about price

kinda off topic, but ya, there are tons of events out here. Sometimes it does get pretty expensive. It can get up to 130$ a day for a good track, if you don't have hookups. it's about the same price to enter a larger competition, but there's no way to get around that price.

[lumski240]

thats my point.. our events are never over 80 bucks and people dont understand its cheap lol.. there is even sometimes "get to gathers" at the track to drift and we only have to pay like 30. hope you fix you overheating and keep it sideways lol

[moso]

are you running stock pulleys? maybe your getting waterpump cavitation.