dcmdon
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Don
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2021
- Threads
- 60
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- 3,656
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- Location
- Boston Metro-West, Northern NH
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All of this flailing around trying to put a larger fan in place or removing horns is pointless.
The fan is counterproductive since its only relevant when going slowly, which is not when this truck has problems.
The horns represent a very very minor incremental improvement. Which may allow you to pull your trailer up that 10% grade at 51 mph rather than 50 mph on that 95 deg day.
If we can not replace the radiator, then we need to increase the flow through the radiator significantly. To do that you need to increase the pressure gradient on the front and back of the radiator.
The front is exposed to plenty of fresh air. Are there baffles in place so that air coming through the grill can't go around the radiator? If not then installing baffles so that the front of the radiator becomes a pressure plenum would be helpful.
Next is reducing pressure on the back side of the radiator. In the engine compartment. creating vents in low pressure areas is the most effective way to do that. perhaps on the side of the truck in front of the door.
But perhaps the most effective means may be to install an engine oil cooler. These can be HUGELY effective in cooling an engine for a couple of reasons.
1) oil is able to bathe the engine in places that coolant can't. So it can absorb heat directly that coolant can't.
2) oil runs hotter than coolant. So there is a greater temperature differential between ambient and the temp of the fluid (delta T). Delta T is one factor in how much heat transfers from the radiator (whether coolant or oil) to the ambient air.
Bottom line is that an oil cooler is a very effective way to lower engine (and coolant) temps. The only issue is finding somewhere to put it. If you are willing to get creative, there is ALWAYS a way. Its just a matter of how much time and expense you are willing to go through.
Shoot, you could mount it horizontally on the hood with some scoops and it would work very very well.
The fan is counterproductive since its only relevant when going slowly, which is not when this truck has problems.
The horns represent a very very minor incremental improvement. Which may allow you to pull your trailer up that 10% grade at 51 mph rather than 50 mph on that 95 deg day.
If we can not replace the radiator, then we need to increase the flow through the radiator significantly. To do that you need to increase the pressure gradient on the front and back of the radiator.
The front is exposed to plenty of fresh air. Are there baffles in place so that air coming through the grill can't go around the radiator? If not then installing baffles so that the front of the radiator becomes a pressure plenum would be helpful.
Next is reducing pressure on the back side of the radiator. In the engine compartment. creating vents in low pressure areas is the most effective way to do that. perhaps on the side of the truck in front of the door.
But perhaps the most effective means may be to install an engine oil cooler. These can be HUGELY effective in cooling an engine for a couple of reasons.
1) oil is able to bathe the engine in places that coolant can't. So it can absorb heat directly that coolant can't.
2) oil runs hotter than coolant. So there is a greater temperature differential between ambient and the temp of the fluid (delta T). Delta T is one factor in how much heat transfers from the radiator (whether coolant or oil) to the ambient air.
Bottom line is that an oil cooler is a very effective way to lower engine (and coolant) temps. The only issue is finding somewhere to put it. If you are willing to get creative, there is ALWAYS a way. Its just a matter of how much time and expense you are willing to go through.
Shoot, you could mount it horizontally on the hood with some scoops and it would work very very well.
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