THE TRUTH ABOUT COOLING! HIGH TECH LOW TEMPERATURE SECRETS UNLOCKED!

In this video I discuss the truths about cooling a high performance engine. The information shared is from
www.stewartcom...
A big thank you to my friend ‪@SalterRacingEngines‬ for promoting my channel. If you haven’t already please check out Brian’s channel and like and subscribe. He shares excellent professional information.

[@JamesBower-l9d]

I follow you, Daniel Powell, David Vizard, Brian Salter, and the oil geek guy.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for watching including me in your watch list.AG

[@davidreed6070]

@@JamesBower-l9d I find Daren Morgan very interesting also.

[@JamesBower-l9d]

@ I followed him also

[@cliffwright9842]

Oil geek guy, meaning Lake Speed Jr. I suppose. Yes these guys all have good info on our sbc's and more!!

[@lparsons6977]

Thanks so sharing your experience.

[@billfioretti3013]

Great info. as usual, Alan. Thank you. Underdrive pulley set-up were all the rage for small-block Fords in the '80s and '90s. Some were underdriven to excess and created issues. You mention some G.M. engines came with reverse flow cooling systems. Reverse flow water pump/cooling systems were and are commonly found in later model small-block Ford applications. Also, PCV systems when applied to street cars are a good thing. They are one of the reasons that engines equipped with PCV last longer and go further. (i.e. factory engines after the 1960s.) I've seen newly rebuilt engines with only valve cover breathers begin to push out oil pan gaskets causing leaks. When a PCV system or similar pan pressure evacuation system is installed, no more leaks!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Bill, my point exactly. I am planning a video about PCV systems. Lot's of misunderstanding on this subject.AG

[@toddbrown2236]

Another outstanding video, Alan. Lots of good information, as usual, but what's unique about this video is that much of the information you presented is something that I'll bet a lot of folks (myself included) don't usually think about. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the science behind cooling is multi-dimensional but I can honestly say that you covered several points which I would have never considered before watching your video. Finally, your 'war story' at the end was outstanding. Sharing personal experiences from time to time not only adds an interesting personal touch, it also reinforces the 'why this is important' aspect to your teaching points. Well done! I'm looking forward to your video with the thermal camera. Cheers!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Todd, I always look forward to your commentis.AG

[@marknuenke1856]

Thanks Allen, I like your honesty. Been there, done that about the heat issue racing. Bay City Michigan

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for the comments Mark. I've been there a few times.AG

[@tjt4036]

Great info. Looking forward to more. Keep up the great work.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks TJ, lots more to come.AG

[@damonbaggs3296]

Excited and looking forward to the R&D! Thanks for sharing.

[@flinch622]

Its a bigger topic than most think. From what I've read, roughly 10 feet per second [or 3 meters per second] is a generically favored fluid velocity rate dealing with an average heat exchange situation. Some cite pressure drop, pumping losses or materials wear concerns pushing past 20fps. You may have stumbled across some roundy round guys shaving down impellers on their mechanical water pumps - it's more than freeing up hp: they almost have to when they turn high rpms for 40 laps or whatever to stay away from cavitation [and that is bad news for volumetric efficiency]. And anytime impeller diameter gets reduced, gph goes down which means lower velocities. But of course, going too low is not a good thing: some turbulence promotes higher heat transfer. What owners & builders can best control is temperature differential - pump designers have usually sorted out volume for the intended engine, which makes our lives so much easier. Anyone out there never seen a pump curve, this might make your eyes bug out, but good general knowledge: blog.craneengineering.net/how-to-read-a-centrifugal-pump-curve

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Damon. I appreciate you watching and your interest in this topic. AG

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great information Flinch, thanks for giving us your perspective on this subject.AG

[@DusterCI]

Wow, made me rethink my thoughts on cooling. Looking forward to your test. Great video.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Duster, that is just what we are trying to do. AG

[@ashleykees5735]

Nice video. Really like the combination of technical (heat transfer) and practical examples.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Glad you found it helpful Ashley. AG

[@cliffwright9842]

Thanks Alan..looking forward to how you pipe the manifold and if tapping the center two areas on the heads works. This is a great idea!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Cliff. Lot's to learn and lots do on this subject. AG

[@oldbiker9739]

I was a ship engine mechanic with engines bigger then 5000 CID with 1 big blower and two large turbos that would make 7000 HP fully loaded , we would use inches of water or inches af mercury gauges on our crank cases with murphy switches to let us know if it was over loaded or if we had broken or scored liners and it would shut down the engine due to high crankcase pressure , then we would borescope the cylinders to find the culprit , it would take two struggling men to carry the main bearing cap and a good size man to carry a rod cap the rings you could carry on both shoulders, I am 73 now and look back at them thar thar days , I still pull wrenches on the five vehicles I own but at my pace, life is good don't miss the waves at all . I do remember the old 366 chevy 5 ton truck engines with there 1/2'' by pass hoses between the top of the water pump and intake manifold , looking forward to your next cooling experiment.

[@goldsgarage8236]

That is some amazing experience with huge engines, thanks for sharing that! AG

[@stevenbongiorno9277]

Another great video! I can’t wait to see the results

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thank you for watching and commenting, I appreciate your support! AG

[@johnd4273]

Like the story at the end. Lots of great information in one video.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks John, love your Cobra.AG

[@jaygooch1190]

No PCV valve on race cars because there is no vacuum at WOT for the system to work properly. Thats why you see tubes run from the valve covers to the header collectors on drag csrs

[@goldsgarage8236]

Good point Jay, I am planning a video on this subject.AG

[@patrickmazzone9066]

Great information learned a lot thanks for sharing

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Patrick.AG

[@patrickmazzone9066]

@@goldsgarage8236 Awesome keep it up

[@charles-f1x]

Can’t wait to see the data. Great content!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Charles, more to come.AG

[@davebarron5939]

Learned a lot, thanks.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for commenting Dave.AG

[@ejm406]

Do restrictors help ensure the coolant keeps flowing through the smaller / farther away passages . .. path of least resistance.

[@stevenhobbs709]

My understanding of restrictors is that they allow higher pressure in the engine (30-40psi)compared to the radiator particularly at high water pump speeds, thus reducing the chances of steam pockets forming.

[@goldsgarage8236]

thanks for commenting Steven.AG

[@IridiumRedTheOrigina]

Things that help - make sure your cooling system is CLEAN!!!! If its loaded with scale, rust, corrosion, general gunk, it will NOT work as well as it should. Not only does that stuff reduce flow, it can act like insulation, reducing the heat transfer even more Also, if you are trying to build a high performance engine that runs on minimal octane fuel, having a well functioning cooling system can make a big difference, especially on the street. Hot engine pings more. And, keeping things consistent cylinder to cylinder is important too. If you have just one hot cylinder, you may have to pull timing out of ALL the cylinders / run more octane. Just one cylinder detonating can ruin an engine. So you end up reducing the power on 7 cylinders because you have one hot running cylinder. I've also heard that pinging makes an engine run hotter too, ie, it might start pinging because its hot, but once it starts pinging its going to get hotter faster (can become a downward spiral) Anyways. If you're trying to maximize performance on pump gas, a bunch of little things like this can really add up, and either help you or hurt you :)

[@goldsgarage8236]

Those are all good points Iridium, especially that the first cylinder that detonates determines how much timing you can use. Thanks for contributing to my channel.AG

[@billlittle4285]

Great video, cooling is very important,it can make more power if all cylinders are the same temp, now if all cylinders got the same air fuel ratio??

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Bill, I wish I would have thought to mention that. That is a good point of discussion for a future video. AG

[@paulthompson1654]

An aftermarket SHP block has bigger water openings . Bonus is the SHP 400 block has very thick bores compared to factory = more stable temps . There are improved water opening head gaskets that work with std blocks also . To solve all the cyl head drama staggered exhaust port heads are available .

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Paul. i have used a few SHP blocks with good results. We will se more as OEM cores become harder to find.AG

[@amraceway]

On the subject of electric water pumps I saw on You Tube a racing sedan use a washing machine water pump driven by a windscreen wiper motor on a flexible shaft to help with the installation. An old drag racing trick was to use the generator to drive the water pump.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Very interesting, I had not heard of those tricks before. AG

[@amraceway]

@@goldsgarage8236 Thanks for your videos, great research and presentation.. On circuit racing cars using a regular water pump it is common practice to remove every second impellor blade so they don't cavitate at high speed.

[@aarvolaredonjunior1032]

Could you do a closed cooling system with an exspansion tank with a higher pressure cap and how you run all your lines.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Don. Let's see where this project goes. There seems to be lots of interest. Thanks for the suggestion.AG

[@shane-222]

Water will take the path of least resistance. Looking back at your cooling system graphic from GM…. The water is pumped into the block, passes up through the head gasket into the head and then moves forward in the head. By adding those bypass hoses the water that passes through the back cylinders will bypass the middle two, so the hot spot you identify should improve. Ultimately your builds are very conservative on CR, so you don’t find yourself needing cooling system improvements to mitigate detonation.

[@goldsgarage8236]

That is a good point Shane. We will do more on this subject with the thermal imaging camera.AG

[@Jack-ns5mn]

Best cooling trick is run methanol. Never overheats and you can use 13+ to one compression with good power gains. That restrictor you use has always worked excellent for us if sized correctly and I believe increases pressure inside the block that will tend to eliminate spot boiling hot spots. I like a plastic flex fan mechanically driven for use on tacky dirt tracks just for the added pulling power when the rad is covered in mud. Aluminum rads primary advantage is they take a higher pressure without bursting.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Lot's of great information here, thanks for commenting Jack.AG

[@StuartBlake-iz6rf]

Nice R&D project. A good war story. Did I miss your reason for the overheating problem? Makes me think there are multiple ways to reach the target. Especially since your vast experience goes against Stewart's thoughts. As always I enjoy the content. I'm the same, love buying tools. Can't measure, can't prove. so here say. haha

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Stuart. We used to tape off part of the air intake on the grille, just during qualifying. We do this to force air over the nose and improve downforce and therefore lap times. Because it was a hot day, the engine would have overheated and puked out some water from the rad, so the water level was low, thus causing overheating. APC has since changed the rules and now do not allow any taping, saving us from ourselves I guess. Because the cars were impounded after qualifying, we did not have an opportunity to check anything. Thanks for watching and commenting.AG

[@StevenStillsJr]

It’s Ed-elbrock. Pronounced like Ed in Edward. Not Eeeeeedelbrock. Love your channel you get into all the mathematics and details of stuff.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Steve, I am working on my pronunciation.AG

[@paulthompson1654]

xtra cooling hoses/pipes canbe between middle cylinders and from rear of manifold . Theses serve many functions eg localised xtra cooling ,,plus additional air bleed.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Paul, lot's of interest in this so we will do more. I am hoping that my thermal imaging camera will help to display this theory. AG

[@erikalarson6803]

I would be interested in a discussion about electric water pumps and products like Even's waterless coolant and Redline water wetter.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Eric, looks like a lot of interest in this subject. We will try to address those issues in future videos.AG

[@VintageCruiser-i6u]

Since you have Pontiac engines once in a while that you run on your Run-in-stand ---- Would be interesting to see if the left cylinder head runs -- HOTTER -- than the right side --- a quick check your new your Thermal Camera ----- Pontiac has a port on the back side where the water is routed out ----- but not on the left head ----- I see on my engine a plug in the same spot as the elbow coming out of the right head in the rear ----- Will watch , as I always try to watch your videos --- to see if you check the left head temp as compared to the right on a Pontiac --- I guess this was an issue with Pontiac engines ---- Thank you for another good video --- caught -- NOT -- to use AN fittings and the hoses ---- They do look good and make the engine bay look good --- Guess that's about it --- Have a Good Weekend --- Rodney

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks vintage. Everything you say makes sense. I will try to explore this on my next Pontiac engine. AG

[@benjamintresham9649]

What about the partial pressure system that Chrysler has used since the 1950’s The vent cap at the bottom of the radiator cap is NOT spring loaded

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Ben, I didn't know that either.AG

[@brianb5779]

Do you have printable copies of your papers? If not it would be nice to be able to print that info off

[@goldsgarage8236]

Sure Brian, if you would like to send me your email address, I will send you the WORD document. You can text it to me at 226-980-7499. AG

[@brianb5779]

@goldsgarage8236 Thank you Sir

[@paulthompson1654]

1/ cross flow were invented because of chassis design and low hood lines plus better radiator cap positioning . Very low bonnet lines now have remote reservoir . The biggest radiator cooling area exposure to air flow is what works . 2/ some engine combination if you remove thermostat water flows to fast and overheating occurs . This type of engine usually has a small radiator and a very aggressive mechanical fan . 3/radiator xtra cooling options ,, cooling fins --R or S uprated design ,,, cooling tube width 11/4 or 11/2 inch more tube more cooling ,,,,, cooling tube profile dimpled etc more cooling

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great info Paul, thanks for your interest in this subject. AG

[@joe-hp4nk]

Is there a rule of thumb on the size the radiator should be for a given size of engine, and why can''t I run without a thermostat on the street in the summer if the more free flowing the coolant is the better?

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Joe, the only negative about no thermostat is that it will take longer for your engine to come to operating temperature. AG

[@brad6665]

What about taking the fan off the pulley using electric fans and using electric motor to run the water pump. You increase HP but the waterflow does not increase for proper heat transfer. Your thoughts or maybe a subject for your channel

[@goldsgarage8236]

Good question Brad, The engine will definitely make more power with an electric fan, but i don't know how the electric fan responds to varying RPM's. I think we have started something here. I will try to explore this is a future video. Thanks for contributing.. AG

[@markmcmullen1371]

👍👍👍

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Mark.AG

[@benjamintresham9649]

Cross flow radiators block up quicker because gravity works on settlement and it layers up in the tube. Like the gutter on your house, all the rubbish sits on the bottom.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Benjamin, i never thought of that, AG

[@TomSmith-cv8hk]

You add thickness to a radiator after you've maximised width and height.

[@goldsgarage8236]

That is correct, thanks. AG

[@AndrewSquires-c6z]

Real question I have is there a valve event that lend themselves to better cooling

[@goldsgarage8236]

Good question Andrew. Thanks for commenting.AG

[@EduardoAguirre-pj3cr]

I have lots of unmeasurable theories

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for commenting Eduardo.AG

[@MP-pz9oe]

Heat is the enemy

[@goldsgarage8236]

For sure, thanks for commmenting.AG

[@davidreed6070]

I have an opinion on pcv. First you are making your engine burn funky dirty gunk. Second your engine is using vacuum to draw it in,when it could be pulling fresh clean air through the carb.if anyone has a different opinion I would like to hear it. Thank you again.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Good point David, however high crank case pressure can also cause oil to get past the rings and cause detonation. I am not sure which is worse. On the next video session I will test this theory. I will make pulls with and without the PCV valve connected. We will see if it makes more or less power, and also what effects it has on crankcase and manifold vacuum. Thanks for your comment.AG

[@davidreed6070]

@goldsgarage8236 good idea, I have heard the discussion both ways. That could depend on the engine.

[@gulfy09]

I put a bubbler thru the Pcv valve ..

[@TomSmith-cv8hk]

Replacing the thermostat with a restrictor holds highest pressure in the heads to prevent localised boiling which (lower pressure) lowers the detonation threshold, run a thermostat or a restrictor. "Stewart" is selling to you, Trevor is wrong. As for the rest of it, you aren't running F1, you don't have but so many affordable options.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for commenting Tom.AG

[@dougbaran5685]

You are comparing apples to oranges, why I say this is race cars require different cooling system then a street car. That’s why your sons engine cools good, in his race car. Would overheat in a street car.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great observation Doug, thanks for pointing that out.AG