Better engine cooling

[simxs]

You guys know that if you just didn't thrash the engine when it's hot you probably wouldn't have issues.

So true. Certain conditions and driving style can simply push the cooling system beyond its capacity. I've had my car cruise at 170km/h in 35 degrees, and sit in traffic at 45 degrees, both with AC on and the gauge doesn't move from its normal position. However one day some years ago on the beach at Mungo Brush North of Port Stephens in New South Wales it was 40 degrees, dry and windy making the sand so soft we would bog if we stopped on the level. Pushing the car hard in 2nd gear resulted in the AC turning off automatically and the temp gauge rising immediately. Stopping and idling for even a minute would see it drop again. However I found that being less ambitious and staying in first gear - putting less load on the engine - meant that the gauge remained at normal, even in exactly the same conditions.

The point about automatic gearboxes is interesting too. The car I was traveling with, an MY04 4EAT Forester, was still running hot and required a stop even when we drove more gently and my car was ok.

 

[Bobam]

With auto's fitted with a tranny cooler when working very hard [soft hot sand] the tranny cooler not only gets hotter but it also restricts flow through the radiator as the fans are trying to pull air through 2 sets of 'fins'. Be careful when 'hosing' out radiators that you don't use too much pressure and bend the fins over.
The temp gauge in the bosses 01 SF auto towing a 1250kg pop top up 12% [I ignored the 'no trucks, caravans, etc sign] in 36c went from a 1/3 up to a 1/2 on the temp gauge.
I was impressed and thankful.
regards

 

[Douglas Ferrier]

I to have suffered the, engine getting hot from slow travel in soft sand with A/C on and 40+ temps.
Stopping and letting the engine idle with bonnet up let the heat dissipate relatively fast, as did slowing down to a crawl, also traveling much faster helped - but often not possible.

Best to always keep an eye on the temp gauge: as mentioned earlier in the postings they are not calibrated but any rise above normal means - you are generating to much heat for the given air flow over the heat exchanger (radiator).

The water spray on a radiator (and turbo intercoolers) is highly effective and through a measurements have seen them in action wipe off 20degrees C from coolant temps. So I must say Dulagarls advice is sound - however the key piece of requirement/information to go with that is, still need to have air flow over the heat exchanger so that the latent heat of transformation of H2O going from liquid to steam is removed from the engine bay (no air flow equals you still will not get much cooling from a sprayer).
The other aspect of a sprayer is to ensure you get fine enough water particles so that they can evaporate easily and thus drag the heat away as the liquid changes to steam.

Hence with that in mind extra vents to allow better airflow at slow speeds is probably your best first move followed by a sprayer.

I have been caught out in hot temps in Victorias big desert and had to slow travel rates and stop regulary to bleed off heat, was a minor inconvenience but given it is rare to be out in such conditions I have not bothered modifying, preferring to manage it cautiously when such conditions are encountered.

If you encounter these conditions regulary, well worth putting in the time and effort on the mods, and try and get a high pressure "mister" style sprayer if possible as it will use less water and be more effective - water droplet size is important.

Note about getting a larger radiator; unlikely to help if your fans are unable to blow the required air volume over it to take the heat away so you will need to do fans and radiator to gain extra ability to cool the fluid.