2JR ST Cooling System Mods

[carramrod]

Joe, when your coolants temps were ~225F, did you notice your coolant boiling in the expansion tank?

 

[joe@2j-racing]

After the session I did a cool down lap and let it idle down in the pits. I didnt open the hood to get a look at the tank.

Full Race 2JR FMIC

 

[lessard.dcj]

Very sexy

 

[Sourskittle]

Hard numbers on the cooler dimensions ?

 

[Sourskittle]

Spent my intercooler money

 

[BostonDriver]

Should have stuck with the intercooler purchase...

 

[Sourskittle]

It covers an old wedding band tattoo, lol. If your gonna be dumb, ya gotta be tough

 

[airjor13]

let's keep this on topic guys!

 

[Sourskittle]

Still interested in specs, but I know Joe is super busy with the rad and other stuff.

 

[joe@2j-racing]

750cfm flow rate, 550hp efficient with a less dense internal fin structure than OEM with <1psi pressure drop, 17 rows. I'll post up more pictures tomorrow

 

[razorlab]

Joe, nice to see you coming out with parts that are after track testing. I'm a (older) track rat that has done a *ton* of track events in my Evos,etc and I grabbed the Fiesta ST to have a nice lightweight daily/track car.

Looking forward to all the new goodies!

 

[re-rx7]

We just need a 2-speed fan from a mid 90's ford taraus !! I had one on my 2002 wrangler with a 95' mustang gt motor swapped into it, and when that 2nd speed kicked on, it felt like it was going to PULL THE JEEP FORWARD, like an air boat, but backwards, lol. I had to buy a 40 or 50amp relay for the "high speed". That fan was nuts, lol.

HAve one on my rx7. Its a legit fan. LOL

What we've found during our time attack events is the stock ST cooling system is woefully inadequate. And I dont use that term lightly. Even several successive runs on the dyno will get the water temps pegged over 210. Our last event, the ambient was mid 80s and by lap 3 the ST broke 225 and never came down until idling in the pits. Drafting brought on the heat in under 2 laps and clean air didnt do much better to get it back down.

Two big issues exist. One, cheap and easy to remedy. The other will take some engineering and investment. The ST radiator is shrouded by a single fan on the right and flaps on the left. A vast majority of the air is trapped behind the shroud. We are going to switch to a 22amp, 265 watt, dual speed single high output (2100 cfm) derale 14" fan and nix the shroud. We'll incorporate the ford fan controller. The ONLY REASON to run a shroud is so that at speeds less than 15mph, the fan cools the entire radiator, not just the space it falls behind. With the derale, running without a shroud shouldnt be a problem.

View attachment 1127

Second is the radiator. Its small, its thin and its just not supportive of the higher engine loads we are asking of the 1.6. 1" thick and 16" of core height. The problem with the radiator is it incorporates upper and lower plastic brackets that support the condenser. The brackets must flex to lock in the condenser which makes it harder to design a true aluminum radiator. Not saying it cant be done, just labor intensive. The radiator also has a bleed valve. We are working with Griffin to come up with a racing radiator, with twice the capacity, possibly with an integrated oil cooler. This would allow for a remote oil filter design.

Next race is father's day weekend and we'll have the new radiator and fan installed for testing.

View attachment 1128
View attachment 1129

Being in the rotary game for sometime now cooling is always the big issue. Judging by all the info you guys collected my thoughts swing to a bigger radiator. Everything that I've seen on the car shows ducting isnt a problem. Plenty of air reaches the radiator. The radiator just isnt large enough to handle the increased load of the turbo and oil. The shroud also looks fine. With the flaps minimal air is being trapped at speed. Its actually a pretty neat idea by the ST engineers. I tip my hat to them. HAve yall tried a higher PSI rad cap along with the watter wetter. I also believe a vented hood would help. Evacuating all the hot air after it comes through the front would also help.

Good info,

Cheers,
-B

 

[RAAMaudio]

Great post

I have a good sized Setrab oil cooler, Mocal Tstat plate, heat shielded lines and intake tube to throttle body, big IC, Modified NACA duct in the grill area feeding a 3" hose to stock intake filter box, sealing everything to ensure air goes through it all and on the list for the first batch of radiators. I disconnected the line to the oil to water cooler before I knew of the radiator coming out, I might hook hook it back up as it helps heat up the oil faster....I also have water wetter and 25% antifreeze in the system.

I have been on track in 100+ weather in race suit with the heater on full blast to help with overheating issues on the engine and lost 20 lbs in one day....

I am doing everything that can be done on my ST

 

[re-rx7]

We just need a 2-speed fan from a mid 90's ford taraus !! I had one on my 2002 wrangler with a 95' mustang gt motor swapped into it, and when that 2nd speed kicked on, it felt like it was going to PULL THE JEEP FORWARD, like an air boat, but backwards, lol. I had to buy a 40 or 50amp relay for the "high speed". That fan was nuts, lol.

Great post

I have a good sized Setrab oil cooler, Mocal Tstat plate, heat shielded lines and intake tube to throttle body, big IC, Modified NACA duct in the grill area feeding a 3" hose to stock intake filter box, sealing everything to ensure air goes through it all and on the list for the first batch of radiators. I disconnected the line to the oil to water cooler before I knew of the radiator coming out, I might hook hook it back up as it helps heat up the oil faster....I also have water wetter and 25% antifreeze in the system.

I have been on track in 100+ weather in race suit with the heater on full blast to help with overheating issues on the engine and lost 20 lbs in one day....

I am doing everything that can be done on my ST

The struggle is real!

I think a bigger radiator and a vented hoodwould work wonders for this little car. The Condenser will slow the airflow some as well so that may also be the reason the stock rad has trouble. I really wanna see how good of a job this radiator does when it arrives.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I am looking at hood ducts as well and might do something. I love the leaned forward radiator and fully ducted out the hood Vette race car stuff, built my own before in fact, just cannot happen on this car but a partial one may work.

Venting it out the hood releases air pressure under the car increasing down force....

I had a C6 World Challenge body for my C5 race car build, huge curved NACA ducts on the undertray to blow air out the wheel wells, more down force.

 

[Sourskittle]

There is a euro company that sells cnc machined hood spacers for the fist for like $25... Focussport? I don't remember its name... But it exist. Buick grand national guys been doing that since 1984, lol.

 

[re-rx7]

I am looking at hood ducts as well and might do something. I love the leaned forward radiator and fully ducted out the hood Vette race car stuff, built my own before in fact, just cannot happen on this car but a partial one may work.

Venting it out the hood releases air pressure under the car increasing down force....

I had a C6 World Challenge body for my C5 race car build, huge curved NACA ducts on the undertray to blow air out the wheel wells, more down force.

I think you and I are on the same page. lol

There is a euro company that sells cnc machined hood spacers for the fist for like $25... Focussport? I don't remember its name... But it exist. Buick grand national guys been doing that since 1984, lol.

Hood spacer especially the ones that raise the rear of the hood have been proven bunk. The base of the windshield is a high pressure area and if anything it may actaully hurt.

 

[Sourskittle]

I drive around with the top of my cowl off, lol. No hood spacers Just putting info out there. They work on turbo buicks. But that's really a whole different animal aero and generally, lol.

 

[re-rx7]

I drive around with the top of my cowl off, lol. No hood spacers Just putting info out there. They work on turbo buicks. But that's really a whole different animal aero and generally, lol.

Exactly the rake on the windshield makes a huge difference. The best place to vent in on the actuall hood itself. Notice that Fox mustangs have reverse hood scoops facing the windshield?

 

[Sourskittle]

Exactly the rake on the windshield makes a huge difference. The best place to vent in on the actuall hood itself. Notice that Fox mustangs have reverse hood scoops facing the windshield?

So did my turbo civic.... After I took a body saw to it, lol. Poor civic.