"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
07/17/2018 at 13:18 • Filed to: None
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"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
07/17/2018 at 13:18 • Filed to: None | 4
| 20 |
Updates, questions... You know the drill.
What’s a good mix for fluids in a car that’s driven hard? I saw a recommendation for o ne liter of antifreeze for corrosion protection , half a bottle of water wetter and fill the rest of the way with distilled water. Obviously I’d flush it and switch to a more appropriate cold weather setup when the time comes.
Oh and between the hood vents and new radiator temperatures are staying exactly where I want them. Which is even more impressive because I’m 90% sure my fan isn’t turning on, so my thermostat might be borked. Also, no undertray at the moment since I kinda wrecked it offroading... So the radiator is completely open and not boxed in as it should be.
Next step is to install my aluminum skid plates/radiator surround, and do the coolant reroute
Skid plates will be easy, although I do have to trim the uprights to the side of the radiator a bit to clear my big front sway bar. The cooling reroute.... I’m hoping to get help with that. It’s just far enough out of my comfort zone that I’m unsure if I could do it without a major screw up.
MM54
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 13:30 |
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For coolant mix, unless you’re having problems there’s really no reason not to just run 50/50 year round, other than water being cheaper than antifreeze or if you’re racing and glycol’s not permitted .
If you find yourself running hot and needing to go with more water or adding water-wetter or similar, there is an underlying problem that needs addressed. I suspect with your fancy new radiator, vents, and all the air dams for the radiator (and shiny skidplate which adds 5-7hp) it should be no problem.
Fix your fan and change the thermostat too, it’s a lot easier than changing a head gasket.
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 13:32 |
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In racecars, we usually run straight water with a bottle of water wetter thrown in (many sanctioning bodies won’t let cars with antifreeze on track). In the fall, I’ll drain some of the water and run a roughly 25% antifreeze mixture just to keep things from freezing on nights when the temperature drops below freezing.
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AestheticsInMotion
> MM54
07/17/2018 at 13:37 |
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New thermostat is part of the coolant reroute kit, and I have this trick fan setup going in (which I got for free!). Hopefully that will solve the issue.
Fair enough. I'm kind of in the mindset of "more cooling, more better" as I prepare for tripling my stock power levels haha
Future next gen S2000 owner
> MM54
07/17/2018 at 13:40 |
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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
...
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
This. These?
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MM54
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 13:51 |
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Sounds like a good plan. Cooling is good, especially as you’re getting ready to go t urbo. Save room for the intercooler :)
HammerheadFistpunch
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 13:59 |
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* Looks at the comments*
Can see im not needed
Eric @ opposite-lock.com
> MM54
07/17/2018 at 14:01 |
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There is a reason to use less than 50-50 if you don’t need the cold protection: Water is more effective for cooling than antifreeze. Antifreeze both reduces the temperature at which the fluid freezes and increases the boiling temperature. The main reason you use it is to keep the metals in the block from corroding if you’re not concerned about freezing.
I’ve never seen a problem from using tap water, either, so I wouldn’t stress using distilled water. It probably wouldn’t be an issue even during a very extended life of a car with a closed system. The probability is that you’ll need a new radiator for other reasons long before any deposits from even terrible water could build up inside one.
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Eric @ opposite-lock.com
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
07/17/2018 at 14:07 |
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You’d probably also want to use antifreeze for corrosion protection.
What is this “water wetter”? I’m not familiar with it.
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> Eric @ opposite-lock.com
07/17/2018 at 14:11 |
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https://www.redlineoil.com/waterwetter
Pretty much universally used in racecars. I think they even sell it at oriley/autozone type stores these days. I can’t say that I’ve ever verified that it improves heat transfer, but it does a fine job of preventing corrosion when running straight water.
PS9
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
07/17/2018 at 14:22 |
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Why don’t they let antifreeze on the track?
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AestheticsInMotion
> HammerheadFistpunch
07/17/2018 at 14:23 |
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A few days ago I was thinking about Oppo, and realized that my Miata build has basically been crowdsourced with all of the input I’ve gotten from everyone. Cool stuff. I couldn’t even change my own oil three years ago...
winterlegacy, here 'till the end
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 14:23 |
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Give your fancy skid plate some black paint or something that’s super hard and not very easy to break away. Scratched aluminum is never fun
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> PS9
07/17/2018 at 14:27 |
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Antifreeze is really, really slippery when spilled on pavement.
gawdzillla
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
07/17/2018 at 14:45 |
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this is correct. the coolant mix only de pends on how often / soon you expect freezing temperature .
gettingoldercarguy
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 14:49 |
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Run Amsoil dominator coolant additive. Similar to water wetter, but reduces warm up time as well.
Getting your engine up to temperature before you get on it is critical.
His Stigness
> Eric @ opposite-lock.com
07/17/2018 at 15:44 |
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It’s supposed to help lower the coolant temperature. But I vaguely remember Hammerhead telling me that just going down to 25% coolant was enough to lower the temperature. But water wetter is cheap, so I use that too.
Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> PS9
07/17/2018 at 16:20 |
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coolant is actually more slippy than oil surprisingly.
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 16:27 |
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Running an undertray (of any sort) is actually better for cooling as well. You might think having no tray at all means more air can come in or vent out. But really, running no tray will mean that the “cool” air being brought in by the air intake will just escape out of the bottom and be less efficent at being sent into the engine. Now this would 100% not matter for the sake of overheating at stock power levels. But it would likely result in worse power levels and potential cooling issues once forced induction is in the mix. However, you plan on installing the skid plate so it should all be good. I do not currently have an undertray on my Miata but being completely stock for power, I am not really all that concerned. It was more of a pain in the ass for oil changes and general maintenance so I just removed it. Plus it was torn to shit so I really need to replace it with a new one if I wanted to use it.
Anyways, DEFINITELY fix your cooling issues entirely before adding any amount of boost. Especially with how old your block is, I wouldnt want any undue stress put in there. Miata aluminum blocks are particularly susceptible to heat already (as you should know I imagine) so that is the primary piece of maintenance to be anal about.
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AestheticsInMotion
> Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
07/17/2018 at 16:32 |
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Yep, that’s the reason I bought it. All of the “skid plates” on the market didn’t box in the radiator, and then I found LRB’s, which did! 1/8" aluminum will offer a small bit of protection as well but that’s just a bonus. So far from what I’ve seen... I strongly recommend it. I think there’s an NB version?
Oh and drive at 100mph with the tray, and then without. At least on my NA, there's a huge difference in how stable the car feels...
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Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> AestheticsInMotion
07/17/2018 at 17:52 |
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How easily does it mount/unmount? Those stupid plastic rivets on the plastic one give me nightmares sometimes. But my front frame forks that it mounts too are also gnarly as hell so I have to drill holes in order to mount anything to them. Pretty sure that will eventually be the death of my Miata before anything else. Drivers side one will disintigrate eventually, albeit slower now since things simply dont rust in Socal.
But yeah i’ve had the Miata up to ~115mph on Autoclub Speedway and didnt notice any instability. Pucker factor was real at that speed though with the wall around the outside of the track. Idk how people were mentally okay going 140+ in faster cars lol. Especially after watching some youtube videos of people eating it into that wall at speed. Partly why I dont really want to go back there. I liked Streets of willow more where 90+ was fast.