Cooling Setups for Track Use
 

Okay guys so I'm experiencing overheating coolant problems again and before I go yanking my engine and tearing it down again I want to hear what everyone is running for cooling setups. To keep things easy to digest and orderly please copy the format (setup, problem (if you have any), comments) and add anything you feel is worthwhile.

Setup:
Radiator - stock
Radiator fan - stock
Radiator cap - Greddy 1.3 bar
Thermostat - stock
Oil cooler - AMS (Setrab 25 row)
Fluid - water and Redline water wetter
Water temp gauge - stock
Oil temp gauge - Defi
Power/torque - 400/400 at the wheels

Problem: Can usually lean on the car pretty hard for 3-5 laps and then water temp will skyrocket. Oil doesn't even get past 240F on track in 90F ambient. Car isn't smoking and there's no leaks anywhere. The overflow will fill up and the water is definitely boiling. Driving around normally (not hauling ass around track) and the car is fine, doesn't skip a beat.

Comments: I've been under the impression that the stock water cooling system was up to par for a pretty decent amount of power, and I'm not making oodles of power. I went through this exact problem last year and the head was warped about 2 and a half thou. Got the head decked and the deck on the block measured out find so I let that be. Car was on stock head bolts so I figured it may have lifted from that so I threw in ARP 2000s when the engine went back together. Thermostat has been replaced and I've changed out the rad cap for a stock pressure one, neither one made an impact on the problem. If I have to pull the engine and get the head and block decked again that's fine but I feel like there's an underlying issue that I'm missing.

Setup:
Radiator - stock
Radiator fan - stock
Radiator cap - stock
Thermostat - stock
Oil cooler - Setrab (MAP or STM, I forget) with fan.
​​​​​​Oil Pan - 6.5+ quarts
Fluid - Evans waterless
Water temp gauge - stock
Oil temp gauge - Autometer
Power/torque - anywhere between 370/340ish to 450/350 at the wheels

No problems with HPDE or AutoX, up to 105° ambient. My only problem while daily driving is that I have to block of my oil cooler in the winter, otherwise my temp gauge never budges from 140°.

A blown head gasket, or some head gasket issue would cause the engine to immediately over heat,

What do your water temps get to?

Stock gauge so I don't know the actual number. It'll rise to H within 3-5 hard laps. Give it a cooldown lap and it'll drop back down a bit and rise again on the next hard lap.

Need a water temp gauge dude lol

I have a CSF slim radiator with fan, and a setrab 25 row oil cooler. Stock thermostats.

The old engine got to 205-210 and stayed there on track at probably 440-450whp and upper 300's torque.

It would fill the over flow and loose some coolant on the first session. Coolant grows a lot when it's throughly heat soaked like that.

Maybe the rad is plugged or t-stat not fully opening? Head issues can cause or be the result of overheat issues.

Yea I know. Did you ever have any heat issues with the stock rad?


Stock rad was replaced after an endtank cracked before the engine was torn down last year. Thermostat was replaced when the engine was put back together. I definitely think the head getting warped was the result of some other issue.

i second getting a water temp gauge or at least datalogging the water temps. You shouldn’t need more water cooling than what you have if it’s all working correctly. I assume it’s bled, full, etc. Corrosion might be an internal issue though, especially if you’ve been running straight water for a while and the car sits a lot.

Setup:
Radiator - Mishimoto
Radiator fan - stock
Radiator cap - Stock WRX
Thermostat - stock
Oil cooler - Evo 9
Fluid - water and Lucas Super Coolant
Water temp gauge - stock
Oil temp gauge - none
Power/torque - 290 or so, 310tq

My car only ever got warm on me one weekend, Dominion last spring when it was 95 degrees. Probably 140+ track temp (new surface in blazing sun). It would heat up after two or three laps, and then I had to manage it the rest of the session.

Do you have an undertray on the car? It amazes me the amount of Evo's I see with no undertray

Do you leave that in it over the winter? I flush mine and fill it back with coolant.

I tackled that one from the beginning. The stock rad is pretty ...rad. Well made and took the heat up until it got a pinhole leak from so many on/off turbo's/diag's. So if you're going to replace it do a Koyo or CSF as those are in-budget and hold up well. The more expensive ones do better but I've found that with the right air flow it doesn't matter much. I couldn't quickly find the line graph I posted showing h2o over the course of the races but you can also see in the vid I did a couple years back: https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...16-season.html

Radiator - Koyo
Radiator fan - SPAL
Radiator cap - Koyo 1.3 bar
Thermostat - stock
Oil cooler - Stock
Fluid - water and 2x Purple Ice
Water temp gauge - RT
Oil temp gauge - RT
Power/torque - 320-420 depending.

Radiator - Koyo
Radiator fan - FAL 12-1/8" S-Blade (1250 CFM)
Radiator cap - Koyo 1.3 bar
Thermostat - stock
Oil cooler - B&M 70273 front mounted
Fluid - 50/50
Water temp gauge - Stock
Oil temp gauge - Innovate (annoyingly is a scale for temp, pressure in digits)
Power/torque - 430/390

No issues with this setup but the FAL fan is a super tight fit into the bay as it barely clears WGA and STM sealed catch can.

agreed. I haven't found anything that works better. The reason I went through the trouble
​​​ and cost of using Evans is because it keeps pressure to 4-7psi which saves my end tanks. The lack of acidity/corrosion/scaling is a bonus.
also ,I killed an AC condenser when the post on the WGA flapper punctured it. So I feel your pain on killing the radiator.
:lol: