Highly tuned engine overheating

[obi_waynne]

A friend has an Impreza tuned to around 500bhp. He has a major problem with it overheating.

He has tried oil coolers, a bigger radiator, larger intercoolers and a lot of other things but it still runs to hot when driven in anger for any length of time.

How can he stop his engine from overheating? What recommendations would you make?

 

[stamford]

Get him to talk to Prodrive, someone must know. Is the water pump up to the job? No good having bigger this and that if the pump can't circulate the water enough.

 

[obi_waynne]

No one at Subaru or Pro Drive wanted to touch it.

I thought about an additional electric water pump. Also water wetter an antifreeze coolant additive reportedly allows better cooling.

 

[turbonutter69]

No one at Subaru or Pro Drive wanted to touch it.

I thought about an additional electric water pump. Also water wetter an antifreeze coolant additive reportedly allows better cooling.

Try phoning these Scooby Clinic.
I know they are far away from you but they may be able to help out over the phone.
And I know they've dealt with alot of big power Scoob's.

 

[HDi fun]

No one at Subaru or Pro Drive wanted to touch it.

I thought about an additional electric water pump. Also water wetter an antifreeze coolant additive reportedly allows better cooling.

Careful with this stuff. It works by reducing the surface tension of the coolant and as such allows better metal/water contact. It can be quite destructive as well. Never use this stuff with OAT coolant.

 

[turbonutter69]

Any news on this Waynne?

 

[T9 man]

No one at Subaru or Pro Drive wanted to touch it.

This is very worrying! why did they not want to help? was it because they were not personally involved in the modified works of the car or something?

 

[old-git]

This is very worrying! why did they not want to help? was it because they were not personally involved in the modified works of the car or something?

I am not surprised they didn't want to help. If they suggested something over the phone that didn't work or made matters worse there is a risk that they could be chased for the costs of the remedial work.

Without wanting to sound harsh, it looks to me like another case of someone playing with something they know little about - ie adding lots of power without designing a cooling system to match. Just blindly adding another cooler here or a bigger radiator there without working out WHY it is overhesting just confirms my suspicions.

When you say that it 'runs to hot' do you mean the gauge needle runs up to the hot mark or do you mean 'runs too hot' and is overheating and spewing coolant? If it is losing fluid, is this whilst driving, stationary or after turning the engine off?

What temp are we talking about?

 

[obi_waynne]

He bought the car cheap and yes it had been DIY modded to the current spec. I don't see him much so haven't got any updates on it from his end but I've emailed him your comnments so we'll see what happens.

 

[bigbadjoe]

Bit of a long shot here, but how is the exhaust gases getting out? If they are are backing up could this cause it? If he has tried bigger intercoolers, rad's then I doubt it will have anything to do with that.

 

[boostnturbos]

just throwing in a sugestion, heat wrap the manifold, it takes a savage amount of heat away from the engine bay. big fans to cool evrything and plenty of space to get ride of the warm air. and just for the crak pull out the thermostat, jus for the crak.