too much cooling?

[law195]

Just browsing around, I've seen operating 'range' mentioned a lot more than usual. It put the question in my head. Can there be too big of a radiator? I can see the extremes like running liquid nitrogen as a coolent wouldn't work out too well for combustion, but Is there some tip or tricks to get the right size radiator for a car. ie A tube frame where you could put any giant radiator.
thanks

[KiwiBacon]

Originally Posted by law195

Just browsing around, I've seen operating 'range' mentioned a lot more than usual. It put the question in my head. Can there be too big of a radiator? I can see the extremes like running liquid nitrogen as a coolent wouldn't work out too well for combustion, but Is there some tip or tricks to get the right size radiator for a car. ie A tube frame where you could put any giant radiator.
thanks

I'm not really sure what your question is.

If the thermostat does it's job properly, the downsides of a large radiator are the space and weight it takes up.

[GreyGoose006]

he is asking weather or not you can "Over Cool" a car with the radiator being too large.

to answer your question:
radiator size is usually a reflection of the size, power, and load of the engine.
an 18 wheeler will have a bigger radiator than a pinto.
the size of a radiator will help cooling, but only to a point. there is a point at which putting in a bigger radiator just adds weight, and takes up space: Law of diminishing returns.

sure a bigger radiator will radiate more heat, but if your thermostat is working, your engine is running properly, and you are not racing in Le Mans, the stock radiator is usually sufficient. if you live in the Mojave, and enjoy racing at top speed across the desert, you may require a larger radiator.

if you modify your engine to produce say twice the power, you may need a bigger radiator.

otherwise, i'd stick with stock... unless you have a problem with overheating.

p.s. if you have a problem with overheating, i'd check things like your thermostat, or fan clutch if you have one. electric fans could short out and not pull air, or your radiator may be so old that the corrosion built up has clogged some of the cooling vanes in the engine block.

[UncleBob]

Originally Posted by KiwiBacon

If the thermostat does it's job properly, the downsides of a large radiator are the space and weight it takes up.

this is exactly correct. The t-stat regulates flow to the radiator. You can have a radiator 16 feet long and 12" thick, it won't matter at all if the t-stat is doing its job.

[law195]

Thanks for the input. I will assume that you cannot over cool an engine. And yes it is for race purposes. Though I'm no pro racer, with no pro team, therefore the questions.

[Moppie]

You can over cool an engine, efficient combustion requires a certain temperature range (which is dependant on engine design).

Fortunately most engines have a thermostat that controls that.
So in theory you can use a radiator that is to large, and simply rely on the thermostat to remain shut, or never fully open.

This of course can lead to other problems, the most obvious being the extra and there fore un-needed weight. Something you should be striving to remove in a race car.
And you can also interfere with proper water circulation in the cooling system if the thermostat never fully opens.
This can create deposits, and cause problems with hot spots etcetera in the block and head.