Cooler engine?

[19RaVeN96]

Hey! I somewhat of a newbie. I was wondering what is the best way to keep the engine bay cool. Or what would be the most efficient way? My car is a 96 accord.

[AccordCodger]

What problem are you trying to solve? The Accord's cooling system works pretty reliably.

If you literally mean keep the engine BAY cool --- (a) good luck, with a 200-odd degree block of metal sitting in it, and (b) why do you need to keep it especially cool?

[phoenixitc]

Very easy way... looooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuvvvveeeerrrrssssss

Trick way back in the old days to vent heat from engine bays with hot running big block V8s!

[AccordCodger]

Yeah, but ..... for a 2.2L (or 2.0 or 1.8) 4-banger???

[phoenixitc]

Ok... littler louvers

[AccordCodger]

Love it - LOL!

[19RaVeN96]

My engine is running fine. Yeah, I know of course that the engine never is gonna be "cool", but maybe cooler. I heard you can get more out of the engine if it is kept cooler.

[AccordCodger]

No - you're heading down the wrong path. The engine actually runs BETTER if it's HOTTER (well, up to a point).

What you may have been confusing it with is the temperature of the incoming air to the fuel system. It's true that the colder the air taht gets mixed with fuel (again, up to a point), the more HP you get. The reason is simple - cold air is denser than hot.

But others who've addressed that issue can advise you better than I can. Suffice to say that it's neither necessary nor very practical to try to lower the temp of the entire engine bay.

[phoenixitc]

Another aspect to a "cooler engine" is the temp of the thermostat. In my bygone days of running high output V8s, running a lower temp thermostat help keep the engine temp cooler by opening the system sooner. That combined with a high-flow radiator and modified water pump would help maintain a cooler engine, i.e big block 427s and 454s.

[AccordCodger]

But the purpose of that was to keep the engine from being damaged, not to cause it to produce more HP, right? I was always taught that a cooler motor is a less efficient motor.

[phoenixitc]

If you are referring to my statement, yes, the purpose of the lower temp theromostat is to to help an engine run cooler should it be running hotter that is proper. This was commonly done of big blocks running down here in Texas during the summer.

[AccordCodger]

Yes, phoenix - sorry - I was referring to your observation.

So aren't any of you racers going to help out with advice as to how to lower the intake temp? You know about all this after-market stuff -- I don't.

[bx10466]

I'm not sure if it's the same thing but I have alot of heat coming from under the car itself. Can't even lean against my car while it's idling. It's a '92 accord lx. I did remove the heat shield from the exhaust a while ago, it was making a noise

[AccordCodger]

We're off on a bunny trail here!

[bx10466]

I KNOW BUT C'MON I WAS NICE AND WASTED WHEN I READ IT, AND BESIDES BUNNIES ARE CUTE AND MAKE GOOD ROAD-KILL