McLaren F1 Radiator Air Flow

[NewyorkKopter]

Hey, I was looking at this pic of the F1, and it shows the air entering through the front intakes, through the radiators, and then it just exits on to the front wheels. Is this how the F1's radiator air flow works?

right now photbucket isnt letting me upload it, so I guess I'll have to find it, but It looks like a diagram with blue arrows representing high pressure air and red arrows representing low pressure air flowing across the F1. I think it might've been in some Japanese McLaren F1 Review movie. Its black and white, like a drawing of the F1 with arrows. I'm sure you guys've definetly seen it

[amanichen]

Essentially, yes, the air from the radiators passes through the front wheel well, and exits through those long vents that are built into the doors. However, I think the primary function of these two vents is to keep high pressure air from building up on the rear edge of the wheel wells (big hole = no blocking of the air) There's also a secondary air path next to the radiator, that is ducted directly to the brake disk to keep it cool.

And, on certain models with louvers on the front wheel arches, there's also airflow through them going up, as can be seen in this diagram:

[NewyorkKopter]

yea thats the pic. But wouldn't throwing all the air from the radiator onto the front wheels kind of upset the stability? or is it better for aerodynamics? because Ferrari did it with the F40, 360, and F430.

[amanichen]

The wheel well is a convenient exit for the hot air. Most wheel wells experience no real airflow anyway, so all the air moving through them keeps the pressure down, and can actually help negate lift. The cars with louvers on the wheel arches have even more downforce.

[Peloton25]

The original design appears to show that all F1s were planned to have an air exit vent at the top of the headlight, but this design was scrapped before the first production car was built. It does appear on the GTRs and longtail road cars, as well as a few special F1 road cars, but that air exit is further back on the fender than is seen in that diagram.

>8^)
ER

[NewyorkKopter]

oo, do you have any pics with the front bumper off, so that you could see the radiators and their ducting cleary?

[Peloton25]

I have pics with the whole front end off, but they might not show exactly what you are hoping for.

Here's one in particular:



>8^)
ER

[amanichen]

On the 1997 GTRs, the air from the radiators exited up through the louvers. The wheels wells seem fairly isolated from airflow. The brakes appear to be cooled by the center hole on the nose:

[teak360]

Originally Posted by amanichen

On the 1997 GTRs, the air from the radiators exited up through the louvers. The wheels wells seem fairly isolated from airflow. The brakes appear to be cooled by the center hole on the nose:

Just as an aside, the cooling system is one of the weak points of the F1. Sustained hard driving causes the car to overheat, and it shouldn't.

[NewyorkKopter]

oo thanks, but why would they isolate the wheel wells if it would promote downforce? Also could the overheating problem be due to lack of oncoming airflow? btw do you have any pics of just the chassis?

[Le Man]

The 97 GTR radiator cooling is a little more complex than Amanichen has stated. Working from memory, the outlet duct covered the upper two thirds of the radiator. Allowing some air flow into the wheel well, The floor each side of the crash box,(under the radiators) has three channel diffuser's to promote the front downforce. There was blanking plates for the diffuser's to tune the front downforce for different circuits. All GTR'S had larger capacity radiator's than the road F1, Larger in section from front to back.

F1 overheating is mainly due to an enclosed engine bay, with very little direct cooling air coming in. A problem with most mid engined cars.

[amanichen]

Originally Posted by teak360

Just as an aside, the cooling system is one of the weak points of the F1. Sustained hard driving causes the car to overheat, and it shouldn't.

At least on the road versions, maybe not the GTRs, considering they competed in LeMans.

[tortoise]

Originally Posted by teak360

Just as an aside, the cooling system is one of the weak points of the F1. Sustained hard driving causes the car to overheat, and it shouldn't.

True of the original cooling system, depending of course on the temp of the environment in which the car is being driven.
This is remedied by an upgraded cooling system that the factory offer as a retrofittable modification.

[teak360]

Originally Posted by tortoise

True of the original cooling system, depending of course on the temp of the environment in which the car is being driven.
This is remedied by an upgraded cooling system that the factory offer as a retrofittable modification.

Actually it doesn't remedy it. It helps only marginally, unfortuantely, and as you can imagine it is a very expensive upgrade. The basic system is fundamentally inadequate for the power the car makes.

[tortoise]

Originally Posted by teak360

Actually it doesn't remedy it. It helps only marginally, unfortuantely, and as you can imagine it is a very expensive upgrade.

I can promise you that it remedies it for some people, my friend.