Radiator Plumbing, Sorry for starting another thread

[NewyorkKopter]

Hey, I'm really sorry but I couldn't help it. How exactly are radiators hooked up in a car(preferably supercars)? Does the fluid go straight into the engine and then back into the radiator, or does it go through some kind of pump? Also is there any diagram of it? Again, I apologize for starting another thread so soon

[Moppie]

Well generaly you need a pump to circulate the water around the water jacket in the engine and into, and around the radiator.


These are all very basic questions, maybe you should invest some money in a simple book on automotive engineering?

[2.2 Straight six]

as far as i know there are "pathways" within the engine block for coolant to flow, there is a pump between radiator and engine, usually a return pump.

[NewyorkKopter]

yea I know, latley I've been lazy. So the fluid after being cooled in the radiator would go through the thermostat, then the engine, and then after going through the engine the water pump would push the heated fluid out of the engine toward the radiator?

Is this how it works?


here's another pic


so the water pump pulls in the cooled fluid/pushes heated fluid out, and the fluid goes into the engine through the thermostat on top of the engine?

[TheSilentChamber]

Alot of times the thermostat will be on the output line, but not allways- depends on the motor in question really. Its also not just a simple loop, there are usually hoses coming out at some point or another that go to things such as heaters cores, throttle bodys, intake manifolds, ect. High end exotics will see less of these things, but on general cars this is very common.

[Moppie]

The Thermostat will be on the out put from the engine, as its measuring engine water temp.
Water will usualy flow top to bottom through the radiator, but does not have to flow any particular way when in the engine, just as long as cold goes in and hot comes out, and its able to circulate to wheres it needed.

So in your diagram the flow needs to be on the other side.

And don't think of the water pump as drawing water from the radiator into the engine, its main job is to circulate water with in the engine, and will fucntion even if the thermostat is closed.
Usualy its the pressure differential between the cold water in the radiator, and the hot water in the engine that starts cicrulation between them, and some cooling will go on this way even when the engine is shut off, and pump no longer running.

[NewyorkKopter]

oo, so the warmer fluid usually exits the engine through the top, passing through the thermostat, and then into the radiator where its cooled and flows into the engine through the water pump.

btw, where's the water pump on the Enzo's engine?

[TheSilentChamber]

More than likely it uses an electric water pump.

[2.2 Straight six]

that pipe accross the left cylinder bank leads to it, and exits by the blue-capped tube left of the starter motor.

[NewyorkKopter]

oo, I see it, Thank you. Just one more question... If the fluid exits through the top, into the pipe across the left cylinder bank, through the water pump ,then finally through the blue capped tube to the radiator, where does it enter the engine?


Also I was looking at the Koenigsegg CC-X, and is that tube running along the side of the chassis the Radiator line running from the front of the car to the back? because I thought that in supercars with mid-mounted engine and front mounted radiators the radiator lines went through the chassis instead of bending around it like in the CC-X, that is if those are the radiator lines

[NewyorkKopter]

[Moppie]

The lines can be run anywhere the designer thinks they will fit best, and be best protected.
Since Colin Chapman make good use of the back bone chassis designers have had a nice tunnel to run thier plumbing in. But if you don't want to use a large back bone, which takes up lots of space inside the car, then you need to find somewhere else to run things.

The water can enter the engine anywhere, it depends on the chossen design, but it generaly enters with the water pump.

[NewyorkKopter]

ah i see. so thats why the Koenigsegg's lines bend around the chassis, to avoid a large central tunnel