Larry, Mike, Mark, and interested parties--
Looks like an interesting subject has been brought to the front. No,
Larry, you didn't miss anything here. The reason for ANY radiator shroud
is to direct all incoming air thru the radiator, rather than leave it up
to the car's front end design to gather in what it can. This
air-channeling aids in lowering the temperature of the coolant passing
down thru the radiator. Cooler water, now seen by the engine and
regulated by the thermostat, is what keeps the engine at a given
temperature. I doubt if this told you anything you didn't know.
Mike---If part of the excess air is diverted to ducting for the
carbs/air intake the engine will see air some degrees lower than that
which is normally found in the engine bay. This somewhat cooler air, to
repeat myself and others, helps in delaying detonation in modified
engines, or engines that have their spark advanced to the limit in
search of maximum power. I do not believe this denser air to a normally
aspirated engine does anything significant to lower overall engine
temperatures. This chore is left to the circulation of both water and
oil, as air is by itself a poor cooling medium.
Mark---I do not doubt that you have lowered your engine temps by all the
things you said you did. Each item you list may have had a share in
this, especially the enlargement of the radiator itself. However, this
mod is usually left to those who have heavily altered the factory design
of the engine. Such changes as increased compression, cam dwell,
overbore, and sustained high revs can tax the std. cooling system beyond
its limits. Keeping in mind that when our TR6's left the factory,
overheating was not a problem left to the new owners to fix. If it later
became one, it is because something has changed, on purpose or
undetected. To see which alteration made the biggest difference to your
coolant temperatures it would be necessary to do your "tricks" one at a
time and monitor the results. This may be more bother than it's worth to
you.
All---I have more gauges, monitors, sensors and such stuck all over my
car than you would want to know about. These devices are necessary for
me. They give the info to keep my enthusiasm realistic as to the results
of changes made. I'm at a point in my car-life that I don't want hoped
for results to influence what is really going on. It's hell to get
old...
Dick Taylor
CF11143
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