I have only had my SRT for less than a week, but I am noticing that it seems to really run a lot hotter than my N/A roadster did.

For instance, I drove about four miles home today and arrived here at 6:45. Just now at 9:45 I felt heat from the car and the hood is still hot to the touch in the garage three hours later. The temp gauge seems fine, but I just never remembered my old Crossfire holding heat that long after being parked... I guess I can see the value of an upgraded intercooler pump and supercooler... wow!

 

Yes, the SC makes the SRT run really hot.
My temp guage has never gone above half way, though.
As an extra addedcold weather bonus, this means the heat will start to kick in after about a block.

 

This is why I did so many cooling mods:

Pulled hood blanket, like the sound anyway
Vented the hood
Designed a lower temp stat 180
Added supercooler
Added thermal barrier on the passenger exhaust
Pulled the rubber hood gaskets front and rear
Planed down the water troughs below the windshield


Now Iget a fair amount of free cooling and a much faster cool down at the track.

Woody

Fan mod planned for summer.W DY Weekend

 

Woody, have you removed the lower plastic belly guard under the engine for extra cooling?

 

Yes, I am doing things so often it got in the way. Forgot that one. Woody

 

Out to remove my lower pan and hood gaskets!
I like being cool!

 

looks like the hood pad will sag anyway.. i thought about taking mine out

 

Will the paint on the hood discolor or crack, peel or otherwise be damaged by removing the hood insulation? Is there much of a benefit to airflow with it removed?

Thanks,
KrzyFast

 

Unless you have hood vents like Woody has, air flow shouldn't be effected. Unless the extra space created by its absence does allow it to circulate more effeciently.
Good question about the hoods paint being damaged by excessive heat.
The Crossfire comes with some pretty indestructible paint though, my hood had to be acid dipped 3 times to get it all off.

 

I test drove a Black SRT-6 Coupe one summer day and I raised the hood after the drive. Had to be the HOTTEST engine compartment I have ever felt in my life.

 

My simple mod is un-restircted, maximized air flow to the radiator.

Keeps the engine nice and cool when running the 185mm in the dead of summer...

 

Brian,
You run around all summer with no grill or you just moved the horns out of the way? I would think both would help keep it cool, but no grill would be a little light on looks, ha!

I opend my grill up - I removed the back slats that angled upwards, but I did not move the horns. That is probably a good idea to move them.

I am also going to pull the SC and intercooler and wrap them with some heat barrier as you did.


Cheers,
KrzyFast

 

when i switched from my mesh grill back to the stock grill, my temp increased. even thought the mesh grill doesn't compliment the lines of the car as much, it does provide better airflow to the supercooler/radiator.

 

I relocated the horns last summer in an attempt to maximize air flow through the radiator core. I also plan to cut the slats (every little bit helps) once I decide if I'm going to paint or mount the chrome overlays on the grill.

I've seen pics of XF's running at the track with the grills removed. Don't know if they do it for aerodynamic reasons but I'm sure it helps with the ECT's, especially if your loading up with mods that mount in front of the radiator.

 

I keep having to remind Cathy about the heat in her engine.

We had just come off the highway for fuel in Texas, 110 Degrees ambient, she shuts it down and leaves to go inside the store. So I'm gassing her up, the heat is pouring off the engine and she had locked the doors. She's in the can (with the keys) and I can't do a thing, not even raise the hood!

Melted the tubing to her Vacuum/Boost gauge!

One must let the engine cool a bit before shutting it off.

"But, the sign says to turn off engine before fueling." she retorted.
"Honey," I said, "then we won't fuel until the engine is cool."

I don't even shut the NA off when coming in hot off the highway. Let it idle for a minute, at the very least. Hood up on a real hot day.

Paint on the hood is the least of your worries. There is a whole host of heat producing components and the SC is the worst among them. These cars have aluminium blocks, heads and castings. They will warp under too much heat. Radiant heat through the metal instead of the coolant is a bad thing.

Woody is correct in his pursuit of air flow and insulation improvements to these cars. I would remind you all of the prediliction V-12 Jags had to self destruct via spontaneous combustion. Get the heat out of the engine bay.

Keep it up Woody.



franc

 

Melted the Vac guage tubing...I know they run hot, but that is just cooking. DAMN! Well I do remember living in Houston and it does get really hot in the summer. Add that to a car that runs really hot stock and that is definitely a recipe for cooking parts.

Oh speaking of which, for members with SL55 intakes. If you put a vac cap on the port on the "Y" leading into the throttle body, be sure and check it periodically. I have replaced mine once in less than a year due to cracking from the heat. If it falls off - you will be sucking hot UNFILTERED air via a 1/2" hole straight into your motor. Not good! I haven't found any high temp vac caps yet, but i am looking.

Cheers,
KrzyFast

 

yep, the grille comes out while at the track, no pan, no engine covers...a bag of ice on top of SC w/ hood up after each run...doing cooling mods this winter while she is in storage, along with several add ons by EuroCharged...but, to answer your question, I can lift the hood next morning after putting her away from a day's play, and still feel her warm pulse, now that's a sexy car...