Reverse Cooling! Can we do it?

[FromaBuick6]

Evans Coolant

I'd like to know if anyone is using that Evans coolant as well, can anyone comment on the stuff? - T

 

[JDEstill]

Originally posted by Sinful6
But once the water is up to temp, I don't see an advantage with the reverse flow because of said implication.

I don't get your point Sinful6? With reverse cooling the water going to the heads would be at the radiator outlet temperature instead of whatever the block heats the water up to in a normal system (130F maybe?). Whatever the case, the heads see colder water in a reverse flow setup, even if the bulk temperature going back to the radiator is the same.

I wonder if an electric pump would make the reverse flow setup easier to do...

John

 

[GNVAIR]

I'm sitting here at work thinking about this and I think that in order to make it work we would have to consider somethings.
The thing I see going wrong here is that the stock water pump is designed to distribute the coolant from the bottom of the radiator up into the block and then through the heads and out the thermostat back into the radiator.
Reverse flow cooling would only be possible if we used some sort of other pump to circulate the coolant up to the heads first.
What I would do if I were building a system is this:
Tap the freeze plug holes in the back of the heads and attach a fitting to hook up some sort of large diameter hose (probably 3/4"). These would be tee'd together to some sort of manifold that would convert it back to the same diameter of the lower hose on the radiator. I would utilize and inline electric water pump of some sort (I believe CSI and a few others have pumps that can handle this)
The water would be pumped from the lower radiator hose up into the heads. I would have the water passages in the intake blocked off. From the heads it would travel down through the block and exit out the front. I would eliminate the stock water pump and make a machined plate that would have 2 large diameter fittings that would match up with the main coolant passages on the front of the block. These would be tee'd together into a remote Weiand thermostat housing that would finally be tee'd back into the upper radiator hose.
The only issue would be distribution for those who run a heater, but that is something that could be run off of the lines running to the back of the heads.
I have a few rough sketches that I drew up while sitting here.
I would like to hear some feed back from others.

 

[GNVAIR]

I just located a pump that I think would work well. Its CSI part#925 http://www.csiperformance.com/waterpumps3.html

 

[KendallF]

I have been giving thoughts to something like this for my S2. I am using a tunnel ram lower intake that has no water provisions so I'll have to do something anyway. One set of S2 heads that I have (not the pair that I'm using, unfortunately) has holes in the front tapped for pipe thread for cooling. I may do something like that and use a remote pump.

 

[ijames]

Originally posted by S10xGN
I can tell you, this mod will create NO problems as long as the thermostat is drilled (I used [4] 3/16" holes). The bypass port in the front cover threads nicely to 1/4" NPT, and it really cleans up the front of the motor getting rid of that 90° hose!

In the winter this does let the engine temp come on down as much as 10 degrees below the thermostat because the bypass flow is now going through the radiator. When it's 20 degrees out the difference in heater power between 152 and 160 degree coolant temps is pretty noticeable . For you warm weather only guys, you will never see this.

 

[TurboBuickSix]

Dudes..

What really would work to accomplish this is a new design RFC front cover casting and matching water pump.TA performance could do this in the future maybe??

 

[kjizzle]

i hate to bring up an old thread but did anyone ever get anywhere with this?

 

[GNVYUS 1]

It's a great idea especially for FI cars but I've yet to see or hear anyone do this on a GN. Guys like Jay Carter, Turbofabricator, Cotton, Cal all had to have thoughts about this so what's the deal guys?

The temp in the radiator is much colder than what you read at the temp gauge off the intake ( hottest point ) so it's gonna help preignition and detonation some no doubt.

 

[kjizzle]

if you think about it keeping the cylinder bores at the right temperature for optimal combustion and ring seal happens in either system, but the heads on some engine designs can actually be at two very different temperatures depending on if the system is paralell distribution to both heads at the same time or in series, ie left bank through intake then right bank...

i'm going to try to mock something up and see if it would work...

 

[JDEstill]

I still think it is a great idea, but when I was putting my engine back together I just didn't have time to pursue it. Too much other stuff happening. I did go to the Evans NPG coolant though, since I think you get some of the same benefits without any real hardware changes.

I think if you look at the LT1 cooling system and use the same ideas then you should have success. Vent lines from a couple of high points on the heads for example. One of the car mags had an article on LT1s within the last year, it was either Car Craft or Hot Rod, and it detailed their cooling system. I liked the 3 way valve they have for a thermostat for example, and would like to figure out a way to adapt it to my car. It keeps the water pump at full circulation all the time, it just diverts the flow around the radiator when cold and then starts moving the valve to shift flow through the radiator as it warms up, eventually closing off the radiator bypass completely. Slick. Would sure help on my car, since I've done some things to keep the flow up when hot, but it results in slow warmups when it's cold out.

John