Radiator screens

[Lastminuteracin]

With my freshly recored radiators I’d like to protect them as best as possible. Has anyone used the newer honeycomb plastic screens that pretty much wire tie directly to the face of the radiator? I see them on lots of dirt cars.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all30158
I know I can make a wire screen up in the pods but this seems to be a much easier option.
Thoughts?

[Charlie Schmidt]

That's what I use good stuff

FWIW years ago I had 10 per inch screen in front of the rad on a friend's Titan. We were at Pueblo, and it was a very hot weekend. Screen was mounted about 3-4" ahead of radiator. Due to high ambient, the car was running hot.

Ripped that screen out and got 15 degrees drop

[DaveW]

With my freshly recored radiators I’d like to protect them as best as possible. Has anyone used the newer honeycomb plastic screens that pretty much wire tie directly to the face of the radiator? I see them on lots of dirt cars.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all30158
I know I can make a wire screen up in the pods but this seems to be a much easier option.
Thoughts?

I have no experience with those particular screens, but even if this prevents fin damage...

IMO, any screen located right on the face of a radiator is much more likely to block enough of the radiator to cause an overheating issue, especially if you run through tall grass, etc., which will accumulate on the screen. If the screen is further forward, and at a steep angle to the airflow, debris usually will accumulate mostly at the screen's rear end, still allowing the radiator face to be mostly unobstructed, allowing enough airflow to avoid overheating.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Some prior discussion
https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...adiator+screen

My question has to do with air flow and direction.
Since most in side pod radiators are at a relatively steep angle, would putting this material right on the radiator reduce cooling?
It's insulating the rest of the radiator.

Or would it be better to have this at the pod inlet?

[DaveW]

Some prior discussion
https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...adiator+screen

My question has to do with air flow and direction.
Since most in side pod radiators are at a relatively steep angle, would putting this material right on the radiator reduce cooling?
It's insulating the rest of the radiator.

Or would it be better to have this at the pod inlet?

A screen at the inlet is usually much more subject to blockage since it's a lot smaller than a screen a few inches ahead of the radiator at the same angle as the radiator. At the inlet is easier, but in my experience is MUCH more likely to be totally blocked.

Link to my previous post on this: https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...l=1#post462965

[Charlie Schmidt]

another consideration with the honeycomb stuff
It comes from the dirt track world, where I think the airflow is more nearly straight into the rad
when mounted in a sidepod, where the air has to turn to go thru, would that be a problem?
I've only ever used it straight thru

[rockbeau25]

I run aluminum honeycomb screens (secured with safety wire in the 4 corners and center) across the face of my rads in my Van Diemen and have no cooling issues whatsoever, even on mid 90 degree days. That said, the issue I have with them is they shred themselves apart pretty quickly. Not sure if a different material honeycomb or some other method of securing them would be better.

[Rick Kirchner]

I have a mid-90s VD with an aluminum head. Cooling is MUCH more critical with that piece, and Willow Springs can be both hot AND high altitude.

I bought the Summit honeycomb when I was in NC to protect aluminum radiators. Before that I had some hardware cloth in the inlets. While that is easier to clean, its relatively difficult to engineer a clean solution to the odd shape and the obstructions around the inlet. I just used safety wire to hold the honeycomb onto the face of the radiator.

It worked fine in NC. Out west, my cooling was much more marginal, and eventually I overheated it.

That honeycomb is probably 30% blocked, so its going to reduce your cooling respectively. Once I had a 3D printer I was able to model the radiator face and then print a "screen by selecting the shape of the cells in the infill and the infill density. You just tell the slicer not to print any top or bottom layers and volia`, you have a screen.

I thought about playing around with the orientation such that I could create the cells as turning vanes, but never got that far.

One could also use a printer to creep up on the shape and size of a frame that would go inside the inlet and hold hardware cloth, Same rules regarding obstruction apply, and the smaller area makes it less forgiving.

I have some aluminum honeycomb as well and I don't think I'd use it in this application. Its as fragile as the radiator, and debris will smash down the cell edges, closing it off.

[cjahn]

With my freshly recored radiators I’d like to protect them as best as possible. Has anyone used the newer honeycomb plastic screens that pretty much wire tie directly to the face of the radiator? I see them on lots of dirt cars.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all30158
I know I can make a wire screen up in the pods but this seems to be a much easier option.
Thoughts?

I ran it in my Stohrs FB, P1 with no issues. When I installed it on my new coolers on my 99 Van Diemen (FB/F1000) the car constantly over-heated and I attributed it to temperature or a different motor. Took it off and replaced with good old 1/4" wire mesh spaced out 1/2" and temp dropped 15-20 degrees. I attribute it to the angle of the rads in the Diemen.

Cj

[azjc]

I have no experience with those particular screens, but even if this prevents fin damage...

IMO, any screen located right on the face of a radiator is much more likely to block enough of the radiator to cause an overheating issue, especially if you run through tall grass, etc., which will accumulate on the screen. If the screen is further forward, and at a steep angle to the airflow, debris usually will accumulate mostly at the screen's rear end, still allowing the radiator face to be mostly unobstructed, allowing enough airflow to avoid overheating.

A recent off & on turned my radiator inlets into a mower... made it less than a lap until it overheated due to total blockage on the inlets. I need to re-think my inlet screen - normally I'm more worried about rocks, not weeds here in the desert.

[DaveW]

A recent off & on turned my radiator inlets into a mower... made it less than a lap until it overheated due to total blockage on the inlets. I need to re-think my inlet screen - normally I'm more worried about rocks, not weeds here in the desert...

Early in my FF career with the Z10 I had a screen located like yours - exactly the same thing happened to me when I ran off into the grass.

[Lotus7]

We run the summit honeycomb without cooling issues.

(Part of efficient cooling is taking a close look at where the air can go once it enters the sidepod. Open spaces that bypass the rad core itself are very attractive to airflow which wants to take the easiest route).

[Rick Kirchner]

We run the summit honeycomb without cooling issues.

(Part of efficient cooling is taking a close look at where the air can go once it enters the sidepod. Open spaces that bypass the rad core itself are very attractive to airflow which wants to take the easiest route).

Yup. The back of just about any vertical radiator placement is a huge leaker. I made thick neoprene plugs to stuff in there, and the radiators on VDs don't come to the top of the sidepods, so there needs to be some fill placed there as well - thick adhesive foam strip.

[Lotus7]

Yup. The back of just about any vertical radiator placement is a huge leaker. I made thick neoprene plugs to stuff in there, and the radiators on VDs don't come to the top of the sidepods, so there needs to be some fill placed there as well - thick adhesive foam strip.

I will add to my other comment: if you find yourself running cooler-than-necessary, then some bypass is lower drag

[Extreme1]

I use it in front of my oil and water radiators on my PFM. It hasn’t caused any overheating issues, but I don’t run the car when it’s over 85* out.

Ifs usually cold at Willow Springs when I’m there, so I have to put aluminum plates partially in front of both radiators. The honeycomb material stops the plates from rubbing on the radiator.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

A recent off & on turned my radiator inlets into a mower...

I'm thinking maybe the newer open wheel cars like the new F4 have high side-pod openings for a couple of reasons.

Hmmm....

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I use it in front of my oil and water radiators on my PFM. It hasn’t caused any overheating issues, but I don’t run the car when it’s over 85* out.

So you only run Jan-Feb-March ?

[Rick Kirchner]

I'm thinking maybe the newer open wheel cars like the new F4 have high side-pod openings for a couple of reasons.

Hmmm....

Look at Velocity Haus' remix of the VD sidepods.....I'm thinking its more to better control the air around the bottom of the car, and to take advantage of some spill off the nose, but the ability to stay clear after an off is certainly a benefit.

you could fab a little hatch at the bottom to facilitate cleaning....

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Look at Velocity Haus' remix of the VD sidepods.....I'm thinking its more to better control the air around the bottom of the car, and to take advantage of some spill off the nose, but the ability to stay clear after an off is certainly a benefit.

you could fab a little hatch at the bottom to facilitate cleaning....

Those clearly want to control air at the bottom. It looks like those change the orientation of the rad too.

The simplest and cheapest of solutions is to stay on track.

[cjahn]

I ran it in my Stohrs FB, P1 with no issues. When I installed it on my new coolers on my 99 Van Diemen (FB/F1000) the car constantly over-heated and I attributed it to temperature or a different motor. Took it off and replaced with good old 1/4" wire mesh spaced out 1/2" and temp dropped 15-20 degrees. I attribute it to the angle of the rads in the Diemen.

Cj

I neglected to include when I rebuilt my car (one of a few times in the past few years) I made my own inner ducts, and parts to close off and seal the rads for maximum efficiency. I spent a lot of time to ensure no open gaps. Even with that the honeycomb protectant caused increased heat due to the angle the air had to flow. Again FB/F1000 converted from FC (99 Diemen)

[Extreme1]

So you only run Jan-Feb-March ?

I try to do September-May but I don’t like being there when it’s hot. It’s supposed to be fun going to the track, if it’s too hot I’m not having fun. My wife is my pit crew and she lets me know when it’s too hot too.