Re: [DML] Venting outside air over engine

["B Benson" <delornut@xxxx>]

Intake air and coolant are the important items in maintaining proper engine
temps. The air flowing over the exterior of the engine pays a pretty
insignificant role. The main thing is allowing the heat to dissipate away
from the engine compartment and the Delorean seems able to handle that
pretty well. Coolant temps of 220 degrees are a bit high but aren't that
extreme and I've yet to see a properly tuned DeLorean without a turbocharger
that will pre-detonate at 13 degrees BTC ignition timing. One thing to
remember about the DeLorean is that the fuel tank is directly down wind of
the radiator. Also, the fuel that isn't used recirculates back to the tank
from the engine picking up heat on each go around. Deflecting the radiator
air flow away from the fuel tank would, IMHO, be benificial. Any air routing
in the engine compartment area would be best directed at the intake system
and not simply blowing cool air over the top of the engine. One thing I
found on my car, after several years of road trips, was that the radiator
fins started filling up with dirt and bugs. The AC condeser fins are
spaced wider than the raditor's and the dirt passes through the condeser
but hangs up in the radiator fins. You can't see the front side of the
radiator fins without removing the radiator from the car. Because of it's
location, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to blow out the entire
finned area while it's in the car. When I removed my radiator it was about
30% blocked. I installed a triple core metal tank radiator and have
experianced no heat problems since.

Bruce Benson

> Would love to route some air over my engine too, but don't think
> passenger side grill is the location. Engine intake really has to be
> connected to outside world. At 95 degrees, on a treeless highway, with
> hot freon in the condensor, and coolant above 220, my fuel mixture
> will predetonate (full throttle) if it's breathing under the hood.