Radiator restrictor or no restrictor...

In my google "researching" before I go out and buy a radiator restrictor, I found this:

http://www.4g63turbo.com/tech/tstat.html

Which turns everything I've previously heard about restrictors on it's head. While I'm still inclined to try a restrictor, I'm curious as to what your guys' take on this is.

I have a cooling system that works just fine, I'm just looking to optimize it.

I found the same article again on another page:

http://www.stewartcomponents.com/tech_tips/Tech_Tips_3.htm

Also, someone on pirate said that you only want a 10 degree coolant temperature difference across the radiator. Any more, and you either have too slow of water flow or too large of a radiator. Any less and you either have too fast of water flow, too little airflow through the radiator, or too small of a radiator. Huh?? :huh:

I didn't know that "too much" drop in temperature through the radiator was a bad thing, I just thought it meant that you have a good radiator/fans/cooling system :dunno:

I didn't know that "too much" drop in temperature through the radiator was a bad thing,
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IN MOST CASES there is no such thing as too much drop. BUT in a few raw cases if the income coolant is VERY low a Tstat will close cutting flow throughout the engine. With a engine under high stress SOME parts can over heat and burn. Keep in mind I said parts not coolant. In this no flow or min flow condition. EVEN with a normal over all engine temp. So a restrictor will help in such an engine a bypass or an inlarged bypass can also help prevent this no flow condition's. A few run restrictor saying it reduces drag on the water pump saving hp but still lets the engine warm some.
With REAL race type go faster. Big blowen high reving engines this can be a real problem even when not running a Tstat. The engine just don't have good coolant circulation caricaturist at some points.
Once again this is raw. Our beloved I6 has no such problem that I know of. And few of us make that kind of HP. To fret it anyway.
Just run a GOOD tstat. IMO

Most engines have a bypass to allow a small amount of coolant flow when the thermostat is closed. I don't think in our environment in most of the US you can get a radiator that cools too much. In low temperatures it may be necessary to restrict air flow through the radiator but you ned all the cooling capacity you can get for desert conditions. Restricting the coolant flow is probably not necessary in our case.

it has nothing to do with "too much drop in temperature through the radiator"

the reason to restrict the flow is that sometimes the coolant moves too fast, since it moves too fast it does not absorb as much heat as it could if it was moving a little slower... same goes for the already heated coolant in the radiator... if it doesn't have enough time to dissipate the heat then it stays in the coolant and the coolant stays a little warmer as a result

ericfx1984 said:

the reason to restrict the flow is that sometimes the coolant moves too fast, since it moves too fast it does not absorb as much heat as it could if it was moving a little slower...

Click to expand...

x2. I had an over heating issue only at highway speeds. I didn't do any scientific testing but I replaced my flowkooler water pump with a standard pump and it went back to normal. Unfortunately I didn't have time to play with restrictors. The advantage to restrictors, besides slowing down coolant flow, is that they build pressure in the head and block which reduces localized hot spots.

There is a good article on Pirate called "The Cooling Bible" it's very long but a good read. He talks about flow restrictions and just about every other aspect in cooling systems. http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Cooling/

Years ago I had temp issues with a stuck thermostat in a '78 Buick. Being only 19 and not seasoned in many things my buddy and I just pulled the thermostat out... It was only minutes before we were overheated again.