Improving the cooling on our TJs

[MikeE024]

My recollection is that the header tape I used on the Windstar canister and the remaining factory intake tube decreased the IAT temps about 10°F. The later addition of hood louvers decreased those temps another ~10°F.

Both of these were in addition to the sizable decrease in IAT temps from the Windstar cowl intake all by itself. The big tell from those early days was that I could no longer cook burritos on the intake manifold and the hood stopped getting uncomfortably hot to touch.

It don’t take me long to realize that my hood got scolding hot to the touch. Installing the hood louver took care of that problem.

The louver helped drop my IATs as well, but my numbers aren’t useful since they were in the 170-250* range at that time.

The PO of my turbo had expensive thermotac wrap on the intake tubing and hot side charge pipe. None of that made sense since I was pulling in hot air from the engine bay and the compressed air going through the hot side of the charge pipe was hotter than the engine temp.

I later realized why wrapping your CAI made sense…because it’s a CAI and you also don’t have hot compressed air flowing through a lengthy tube in the engine bay. (I should have noticed that right away but I didn’t understand your SC setup).

 

[Ericshere03]

If you think you'll EVER do a river crossing, a grill mounted intake will hydrolock your motor when the bow wave is high enough. I've been there and done that.

I'll never have one again!

All you would need to do is drill a hole on the airbox … if you suck in water, the pressure of drawing water will cause the other hole to be used … might put a flap so any pressure from highway driving pressurized the box

 

[jjvw]

It don’t take me long to realize that my hood got scolding hot to touch. Installing the hood louver took care of that problem.

The louver helped drop my IATs as well, but my numbers aren’t useful since they were in the 170-250* range at that time.

The PO of my turbo had expensive thermotac wrap on the intake tubing and hot side charge pipe. None of that made sense since I was pulling in hot air from the engine bay and the compressed air going through the hot side of the charge pipe was hotter than the engine temp.

I later realized why wrapping your CAI made sense…because it’s a CAI and you also don’t have hot compressed air flowing through a lengthy tube in the engine bay. (I should have noticed that right away but I didn’t understand your SC setup).

With the recently redesigned Windstar feeding the supercharger and everything past the canister now being silicone, I would like to put insulation tape back on. But I haven't worked out how to do it cleanly and keep the hose clamps accessible for disassembly.

 

[MikeE024]

If you think you'll EVER do a river crossing, a grill mounted intake will hydrolock your motor when the bow wave is high enough. I've been there and done that.

I'll never have one again!

I’ve considered what I’d do if I was in the scenario. I would probably just unhook the intake from the grill and maybe have an attachment ready so the inlet temporarily begins from higher in the engine bay.

And for super deep water needing a snorkel, I could remove the hood louver and install a tall silicone tube suspended with paracord.

 

[lBasket]

he big tell from those early days was that I could no longer cook burritos on the intake manifold and the hood stopped getting uncomfortably hot to touch.

Making me rethink the Windstar intake

 

[Rickyd]

All you would need to do is drill a hole on the airbox … if you suck in water, the pressure of drawing water will cause the other hole to be used … might put a flap so any pressure from highway driving pressurized the box

It would need to be one hell of a hole. Large enough that it would be getting hot air all the time

 

[freedom_in_4low]

All you would need to do is drill a hole on the airbox … if you suck in water, the pressure of drawing water will cause the other hole to be used … might put a flap so any pressure from highway driving pressurized the box

It would need to be one hell of a hole. Large enough that it would be getting hot air all the time

come on guys, it's like you've never played with rice burners before.

https://www.aemintakes.com/air_bypa...MTkCddytlomThWCBHodlfAaL65_MK_jyJLo9gRgcGBRaz

 

[freedom_in_4low]

come on guys, it's like you've never played with rice burners before.

https://www.aemintakes.com/air_bypa...MTkCddytlomThWCBHodlfAaL65_MK_jyJLo9gRgcGBRaz

i propose this mostly in jest - I doubt it would actually work in our application. The major contribution to the vacuum required to open this valve is from the intake trying to pull water up the intake tract from a filter mounted close to the ground. I honestly don't expect it to open when the main intake opening is at the same elevation as the throttle body.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

The heat shield you are using looks to be good stuff. Did you insulate between the intake manifold and exhaust manifold? After doing this, do you believe the 1/2” version would fit?

FWIW, I noticed no improvement in IATs after installing a ceramic coated JBA manifold, and I noticed no penalty when removing the lava wrap from the exhaust between the pre-cats and turbo.

I'm not sure the 1/2" version of this insulation would fit. There are some places with more room, but to maintain space between the insulation and the header in the tighter areas, I think this was the max. Summer is clinging on in CO like it's never gonna let up, but cooler weather is coming. I'll get some good like for like conditions to the recordings I made before that project stage some day.

Mild suggestion, to avoid an exhaust leak at the pre-cats (and heating up the engine bay), back off the fastener on the left in your first photo and go in more on the right (they aren’t evenly clamped). It becomes more obvious when you look at the threads. If interested, nickel based anti-seize works well on those threads.

Don't worry, I grabbed this photo while I was checking setup under there. Wanted to make sure clearance was going to be good all around. The pre-cats were tightened up properly to the manifolds. Unfortunately one of the speednuts threads crapped out. I replaced the forward pre-cat fasteners with stainless nuts and bolts. I still have some for the back pair, but was tired of cutting my hands up in there and decided to leave well enough alone for now.

Not that stainless is perfect. My other car uses stainless fasteners on the full stainless exhaust and they're prone to breaking when you remove them. And you need to remove the mufflers to change spark plugs every 40,000 miles, so that's fun.

 

[Ericshere03]

I'm not sure the 1/2" version of this insulation would fit. There are some places with more room, but to maintain space between the insulation and the header in the tighter areas, I think this was the max. Summer is clinging on in CO like it's never gonna let up, but cooler weather is coming. I'll get some good like for like conditions to the recordings I made before that project stage some day.



Don't worry, I grabbed this photo while I was checking setup under there. Wanted to make sure clearance was going to be good all around. The pre-cats were tightened up properly to the manifolds. Unfortunately one of the speednuts threads crapped out. I replaced the forward pre-cat fasteners with stainless nuts and bolts. I still have some for the back pair, but was tired of cutting my hands up in there and decided to leave well enough alone for now.

Not that stainless is perfect. My other car uses stainless fasteners on the full stainless exhaust and they're prone to breaking when you remove them. And you need to remove the mufflers to change spark plugs every 40,000 miles, so that's fun.

Use brass exhaust nuts and thanks me later … oh, and a little anti seize