Does This Debunk the "Coolant Can Flow Through the Radiator Too Fast" Idea???
Let me say up front I don't know anything about prostock racing. I do know they have engines that produce a lot of horsepower. I also know that the heat output of an engine is directly related to the horse power output. It would stand to reason then that they must have huge radiators and fans to keep them from overheating correct?
I’m sure they do. Even they can’t keep them as cold as they want because the temperature is going up during a run.
I was told by a guy I trust they were working on that. I was told they think 100 degrees is the perfect temperature for a PS engine.
That’s IF I’m recalling the details correctly but I’m pretty sure I am. And I haven’t got on the phone to ask lately but they may have gotten that temperature creep cleaned up.
I do know they were able to keep the engine temperature at 140 pretty easily back in the late 1990’s. That’s about all they could do then, and the PS guy I was chatting with told me then 100 degrees was the goal. That was probably 2004ish when he told me that.
I watched Allen and Roy Johnson at a test session make multiple burnouts and launches and then making a run.
They were having some issues with the car leaving. And I happened to have my fat *** right on the starting line so I had a front row seat to it.
There were several PS crew chiefs up there watching but on that day at that time they were working with…I’m not going to say it because it doesn’t matter.
Anyway, Allen came up, did his burnout and made about a 60 foot hit. I think it shook his brains out. I don’t remember the car being loose at that point.
So he backed up, talked to Roy (they had to yell), they made some change. I think they made a wheelie bar adjustment. Then his did another burn out, staged and did another 60 foot hit. So he backed up and they made another change. I don’t know what it was but I know they hadn’t touched the two step.
So he did another burn out and made another 60 footer. It was better but not right.
So he backs up again. This time he shut the engine off. I couldn’t hear what this other guy was saying to Allen but he ran to the other side of the car and I saw him change the two step setting.
What it was and what he changed it to I haven’t a clue.
But he did another burnout and then made a full pass. It was clean and the first time they were in the 6’s and over 200 mph in a while.
My point is Allen Johnson did all that before he made a pass and his engine stayed at 140.
I should probably go to a race and look at some PS stuff now but I don’t really care to go to the track all that much.