Discussion
They are to aid airflow towards the radiator. The factory never properly cured overheating T350s before it closed. I had the same done to my last T350 but only managed 40 minutes driving before taking the front end clean off! (It was Halcyon Midas too!) My new T350 is getting the same done at Surface and Design in the next week. I am also having a slot below the number plate. I am going to Spain and Portugal this year so want to keep it a bit cooler under the bonnet. Normal running temps are in the low 90s and fans cut in as soon as I slow or am in traffic. The "fins" are carbon and basically the same idea as a Sagaris.
Donald - do you mind if I ask how much they cost (the intake fins only) and if theres a lot of chopping involved? I'm planning to head to Southern France later this year and any additional cooling would be great. I did a similar trip in my old Chim in 2006 and that saw water temps of 110 whereas back home I'd only ever see normal operating readings.
donaldosaurus said:
Normal running temps are in the low 90s and fans cut in as soon as I slow or am in traffic.
While I know more cooling shouldn't be sniffed at, running at high 80s, low 90s on the move (i.e. not in traffic queues) is about the right temp. I suggest the issue you're really talking about here is helping heat escape when going slow, not the amount of air going in the front when moving at speed. More gaps in the bonnet would have a better effect on heat dissipation than these fins IMHO.
I worked this out after many experiments and fitted a year ago, this must be a copy!
I used the middle fin of the 3 from the Sag, but with extra height added with glassfibre paste, bolted through bottom as Sag and silicone sealed at centre and top. You have to be brave and cut out the base of the existing aperture, which gives a lot more area for the flow.
It immediately made a 5C or more reduction in running temps at all speeds above 60mph. By that stage I'd already had an all-alloy rad, tested various water 'stats and had the extra expansion tank. None reduced the temp like this.
Edited by tail slide on Tuesday 9th February 14:12
Lensey said:
Paul, were you suffering from the temps when hillclimbing etc..
Never had an issue on road or track with std. 3.6 (except if a/c left on, on a hot trackday) but found my earlier 4-litre and even current 4.3 with it's extra waterways were running at 95C at steady 80 on m/way on hot summer's day, more on track. So after trying the other mods and checking the Sag's design and lower running temps with the 4-litre it seemed obvious that more airflow was the real key, and so it proved. For a small but useful improvement, there are also many small gaps behind and in front of the radiator which can be plugged with pipe insulation, and make a difference as without them plugged some of the high pressure air just goes around the rad rather than through it.
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