Doyleee
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 posted on 11/2/12 at 07:28 PM |
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Cooling mk with zx12r lump
Hi i know this topic has been covered before but its time to do some more work on my Mk zx12r ready for warmer days and the main problem i had last
year was when doing track days and playing hard with the car it was overheating, i mean the original kawasaki dials after couple of sessions started
to flash.
Its currently got (from what the 3rd previous owner told me)a k10 nissan micra rad, ive fitted an override switch that i keep on on sessions and for
5 mins after switch off also i use engine ice which helped alot but still happens, ive even done snettereton with no bonnet on in pouring rain!!! and
still hot!!
Whats best for me to do
1. buy performance rad?
2 .change fan to better one?
3.fit oil cooler??
4. all three??
Im an amauture builder but looking for ideas and would much appreciate any help (that includes you hellfire)pleaseeeeeeeeee
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wylliezx9r
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 07:35 PM |
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I would firstly find out if all the plumbing is correct, I've seen some installs that are plumbed incorrectly. My install uses the original
bike rad which is tiny, I've never had any problems.
Is the header tank higher than the head of the engine?
[Edited on 11/2/12 by wylliezx9r]
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.
George Best
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 07:40 PM |
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Yes header tank is higher than head of engine (i think will check) and believe its a vw maybe polo.
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phoenix70
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 08:16 PM |
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have you got any ducting round the rad to force all the air through it? not a bec but that how i solved the overheating problem with my pinto. Air
always takes the easiest route so if it can it will go round the rad, rather than through it
[Edited on 11/2/12 by phoenix70]
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 08:21 PM |
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Yes there is a shroud around rad forcing air to take the rad route,
cheers Lee.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 08:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Doyleee
Yes there is a shroud around rad forcing air to take the rad route,
cheers Lee.
You need to check the plumbing is correct but the above rang alarm bells if I understand it correctly, is the fan/shroud in front of the rad ? If so
it won't be helping all it will be restricting air flow into the rad.
I don't run a fan at all on my predominately track used car, 100 mph wind should provide far more cooling than a fan can.
To cool effectively you need............
The correct sized rad.
Correct plumbing.
Good airflow to the rad.
Good airflow exiting the rad.
A fan for stop start traffic.
Running 100% anti freeze will drop temps a bit.
Running water wetter will drop temps a bit more.
Neither will compensate for a poor cooling setup.
All imho of course.
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 09:13 PM |
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The fan is behind rad pulling heat away from rad ,the what i call 'shroud' is bits of tinwear around the fan i.e above and from memory (as
cars been in mother-in-laws garage all winter)either side between nose cone and rad thus stopping air going round rad but forcing air through it and
yes the faster i go the more the temperature reduces but i run out of track!
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 09:20 PM |
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Just another quick one, overheating, what temps you seeing, I saw the mention of flashing light but what's the actual temp ?
Could it be a dodgy temp sender setting off a warning light or is it defiantly overheating ?
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 09:40 PM |
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This occured to me but im using the original kawasaki guages which i presume are accurate things feel pretty hot to me so i either speed up or pull in
as not to cook the head.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 09:59 PM |
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Think your next step is to fit a acurate temp gauge (permanent or temporary) you may be chasing a problem thats not there, either way a different fan
is not the answer so that rules #2 out of your list.
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imp paul
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 10:01 PM |
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hope this helps but paul a pal of mine spire sports cars.does away with the pump and fits a high flow pump Davis Craig type. this seems to work very
well
cheers paul
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 10:22 PM |
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I like to check the simplest things first, to rule them out.
You havn't wired the fan the wrong way? I did and it made the fan spin the wrong way, so it blew air through the rad the wrong way, which would
have cocked things up no end if I hadn;t have checked it with a peice of tissue paper.
[Edited on 11/2/12 by Dangle_kt]
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 10:25 PM |
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Maybe good idea to get another gauge to check accurate temp,
will look at diffferent pumps but if other people have same set up and getting no probs makes me wonder why mines not working as good?? and yes fans
def sucking not blowing.
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 10:30 PM |
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If you are 100% that the plumbing is right, have you checked the water pump?
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Doyleee
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 10:39 PM |
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How do you mean '
checked the water pump'
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 11/2/12 at 11:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Doyleee
How do you mean '
checked the water pump'
Something doesn't sound right in your setup because others with smaller rads arn't having your problems
So in my mind, either its plumbed in wrong, or something has gone faulty.
Its not unheard of that impeller blades get damaged, or that something in the assembly fails - if the coolant wasn't being pushed round the
system 100% ( maybe on or two damaged blades) it would cause overheating which would only be noticable when the engine was working hard like a track
day.
it would be pretty simple to drop the coolant and check the water pump isn;t damaged - impeller, bearing play etc.
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Doyleee
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 02:35 AM |
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yes sounds feasible i will give it a try did not give that a thought,
Cheers Lee.
[Edited on 12/2/12 by Doyleee]
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wylliezx9r
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 07:59 AM |
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Rather than fitting a new temp gauge you can use one of those laser type sensors on the coolant pipes, that's what the rolling roads use.
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.
George Best
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Doyleee
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 10:21 AM |
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Very good idea was going to buy one anyway to check heat of wood burner any idea what temps should be looking at guessing 120 max mark????
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 11:01 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Doyleee
Very good idea was going to buy one anyway to check heat of wood burner any idea what temps should be looking at guessing 120 max mark????
The optimal temp for a fireblade is more like 94-98c if I remember correctly. I'd imagine you wouldn't want to see much above 100 as a
normal running temp, with 110-120 being a sign of over heating. But the zx12 may be very different, so Have you got a zx12 manual? It may say in
there? If not I've got a copy I can look in, just let me know.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 11:37 AM |
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As a guide my Busa runs at around 95 water , 105 oil during a 1 hour non stop track session.
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Doyleee
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 01:14 PM |
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No not got manual Dangle_kt ,if you could look it up would much appreciate it
From memory the radiator fan switch opens at 93c and closes at 89c as i said its off nissan micra, I changed fan switch because was not cutting in so
hence why put manual overide switch but as jon said racing at over 100mph should do more than fan would.
I dont know if this helps or not but in traffic, gauge does go up quite high sometimes flashes on hot day but blast it and cools slightly.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 01:50 PM |
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Lee, it sounds like you have a setup almost identical to ours and also suffer from similar problems that we used to encounter. Firstly, I
wouldn't be too concerned about the water temperature gauge going mad after a few hard sessions on track. We fitted an oil temperature and
pressure gauge to determine the oil temperature and set the alarm to trigger at 105 degrees. We found the oil temperature would always trigger just
before the water temperature but whilst on cooling down laps and coming into the pits, the temperatures would continue to rise slightly, triggering
the water temperature gauge to go berserk before cooling down again.
The modifications we made to overcome this, was to cut some vents in the bonnet to allow heat to escape more quickly and also fitted mesh with larger
holes in the nosecone. We found the type of mesh fitted to the nosecone can have a profound effect on the cooling, so this may be worth looking at on
yours.....
Phil
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Doyleee
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 02:32 PM |
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Interesting Hellfire where is best to fit oil temp and pressure gauge? what mesh is best? wanted one with no emblem and where best to place them got
any pics of the above,also do you think high performance rad would change things alot?
,sorry for all the Q's wanted to get problem sorted sooner rather than later,
Many thanks in advance,
Lee.
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jacko
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| posted on 12/2/12 at 04:28 PM |
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As Phil says make sure the mesh in the nose cone has BIG holes Andy w on here had heating problems until he removed the mesh
Jacko
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