mods to improve cooling

[mjoekingz28]

Hello. I am getting along pretty fine in my truck even though it the AC isn't working. It is not my daily driver, but had AC but it began shaking violently at times, so I removed the belt and tension (it is cool and a rarity that I could do this as many cars seem to have everything incorporated into a single serpentine belt). Anyway, it is big money to fix it and I am kind of a bare bones guy with some things, so I am thinking of eliminating the heat exchanger that is in front of the radiator ( I think you call it the coils, evaporator or condenser I don't know HVAC too well).

Anyway, GENERALLY, would deleting this heat exchanger IMPROVE the work the radiator can do?????? It seems to me that the blast of air from in front of the car that is going through the grill would greatly make the radiator and the engine cooling system more efficient, have a high capacity, and make life easier on everything else under the hood.

But I could be wrong and maybe the AC's radiator and the engine's radiator are made to work TOGETHER and somehow push/pull and pressure and move air away and out (or something).



MORE SPECIFICALLY, I wonder this on my 6.0 V8 Chevrolet 2500 and on third generation Camaros (305s).






Does the AC system hinder or improve the radiator's ability to dispatch heat?



I am much more concerned with heat, mainly since I live in the south, but another consideration would be in cooler months that it could remove TOO much heat like you see the BIG RIGS with Wreaths and covers to assist with that.

Thank You.
Joseph

 

[Jetronic]

the Ac hinders the cooling capacity, but mostly when it's on. Since you removed the AC drive belt, the difference is minimal. Use the AC condensor to catch rocks that would otherwise damage your radiator.

 

[Kuato]

Agree with Jetronic. Waste of time to remove it, and besides - you may want AC back in a couple of years and it would cost a lot more if it had been taken off....

 

[JHZR2]

The radiator is sized to allow it to maintain engine temperatures at high loads in very high ambient temperatures and altitudes, with all accessories on. That means with AC blowing...

With AC off, the intake air through the radiator should be cooler, adding reserve. Since the system was designed for much higher air temperatures, that is a much greater benefit (AC off) than any marginally higher airflow rate going through the radiator.

Id leave it in place, optimally with a charge of 134a in there so that moisture doesnt come in.

If the truck is only worth $500 and youll never be fixing the AC, then go ahead and remove it, there's probably a few dollars of scrap value in the condenser. But keep in mind it is illegal to vent the refrigerant to the atmosphere, so youll have to pay for someone to recover it in order for you to do the removal.

 

[Lubener]

You never mentioned if your engine is overheating. Unless the fins of the condenser are smashed in or plugged, air will just flow thru and should have little effect on the engine temperature when the a/c is OFF.Perhaps you should address your cooling system if your engine is running too hot.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Thanks. i will leave it alone. What about race cars? Is there a point of no returns? Say, do you get more cooling at 150mph than at 100mph? Or maybe the radiator can only 'process' so much air to coolant exchanging at a time.


Good idea of it protecting the radiator from rock hits.

So, get this correct, with AC on the engine runs hotter because there is hot air coming out of the AC heat exchanger and infesting the radiator behind it???

Also, would a blast of high velocity have more of an effect than as having a collection system that sort of cradles air and lets it build into a force kind of like a parachute.........you know those newer sportbikes have/had curved radiators.

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Thanks. i will leave it alone. What about race cars? Is there a point of no returns? Say, do you get more cooling at 150mph than at 100mph? Or maybe the radiator can only 'process' so much air to coolant exchanging at a time.


Good idea of it protecting the radiator from rock hits.

So, get this correct, with AC on the engine runs hotter because there is hot air coming out of the AC heat exchanger and infesting the radiator behind it???

Also, would a blast of high velocity have more of an effect than as having a collection system that sort of cradles air and lets it build into a force kind of like a parachute.........you know those newer sportbikes have/had curved radiators.


No! Only in the very extremes where the thermostat isn't restricting the coolant flow anymore will the engine temperature rise.

I think sport bikes have curved radators to increase their size without increasing the width of the bike. There's also the front wheel that needs room.

I had a car once that had a curved AC condensor. not sure what the cause was, there was no indication of any accident on any part of the car. Maybe 150 Mph was too much for it.

for a race car I would remove the condensor and any other items that aren't strictly necessary, just to remove weight at the extremity of the car, and the better cooling capacitiy. but you would need to extend the ducting to the radiator to get any benefit.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Agree with Jetronic. Waste of time to remove it, and besides - you may want AC back in a couple of years and it would cost a lot more if it had been taken off....


I agree. Keeping the condenser will make it easier to fix, or easier to sell if it comes to that. Considering your location, the A/C condenser is also a first line of defense against bugs.

You could spray out the condenser with a garden hose to make sure maximum airflow is getting to the radiator. On the truck, you can take off the plastic piece above the radiator support and get your sprayer in between the condenser and radiator.

If the vehicles are overheating, something probably needs to be repaired.

I survived three years or so in Mississippi without air conditioning, but I was young and hadn't yet been spoiled by owning a car with A/C.

 

[supton]

The faster you drive, the more airflow, so I'd expect better cooling. Problem is, airflow is proportional to velocity, but wind drag is proportional to the square of velocity. Or put another way, engine load is rising faster than the increase in the ability to shed heat, looking only at speed as the variable.