High-Performance Automotive Cooling Systems

Book excerpt: When considering how well modern cars perform in many areas, it is easy to forget some of the issues motorists had on a regular basis 40+ years ago. Cars needed maintenance regularly: plugs and points had to be replaced on a frequent basis, the expected engine life was 100,000 miles rather than double and triple the expectation that you see today, and an everyday hassle, especially in warm climates, was being the victim of an overheating car. It was not uncommon on a hot day to see cars stuck in traffic, spewing coolant onto the ground with the hoods up in a desperate attempt to cool off. Fast-forward to today, and it’s easy to forget that modern cars even have coolant. The temp needle moves to where it is supposed to be and never moves again until you shut the car off. For drivers of vintage cars, this level of reliability is also attainable. In High-Performance Automotive Cooling Systems, author Dr. John Kershaw explains the basics of a cooling system operation, provides an examination of coolant and radiator options, explains how to manage coolant speed through your engine and why it is important, examines how to manage airflow through your radiator, takes a thorough look at cooling fans, and finally uses all this information in the testing and installation of all these components. Muscle cars and hot rod engines today are pushed to the limit with stroker kits and power adders straining the capabilities of your cooling system to extremes never seen before. Whether you are a fan of modern performance cars or a fan of more modern performance in vintage cars, this book will help you build a robust cooling system to match today’s horsepower demands and help you keep your cool.