Trying to stay cool (Image Heavy)

[Pingu]

Under bonnet heating is a major problem in making an engine efficient.

If you can keep the inlet air cool, but the exhaust gas hot, you can greatly increase the efficiency of your engine. This is my first attempt at keeping the inlet air cool...


Cool air is dense air. The only attempt to keep the intake air cool on the M Roadster is this aluminium shield around the air filter / MAF...

or with the plenum and air filter removed...

I thought I could do better than this.

Some paper and cardboard templates...

Time to cut the aluminium...

After some quite complicated bending...

The finished shielding...

I decided that a wee bit more shielding was in order...

And the result of all this work...

According to the graph, it's worse than it was before.


Nothing ventured...Back to the drawing board. I think I will have to bite the bullet and do the job that I don't really want to - either ceramic coat, or wrap the exhaust in exhaust bandage. The exhaust heat shield was 130°C when I measured it.

A more radical option would be to make heat vents in the bonnet.

 

[andyglym]

Under bonnet heating is a major problem in making an engine efficient.

If you can keep the inlet air cool, but the exhaust gas hot, you can greatly increase the efficiency of your engine. This is my first attempt at keeping the inlet air cool...


Cool air is dense air. The only attempt to keep the intake air cool on the M Roadster is this aluminium shield around the air filter / MAF...

or with the plenum and air filter removed...

I thought I could do better than this.

Some paper and cardboard templates...

Time to cut the aluminium...

After some quite complicated bending...

The finished shielding...

I decided that a wee bit more shielding was in order...

And the result of all this work...

According to the graph, it's worse than it was before.


Nothing ventured...Back to the drawing board. I think I will have to bite the bullet and do the job that I don't really want to - either ceramic coat, or wrap the exhaust in exhaust bandage. The exhaust heat shield was 130°C when I measured it.

A more radical option would be to make heat vents in the bonnet.

Clever stuff though

 

[Brian H]

Where is the intake temp measured @Pingu?

 

[Pingu]

Where is the intake temp measured @Pingu?

I measured it on TestO. The sensor is in the bottom of the plenum.

The wire goes through the hole on the shield at 5 o'clock from the hole with the hose in it.

 

[Pingu]

I've just been on another "test drive" and results look really good...

At the end of the drive I opened the bonnet to feel the temperature and it was noticeably cooler than I have ever felt it. I think the mod may have been a success after all

 

[5harp3y]

Aren't you better off wrapping the inlet with reflective gold tape?

 

[Pingu]

Aren't you better off wrapping the inlet with reflective gold tape?

Not a bad idea. It's certainly easier than removing the exhaust manifold

 

[5harp3y]

It's where my money would go

 

[andyglym]

It's where my money would go

Wasn't there some sort of paint that Wheeler Dealers applied that produced impressive results. No idea on cost?

 

[Pingu]

It's where my money would go

I've just invested £2.59 in some tape from China. I suspect it will not be the best quality, but I'm not going to spend £30 if I don't have to

 

[Pingu]

Wasn't there some sort of paint that Wheeler Dealers applied that produced impressive results. No idea on cost?

I know WD have done ceramic coating of exhausts, but I've not seen anything to do with tape on the intake side of the engine.

I should really do the exhaust first, but it's almost an engine removal to get the manifolds off. I'll do it one day, just not yet.