Ideal coolant temp
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
Ideal coolant temp Putting a new LS3 engine in to an aircraft. Figuring out coolant capacity and wondering what ideal engine coolant temp should be. I know car engines like the LS3 are set to run a bit hotter for emission reasons but emissions don't letter here, would think a lower temp would be better, say about 185F instead of the 210F normal target. Any thoughts?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 362
Likes: 1
From: Torrance Ca
Putting a new LS3 engine in to an aircraft. Figuring out coolant capacity and wondering what ideal engine coolant temp should be. I know car engines like the LS3 are set to run a bit hotter for emission reasons but emissions don't letter here, would think a lower temp would be better, say about 185F instead of the 210F normal target. Any thoughts?
Between 185 and 195. You need some heat for optimum operating temperature . Being that high and the intake temp being really cold, I'd want some heat to assist in combustion of the fuel and to also heat the engine oil to operating temperature.
You don't have to deal with normal car issues with high operating temperatures.
You don't have to deal with normal car issues with high operating temperatures.
On The Tree
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 123
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I'm totally ignorant when it comes to aircraft... is it common practice to put car motors in planes? I feel like a plane motor would be running a relatively consistent RPM with a relatively consistent load and left sitting for long periods of time. That differs greatly from how a car engine gets used.
Can you provide any further detail about the plane, motor, what you had to do to the motor for aviation use, how you're dealing with altitude? Very interesting
Can you provide any further detail about the plane, motor, what you had to do to the motor for aviation use, how you're dealing with altitude? Very interesting
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
Biggest issue in plane is mixture control to lean fuel out with air density, so a manual control is required on carb or injector. Car ECM work fine but get limited in how much they will lean -cars rarely go to 15k'- and putting 2 ECM together is sometimes difficult but needed in case one fails in flight. Thanks for the info guys.
I have a lower than stock t-stat in mine and last weekend when were out it ran the coolest of 177 on the interstate w/the a/c on @ 75 @ 10pm at night and 199 in bumper to bumper traffic during the hundred degree heat and humidity about 5pm. However, these cars are designed to run around 220 if memory serves. YMMV
PS; temps were shown on Aeroforce interceptor gauge straight from the pcm and not factory gauge...
PS; temps were shown on Aeroforce interceptor gauge straight from the pcm and not factory gauge...
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Biggest issue in plane is mixture control to lean fuel out with air density, so a manual control is required on carb or injector. Car ECM work fine but get limited in how much they will lean -cars rarely go to 15k'- and putting 2 ECM together is sometimes difficult but needed in case one fails in flight. Thanks for the info guys.
Aren't modern aircraft engines fuel injected?
Andrew
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
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Actually most small planes are carb because that's how they were certified 30 years ago and it's expensive to certify something new. Fuel injection systems are almost always manually controlled for mixture control as ECM are basically computers and not easily certified. Some have tried the Holly system but it was difficult to build in redundancy should one system fail.
Actually most small planes are carb because that's how they were certified 30 years ago and it's expensive to certify something new. Fuel injection systems are almost always manually controlled for mixture control as ECM are basically computers and not easily certified. Some have tried the Holly system but it was difficult to build in redundancy should one system fail.
I live in Oshkosh and just recently visited the EAA museum. Saw some really neat stuff!
Andrew
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2007
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Best power and efficiency is found with the hottest coolant temp you can run without boiling the coolant or inducing thermal failure of the block or rotating assembly. This only holds true with a cold IAT and optimal oil temps which should not exceed 240 degrees or go below 215-ish.
More or less, if you could run a 250 deg CLT by upping the pressure of the cooling system or running Evans coolant, it will actually get better mileage and make some more power.
More or less, if you could run a 250 deg CLT by upping the pressure of the cooling system or running Evans coolant, it will actually get better mileage and make some more power.