Understanding Oil Coolers
When engine output rises beyond a certain threshold per liter of displacement, an oil cooler becomes more important, critical even. There is a lot to the selection and installation of an oil cooler, so to find out more, we caught up with Zac Beals, a technical sales representative with Setrab USA, a Swedish company that specializes in a full range of heat exchangers and radiators for OEM applications, and oil cooling for motorsport. There are right and wrong ways to add an oil-cooling system, based on application and a number of other factors, but there are two key tenets to follow when adding an oil-cooling system: get expert help and don’t skimp on materials. Fan Clutch
Belt driven fan clutches have been used as standard equipment on many vehicles for decades. However, the automotive clutch market is diminishing as other more efficient options are hitting the market and being demanded by consumers. Fan Clutches are ‘fluid’ coupling devices that provide air flow through the radiator by using the water pump shaft to power the fan blade. When the pump is cool or at normal operating temperature, the fan clutch will partially disengage. However, due to only partially disengaging they will always be spinning at about 30% of the water pump speed at all times. When compared to an electric fan, fan clutches are quite inefficient.
Cylinder Head
In simple terms, the cylinder head is just a casting that tops off the engine block, holds the valves and forms the combustion chambers. Working in combination with the camshaft(s), induction and exhaust systems, the head determines how the engine breathes, the engine’s power curve and personality. The “right” cylinder head will deliver peak power in the preferred rpm range, providing good throttle response and producing the kind of torque and horsepower numbers your customers demand.
