SNAFU; high performance 318is build that lives up to the name, Turbo M42 ➞ Turbo M20

[econti]

I have all that and I'm still battling to stay under 205F.
Stock clutch can though, so maybe an electric with a proper shroud would work. I'm also in SoCal and it's averaging 90's right now.

I reckon you'd find that with a good flowing leccy fan and a good shroud you'll have more success.

Oddly enough down here I sat in 50 degree C stopped for 45 minutes and the gauge never even moved. Granted, no A/C condenser in the way and no turbo, but I to be honest would doubt that a turbo pumps that much heat that it changes from stable temps to flat out overheating.

[Schnitzer318is]

I run an OEM one.

Ahhh... realoem shows a temp of 88deg C on a stock one. I believe I am running a 75deg C version. The one shown below.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-engine-coolant-thermostat-11531721002-75

Keeps me right where I want to be during 95% of Texas seasons. In the "winter" I almost never run my electric fan and the car still gets up to operating temp okay.

[Dj Buttchug]

I run an OEM one.

[Schnitzer318is]

What temp thermostat are all of you guys running? I might have dropped mine down when I did the turbo... if I see over 200 I am overheating... or have forgotten to turn on the Efan.

[varg]

Turbo blankets etc? Wrapped downpipe? Maybe ceramic coated housings

Not sure how much it would help. I have a turbo blanket and wrap for my downpipe which I have yet to apply. I still see over 200° with the hood off which shows that a lot of it has to do with lack of air flow through the radiator

[ak-]

Turbo blankets etc? Wrapped downpipe? Maybe ceramic coated housings

I have all that and I'm still battling to stay under 205F.
Stock clutch can though, so maybe an electric with a proper shroud would work. I'm also in SoCal and it's averaging 90's right now.

[econti]

Turbo blankets etc? Wrapped downpipe? Maybe ceramic coated housings

[varg]

It's hard to see in my pictures, but I kept the dryer and the entire AC system in the stock locations. Summer heat in south Texas is the real deal. I went around all the AC stuff with my piping. Only custom thing done was a flexible low pressure line from the fender connection to the compressor so that I could route it around the oil drain and turbo housing. I need to have it remade though as it's leaking refrigerant badly now.

I was thinking about it, I also have an electric fan in front of the condenser on front of the car so perhaps that helps with cooling a bit when the AC is on. And I think my Volvo fan is indeed off a 940 now that you mention it.

Yeah I have condenser fan too, it's just not enough, and unfortunately it will probably have to go when the IC is relocated. I don't think a high dollar spal fan is any thinner than mine either by my measurements, it's just that the IC core is 24x12x3". I must have meant to direct the comment about not being able to route my AC piping through the drier hole at someone else, though I didn't see where you routed yours in previous browsing of your thread. You certainly don't see many people with turbocharged E30s that retain the AC system. To me AC is mandatory, if I'm not on my motorcycle I'll be damned if I'm going to put up with the heat and humidity.

I like the no hood look, you could always look for a cheap hood and put some vents in it. I have been toying with that idea, but my car is currently waiting for me to do stuff to it so it can drive again....

Also why not buy a mishitmoto low temp thermostat like the one I currently have. I think it was like $50 and I haven't seen temps above like 185 even when it was 94 degrees here in NY. I'm also running my intercooler in front, behind my valance and have both the original clutch fan with shroud and an electrical puller fan. So I do have a lot of cooling happening on my car.

wait what other cars have you had that were DD projects? I'm curious now.

Yeah it looks kind of neat, lots of staring going on though and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Plus, I've lost all sleeper cred when I drive around with the hood off, the big turbo sticking out makes my car look faster than it is, not slower than it is, like I prefer. I've an 80° thermostat, I don't see a colder one helping with heat soak, the AC condenser heats the air pretty well when the AC is struggling to keep up with the summer heat in a mostly flat black car. My previous DD projects were a really rusty '81 D150 pickup and a rusty Volvo 240 that I turbocharged then ditched after a few years because the chassis was bent and the rust was terminal. I can't afford it right now but I'll probably put a Mishimoto 325 radiator in this car eventually, the plan is to do an M20 swap in the future anyway.

[ccsdo5]

I like the no hood look, you could always look for a cheap hood and put some vents in it. I have been toying with that idea, but my car is currently waiting for me to do stuff to it so it can drive again....

Also why not buy a mishitmoto low temp thermostat like the one I currently have. I think it was like $50 and I haven't seen temps above like 185 even when it was 94 degrees here in NY. I'm also running my intercooler in front, behind my valance and have both the original clutch fan with shroud and an electrical puller fan. So I do have a lot of cooling happening on my car.

Thanks, it's not the first time I've done this either. DD project cars are just my thing I guess.

wait what other cars have you had that were DD projects? I'm curious now.

[Schnitzer318is]

The intercooler placement limits my options as far as fans and shrouds go because it pushes the radiator back and there is very little space. Once I get the intercooler mounted behind the valance I have my favorite e-fan, one from a Volvo 940, ready to go in. They're great, they move a ton of air. There's also the option of stock E36 M42 electric fan and shroud, but the shroud would probably interfere with my intercooler piping on the passenger's side, since it's going to have to run down in front of the AC compressor. I did it the hard way, kept the AC, and I have to work around the AC system. Because of the condenser I can't mount the IC so that the piping goes under the headlights, because of the drier I can't run the hot side IC piping down through the hole you used, it just makes the relocation a pain.

It's hard to see in my pictures, but I kept the dryer and the entire AC system in the stock locations. Summer heat in south Texas is the real deal. I went around all the AC stuff with my piping. Only custom thing done was a flexible low pressure line from the fender connection to the compressor so that I could route it around the oil drain and turbo housing. I need to have it remade though as it's leaking refrigerant badly now.

I was thinking about it, I also have an electric fan in front of the condenser on front of the car so perhaps that helps with cooling a bit when the AC is on. And I think my Volvo fan is indeed off a 940 now that you mention it.

[varg]

I have issues with heat as well. Normally I see temps above 200. Nothing over 212 but its hot in socal 100+ where Im at. The hood directly above the turbo is so hot I can't even touch it after a normal commute. I bought a laser thermometer and I gather readings around my engine bay regularly.

I can't drive without a hood in CA mainly because it will attract way to much attention to my car. It also might be illegal but not sure about that.

I removed my engine bay fire wall gasket that goes around the perimeter of the bay. This helps air flow out of the engine bay and over the windshield while driving. I was thinking about installing some ducting that runs from the valence up under the turbo manifold. It could help.

I removed the hood gasket a few weeks ago, it didn't make much of a difference. The flow path (condenser->IC->radiator) is the problem in my case. It's not a sealed, ducted path so the radiator fan is pulling preheated air from the condenser and hot air from the engine bay through the radiator. As far as the practicality of driving with no hood, I'm only concerned that someone will mess with my car while it's parked somewhere. It gets lots of looks.

Your car looks great. I don't know how you boosted your car and it's your daily. I don't think I could ever boost my car and daily it while I'm in the process of boosting it. Keep up the updates, I always like to see this car chugging along

Thanks, it's not the first time I've done this either. DD project cars are just my thing I guess.

With the factory M42 fan shroud and an old Volvo wagon efan I pulled from PnP... I never see temps above 185ish on my MS. That's on 100+ days in traffic. I forget the temp of my thermostat though...

The intercooler placement limits my options as far as fans and shrouds go because it pushes the radiator back and there is very little space. Once I get the intercooler mounted behind the valance I have my favorite e-fan, one from a Volvo 940, ready to go in. They're great, they move a ton of air. There's also the option of stock E36 M42 electric fan and shroud, but the shroud would probably interfere with my intercooler piping on the passenger's side, since it's going to have to run down in front of the AC compressor. I did it the hard way, kept the AC, and I have to work around the AC system. Because of the condenser I can't mount the IC so that the piping goes under the headlights, because of the drier I can't run the hot side IC piping down through the hole you used, it just makes the relocation a pain.

[Schnitzer318is]

With the factory M42 fan shroud and an old Volvo wagon efan I pulled from PnP... I never see temps above 185ish on my MS. That's on 100+ days in traffic. I forget the temp of my thermostat though...

[efficient]

Your car looks great. I don't know how you boosted your car and it's your daily. I don't think I could ever boost my car and daily it while I'm in the process of boosting it. Keep up the updates, I always like to see this car chugging along

[Dj Buttchug]

I have issues with heat as well. Normally I see temps above 200. Nothing over 212 but its hot in socal 100+ where Im at. The hood directly above the turbo is so hot I can't even touch it after a normal commute. I bought a laser thermometer and I gather readings around my engine bay regularly.

I can't drive without a hood in CA mainly because it will attract way to much attention to my car. It also might be illegal but not sure about that.

I removed my engine bay fire wall gasket that goes around the perimeter of the bay. This helps air flow out of the engine bay and over the windshield while driving. I was thinking about installing some ducting that runs from the valence up under the turbo manifold. It could help.

[varg]

Quick update. With how hot and sunny it has been over the last month, my cooling system has been struggling to keep up when I'm in traffic with the AC on, no overheating, but CLT can get high enough that it makes me uncomfortable, I don't like seeing anything higher than 200°f in normal commuting and it was going over that regularly. Pending relocation of the intercooler from in front of the radiator to behind the valance, I'm driving hoodless to keep the temps down. It's working!