Priority of Coolers to add to Tech Pack

[Texas Gator]

Howdy
been lurking for a while, and thought of a question that hadnt been discussed yet (since we've all got time before shipments start and 2016 builds continue) I've got a '16 Tech Pack on order (no VIN or build date yet).

The base and tech pack 350s dont have the auxiliary coolers, so per FP engineers, they can go 15-20 minutes on a small track (at high outside temp I bet) before cool down is needed. Granted most non-experienced drivers wont get near that point, but it would be nice to know which cooler brought the most benefit.

With all 3 coolers, the R/track pack cars can go for 24 hours without cooling down, but it may be that adding one cooler extends the 15-20 minutes to a couple hours - which would be way more than most folks would ever need. It could also improve the reliability (or extend the fluid change interval).

I dont have alot of track experience, but my guess is the differential cooler may be the first one needed (as it has the least fluid/surface area). Then I would think the transmission cooler would be next, and finally the engine oil cooler to get to the 24 hour point.

But I'd be curious on what others think. And it would be a great question to ask the engineers at the next Track Day to get their take)

thanks!:cheers:

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[Grimace427]

Engine oil cooler is the only one I would care about. Trans and diff coolers are more for endurance race durability IMO. Keeping those fluids cool extends the fluid life, but the components would likely keep on ticking for a while. Engine oil can get very hot and send the car into limp mode within a single HPDE session if you can drive it hard enough or if ambient temps are high enough.

 

[Hack]

I would say the answer to the question depends on a lot of things.


For example:

• What's the ambient temperature?
• What is the track configuration? Does it have long straights, or is it full of tight corners?
• What is the skill of the driver? Very good drivers will push the car harder than I will. ;)
• Is the car fitted with aftermarket tires that provide more grip?

Personally I would go after an engine oil cooler first. The engine oil typically has to be changed far more often than transmission or differential fluid. The engine oil has to withstand very high temperatures and more contamination due to the fact that the engine breathes compared to sealed components like a transmission or a rear differential.

Second for me would be the rear differential cooler. I think it would be fun to add the Shelby version, but another style could be done as well.

I think it's unlikely for the transmission to encounter problems with heat in any but the most extreme conditions. The transmission is large and gets a significant amount of external cooling just from air flowing past it.

One last comment. The goal of 24 hours doesn't make much sense to me except as an arbitrary bragging point. Coolers do extend the life of the fluids, which can matter as far as cost if you spend a lot of time at the track. However, you yourself are not going to hold up more than a few hours behind the wheel in racing conditions. So I wouldn't worry about or even consider 24 hours as a goal.

 

[AMpowerJ]

Oil cooler!

 

[canuhover]

I'm interested in adding the coolers since I ordered the tech pack also. I started looking at the car and noticed that the engine does have an oil cooler. It's located in the left front and has its own vent going to it from the front lower air dam. So it looks like the only cooler to add is the xmsn and rear diff. I would probably add the rear diff first.

 

[Trackaholic]

Based on comments from the R&T PCOTY testing, it sounds like an engine oil cooler would be a good first step.

Next I'd add the diff cooler since the space and components already exist.

I'd skip the transmission cooler since it seems like a larger effort with minimal gains.

-T

 

[scoots]

There was another thread on tracking the tech pack a couple weeks ago, and it was stated there that all GT350s come with the engine oil cooler.


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[TDC]

Yes. All GT350's have the oil cooler. The trans cooler has the pump built into the tranny case so you would have to replace the trans to upgrade like the track pack cars. Otherwise you could go aftermarket.
A member here, Combustor, has a track pack and said during very spirited driving his differential temp. was getting high. His trans temp was low. Based off his info the diff. cooler would be a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Texas Gator]

Hopefully the tech pack also has the temp gauges for the diff and the trans and we can see how much they heat up without the coolers. Agree that the diff cooler would be the next logical one to add if it is needed.

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[mattlqx]

Hopefully the tech pack also has the temp gauges for the diff and the trans and we can see how much they heat up without the coolers. Agree that the diff cooler would be the next logical one to add if it is needed.

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I can pop in my OBD reader tomorrow and see if any diff or trans temperatures come up.

They're definitely not available on the center display menu.

 

[xt6wagon]

Hopefully the tech pack also has the temp gauges for the diff and the trans and we can see how much they heat up without the coolers. Agree that the diff cooler would be the next logical one to add if it is needed.

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From what they have said, there is temp sensors for both the transmission and rear diff on all GT350.

 

[SVTDSM]

I can pop in my OBD reader tomorrow and see if any diff or trans temperatures come up.

They're definitely not available on the center display menu.

Is it visible on the center display on track pack cars? If so, and if all gt350's got the sensors, I wonder if it can somehow be accessed through the center display on base/tech cars.

 

[krt22]

Page 22 of the supp. manual says it should be displayed "if equipped". Unfortunately that doesnt answer the question if all cars have the sensors, but I cant imagine them not. They explicitly state the tech pack and base cars will go into limp mode if they overheat, no way to do that without the sensors being present

 

[mattlqx]

They don't surface them if there are. The virtual gauges are missing for those two on the center display in the Tech package. I tried messing about to find a PID for transmission temp but came up empty handed there too.

 

[mattlqx]

Using the nGauge, I can bring up the transmission fluid temp. There's no preset for diff temp though. I'm not sure if you can pull custom pids on the nGauge or what the pid might be.

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