Cold air intake and Spyder RS heat

[Recluze]

I came across threads on people making their own cold air intakes and thought it would be something I would like to do. It seems obvious that the colder the air going into the engine the better it would be. I have also had some concerns about how hot my new to me Spyder has been running. I have heard that the temp bars have been recalibrated, and while I believe that, I was so use to seeing my old Spyder run a bar lower that I thought I would find out what was real.

So I took a temp probe and put it in the radiator reservoir. I took another electronic temp gauge and put the sensor right on the end of the trumpet that leads to the air box. I did these tests with the right side bottom panel off and the wishbone center piece removed. Ambient was 75 degrees. Degrees in Farenheit


Bars Radiator Intake Fan
0 75 74 off
1 88 75 off
2 108 76 off
3 125 76 off
4 158 76 off
5 175 79 off
5 180-200 79 on
4 190 79 off

I took the temp probe out of the radiator and put the wishbone back in place for a road test. Right rear bottom panel still off. The test became a lot more dynamic at this point due to the speed traveled and the prevailing wind.

In Ambient

83 75 at 60 plus miles per hour
80 73 at stop light idle nose into wind

Conclusions I have drawn from these limited tests:
1) 4-5 bars is normal temp range for this engine.
2) Somewhere between 180-200 degrees water temp the fan will come on. At idle in 75 degree ambient it will cool the engine down to 4 bars.
3) There is not a lot of heat build up where the intake trumpets pick up the air- 7 or 8 degrees
4) The intake air gets cooler when at idle.

I can live with the conclusion 1 and 2 and will now stop trying to make the engine run cooler. Where it runs is about where I would think it is most efficient. I am surprised at how little heat build up at the air intake. I am mystified at why the air intake temp would get cooler at idle. I was pointing into the wind.

This was a short test run. I left my setup in place to do more extensive runs, preferably on a hotter day. At some point I am going to put the lower bottom plate back on.

 

[bikeguy]

That's good info to have, Recluze. Thanks for doing the research.

Cotton

 

[coz]

blueknight 911 intake

mike says his coldair intake made his bike run cooler, according to temp gauge, and run better, as he was having some issues with heat i think. the mod only cost a few dollars. i'm going to try it as soon as i see a pic of it. hopefully arntufun will take lots of pictures of mikes mods at americade :thumbup:

 

[Lamonster]

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?13512-New-temp-gauge-with-bar-readings :doorag:
I'm getting ready to do the same thing on the RT

 

[Recluze]

mike says his coldair intake made his bike run cooler, according to temp gauge, and run better, as he was having some issues with heat i think. the mod only cost a few dollars. i'm going to try it as soon as i see a pic of it. hopefully arntufun will take lots of pictures of mikes mods at americade :thumbup:

I am just back from a longer run and the air intake temperature is 15 degrees above ambient. When traveling with a tail wind it gets to be about 20 degrees and when going into the wind it is about 10 degrees. I would have expected it to be a lot warmer.

Now cooler air to the air box has to make things better. But I am not sure that 15 degrees cooler air will make a noticeable difference in how the engine runs. Maybe ramming the air into the air box has a positive impact.

As far as making the engine run cooler, I am not sure I would want it any cooler. Mine runs at three bars most of the time and from Lamonster's measurements and mine that might be a little on the low side.

Bottomline is still the same. I am going to quit worrying about my Spyder running hot. Putting the cold air intake on will have to wait until someone comes up with a good aftermarket one or I get ambitious.

 

[MikeinGA]

mike says his coldair intake made his bike run cooler, according to temp gauge, and run better, as he was having some issues with heat i think. the mod only cost a few dollars. i'm going to try it as soon as i see a pic of it. hopefully arntufun will take lots of pictures of mikes mods at americade :thumbup:

Another way to keep the Spyder cool is use Water Wetter made by Red Line. You add 3.5 ozs. in the coolent tank when the Spyder is cold and then warm the engine up till the coolent fan runs. It keeps mine running 10 to 20 deg. F. cooler in the summer. A 12 oz. bottle cost about $10.00 and add it everytime you change the coolent.

Mike

 

[Bob Denman]

Or Engine Ice. I used it in ATVs for years...:thumbup:

 

[Smokinspyder]

4-5 bars is normal . which is good means im above normal and im at 6 bars ( 50 degrees or 90 degrees ) . I did add water wetter not sure i added the entire amount , but I guess i have to make sure I added enough coolant now . Im going to ask a stupid question because I dont have my spyder or the manaual infront of me LOL so please bear with me . What amount did you all add when replaceing your coolant ? what level or amount ? because maybe I was half a idiot when I replaced mine and i either over filled it or underfilled it stranger things have happened right ?

 

[Recluze]

4-5 bars is normal . which is good means im above normal and im at 6 bars ( 50 degrees or 90 degrees ) . I did add water wetter not sure i added the entire amount , but I guess i have to make sure I added enough coolant now . Im going to ask a stupid question because I dont have my spyder or the manaual infront of me LOL so please bear with me . What amount did you all add when replaceing your coolant ? what level or amount ? because maybe I was half a idiot when I replaced mine and i either over filled it or underfilled it stranger things have happened right ?

The coolant capacity is 3.2 liter or .85 gallons. You can look in the radiator reservoir and see if you are between the two embossed lines on the tank. I usually take off at least the wishbone piece and probably the piece right below it to this correctly. I find it impossible to see with just the fuse block cover taken off.

 

[Smokinspyder]

yeah thats what I thought I remeber reading that it was .85 gallons and it should be somewhere between the bottom line for min cool and max hot i think are the 2 lines . I think im somewhere around there , wish I could remember HA . Im pretty sure I added the correct amount. So ill assume that my problem lies somewhere else hmmm troubleshooting is fun

 

[Smokinspyder]

yall are gonna love this one . I had the spyder out today out and about seeing some friends etc .and most of the morning its at 6 bars but engh I dont pay much attention to it since thats where its been the last few weeks and its about mid 70's outside. Now I get back on the bike about 2 hours later and about 15 degrees hotter out and its running at 4 bars moving and 5 bars idiling . hmmm interesting but what ever something must have righted itself like a air pocket or something like that . Well I pull into my spot at home and i hear sizzing 1/4 of the coolant comes puking out the bottom from the :cus: radiator cap, maybe I should have bought a new one from the dealer . anyone know how much those things go for ?

 

[Firefly]

If you change your intake and/or exhaust... good chance you'll need to use a Powercommander or Juicebox to get some more fuel flowing.......

 

[NancysToy]

yall are gonna love this one . I had the spyder out today out and about seeing some friends etc .and most of the morning its at 6 bars but engh I dont pay much attention to it since thats where its been the last few weeks and its about mid 70's outside. Now I get back on the bike about 2 hours later and about 15 degrees hotter out and its running at 4 bars moving and 5 bars idiling . hmmm interesting but what ever something must have righted itself like a air pocket or something like that . Well I pull into my spot at home and i hear sizzing 1/4 of the coolant comes puking out the bottom from the :cus: radiator cap, maybe I should have bought a new one from the dealer . anyone know how much those things go for ?

Sounds like your radiator cap is not on all the way. It has to be turned to the second detent.

 

[boborgera]

Sounds like your radiator cap is not on all the way. It has to be turned to the second detent.

:agree:
That's the first thing he should check before he gos out and buys a new cap.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

THE COLD AIR THING MINE OR MEL'S MONSTER GARAGE

You don't have to take my word on "cold air intake".....GM, FORD ,CHRYSLER etc spent millions getting cold air into the carbs which aren't a heck of alot different than the throttle bodies.....so if they were stupid than so am I and I don't give DA*N....I'm happy and that's all that matters to me......Mike...:thumbup: PS I also did some temp testing and found that in the engine bay it gets as hot as 300+ degree's.....But that's not going down my throttle-bodies. PPS Mel's is no longer available he returned to the fatherland.

 

[Smokinspyder]

Sounds like your radiator cap is not on all the way. It has to be turned to the second detent.[/QUOT

HA yea I thought maybe I didnt lock it down but yeah I did , When i first put the cap back on after flushing the coolant it was "loose and that didnt seem right then i actually looked at the tank and finished turning it , almost was a dumba$$ .granted sometimes people even the best make mistakes. I dont replace things unless im 100% sure . ahh no matter looks like its all good as of now . I ran about 4-5 bars while moving and I didnt go above that sitting !!! Thanks to you all for dealing with my rambling and ANY assistance

 

[MikeinGA]

Ice or water wetter to the best of my knowledge only changes the temp at which your radiator will " boil " over.....What effects the engine temp. is the thermostat setting.....and you don't have to take my word on "cold air intake".....GM, FORD ,CHRYSLER etc spent millions getting cold air into the carbs which aren't a heck of alot different than the throttle bodies.....so if they were stupid than so am I and I don't give DA*N....I'm happy and that's all that matters to me......Mike...:thumbup: PS I also did some temp testing and found that in the engine bay it gets as hot as 300+ degree's.....But that's not going down my throttle-bodies. PPS Mel's is no longer available he returned to the fatherland.

I use Water Wetter and it dropped the water temp 10 to 14 deg. F. and before adding Water Wetter the bars on my 2011 RS-S gage was at 5 bars all the time in 85 to 90 deg. F. Now, after adding it, at stop light it's 5 bars or going up hill, coming down hill and on the highway it's 4 bars at the same out side temp.85 to 90 deg. I have used it for over 25 years and it works. That's IMHO.


Mike

 

[Recluze]

So I got ambitious and did a variation of Blueknight911's cold air intake. I took a 3 inch section of heater hose from the fog light opening and ran it to where the intake trumpets stick forward. I did not want to cut the ends off of the trumpets as I believe they are there to help tune the intake. So I took some hood insulation material (from a Mercedes SLno less) and cut a piece to wrap around the trumpets so that the air from the hose has little choice but to go up the intake trumpets. It is not air tight so I doubt that there is much ram air effect.

On a short run at 93 degree ambient the intake air was 93 degrees just as one would expect. It actually can get a couple of degrees lower but I believe this is due to the amount of dampening that is built into the dash temp gauge. So I now have air that is 10-15 degrees cooler than it use to be. I have not ridden far enough to see if this has any added benefit.

 

[coz]

pics?

pics please?opcorn:

 

[Recluze]

pics please?opcorn:

I will get some the next time I have the skins off.