stafford1500 said:
In reply to wvumtnbkr :
Not true. Any extra drag in the system be it mechanical/aero/etc will require more power from the engine to over come the extra drag. You will also lose top speed and take longer to accelerate to a given speed. Take the idea to the extreme and image the undriven brakes are completely locked. It would take a lot of power from the driven wheels to get the car to move even 1mph while overcoming the tire grip on the ground.
That is true. However, aren't you using the engines full grunt when racing? The heat load at full grunt is the heat load. You will just be going slower.
So, to say it another way, it doesn't matter what the friction / resistance is from. It will need to shed the heat from the full engine hp either way.
Even a slight reduction in speed/acceleration can impact the cooling of a marginal system at all out conditions. Brakes are a fairly significant drag inducing device, so they could tip a system over the top if it is close to the limit.
The way I'd look at it is even though the power output would be the same you would spend more time using it going slower with the extra drag. So a straight away might normally take 30 seconds of full power before you hit the brakes is now taking 35 seconds, cornering speed should be unaffected so that time would remain the same.
It's also a completely different engine, even though it is larger/more powerful/generates more heat maybe its water pump is more efficient at moving the water etc. so I don't think you can count that out either.
stafford1500 said:
Even a slight reduction in speed/acceleration can impact the cooling of a marginal system at all out conditions. Brakes are a fairly significant drag inducing device, so they could tip a system over the top if it is close to the limit.
For sure!
In that case, it would be track dependent as well!
I would still focus on what the ducting into and out of the radiator looks like. I have fought that on several endurance cars.
Proper ducting can improve cooling and add downforce if done correctly.
This just screams ducting to me. It is absolutely a HUGE deal on some vehicles.
