Insulate radiator hose...

[Andrewkb]

The radiator hose is one of the tube that generates the most heat. Am wondering if it is a good idea to use those Aerofoam tape to tape up the whole hose ?

 

Risk is, the rubber hose might suffer prematured cracking due to excess heat ?

[Presea]

try applying some foil below the foam to transfer heat away. shiny side facing out should help dissisipate some of the heat..... my "secondary school physics" tells me it should.

 

by the way....where would you get the Aerofoam from... I'm also interested...

Edited November 8, 2002 by Presea

[Madarmour]

>> try applying some foil below the foam to transfer heat away

 

No good although it sounds as it will work. Wrapping the foil will trap air in-between which serve as an insulation.

 

You can purchase the Aerofoam from Res-Air, 25 Opal Crescent. 6-299 8522.

[Gadgeter]

Presea,

 

As per the Doc... That is were I got mine yesterday @ $8.24 (inclusive of GST)

[Presea]

Hi mike...thanks for the address

 

...i don't get it....you're saying that the air trapped between the 2 layers will keep the heat trapped there....... but isn't the aerofoam a form of insulation too?

In fact, it should keep the heat from leaving the radiator hose completely.....

 

I wonder if there's no need to insulate the outlet to radiator...but the inlet instead.... keep the water cooler before it cools the engine.....hmmm

[Presea]

I expect you're going to start somemore DIYing soon

[Gadgeter]

DL,

Actually, as much as I want to, I really dun know what else to do with my car... Other than what Sparetyre have suggested: Clear my boot....

 

Life is boring...

[Madarmour]

>> The radiator hose is one of the tube that generates the most heat.

 

Your header generates the most heat. If you are keen to wrap the radiator hose, you might as well tackle the headers first.

 

The rubber hose is meant as a conduit to channel water, not a contraption to cool it down. It's external surface will never be hotter than it's internal surface and it should be built to withstand the heat in the first place, so the premature cracking due to the wrap is a moot point.

 

On it's own merit, wrapping the hose will reduce heat radiated outside but you have to look at a bigger picture, which is the header.

 

Just my $0.02.

[Presea]

redo your soundsystem.....DIY...

add fire extinguisher in bracket flushed in your boot.

clean the interior of the door panel (between the metal and plastic).....

 

let me go think of other "bo liao" things to do on a car.......

[Presea]

like your hotbits header huh?....wrapped delcately by a surgeon's fingers

[Madarmour]

>> try applying some foil below the foam to transfer heat away. shiny side facing out should help dissisipate some of the heat

 

What I'm trying to say is that the foil will not help to transfer and dissipate much heat. You're right about the insulate part but with a more excellent insulator like the Aerofoam, the aluminium wrapping as an insulator is redundant.

 

Heat transfer needs cooling fins and moving air to be effective.

 

>>you're saying that the air trapped between the 2 layers will keep the heat trapped there....... but isn't the aerofoam a form of insulation too?

In fact, it should keep the heat from leaving the radiator hose completely.....

 

Agree with you on the first part.

 

Even without wrapping (aluminium or Aerofoam), there is minimal heat loss (as compared to the water temp inside) from the hose as it's a poor conductor in the first place. Remember, it's function is not to cool.

 

So in this scenario where the aim is to minimise radiated heat from the hose and not to conduct heat away from the hose, Aerofoam will be adequate.

 

>>I wonder if there's no need to insulate the outlet to radiator...but the inlet instead.... keep the water cooler before it cools the engine.....hmmm

 

Since the hoses doesn't affect the cooling mechanism, not wrapping it doesn't keep the water cooler. Remember, the 'cool' radiator outlet will still be warmer than ambient temp. Not possible to be cooler.

[Madarmour]

Yeah, like my headers.

[Andrewkb]

Wow ... post in the morning, read in the evening, got lots of fruitful reply !!!

 

The radiator hose is beside the air intake pipe.

 

The Stream layout is a bit different. Like the G9 Corolla, the intake is in front, and the extractor is behind. Supposedly better, as heat is kept behind. However, the stupid radiator hose emit so much heat that it affects the air intake pipe too.

 

The air intake pipe is not very accessible to wrap, so other alternative is the radiator loh ... think I will DIY this weekend :-)

 

P.S: I know header more heat, but can reduce bit by bit, at least feel shiok mah :-)

Edited November 8, 2002 by Andrewkb

[Turbobrick]

I'm skeptical about insulating the radiator hose as it's suppose to be part of a "heat removing" system so insulating it is like reducing it's work capacity....

[Andrewkb]

I know ... but it shouldn't be that significant rite ? The distance is short, wouldn't help remove too much heat ?

 

BTW, what's that LUNA ?

[Turbobrick]

I say save up and insulate the header and gain max efficiency rather than doing all the 1% jobs...

 

Click on the link to see Luna lah! (actually, it's my Taurus)

[Saaber]

Don't wrap the radiator hose! you will cause the hose to fail prematurely due to heat trapped inside. The high heat from the water within will cause the rubber to harden and then it will crack.

[Madarmour]

If the header's behind, then wrapping the hose may be useful. Funny, I thought I saw a Stream's engine but the header's in front. Any difference between the 1.7L and the 2.0L's engine layout?

 

You can use Aerotape to wrap the hose. It's so much neater that way.