reverse coolant flow? hmmm...

[atvmxr]

Ok, so me and the family are sitting around after thanksgiving and we were talking about my brothers LS-1 and how the coolant flow is reversed (3 engineers and one mechanic :D ). It enters the heads first and exits the bottom of the block. And I thought why cant I do that the R???? Switch the hose from the outlet of the water pump to go up to the head and the hose coming out of the cylinder is routed back to the radiator. I will get one of the mechanical water temp gauges to watch the temps before and after just to make sure it works after the switch. What do you think?? :confused:

[C-LEIGH RACING]

Be some weard looking plumming.
The coolant pump only pumps one way, you would have to do some good thinking routing those hoses.

I could see where it would make sence to push the coolant into the head, down around the exhaust & exit out the back of the cylinder & then to the radiator.
Exhaust side will have the most heat created & fresh cool coolant entering there would remover more heat.
Revercing the flow somehow & running the hot coolant through the pump would be a bad idea.
Neil

[atvmxr]

I would leave the routing to/from the pump the same, just switch the locations of where the coolant enters/leaves the cylinder

[C-LEIGH RACING]

Might be a good idea.
Useing one of the aftermarket heads where the outlet is on the front over the exhaust would be even better.
Neil

[Rich250RRacer]

Originally posted by C-LEIGH RACING
Be some weard looking plumming.
The coolant pump only pumps one way, you would have to do some good thinking routing those hoses.

I could see where it would make sence to push the coolant into the head, down around the exhaust & exit out the back of the cylinder & then to the radiator.
Exhaust side will have the most heat created & fresh cool coolant entering there would remover more heat.
Revercing the flow somehow & running the hot coolant through the pump would be a bad idea.
Neil

I really don't see any benefit to doing this, and I believe one of the reasons for the cool water entering on the intake side is to keep the air charge cool. As for the LS1 being reverse-flow, this was only done for a short time before GM switched back to standard flow.

[Which 450?]

well just make sure the suction side is still on the bottom of the rad, if u get a little low, it will stop cooling all together

[ChvyCruzen]

reverse flow sounds like a good idea because you're inducing a cooler charge at where the most heat is generated - thus making the hot spot on the cylinder cooler.

The only thing I have a concern about is the jug and the head. For 20 years it has been one way and now you want to reverse it. I wonder how it will affect the properties of the material and if it will cause it to warp due to the reversal of flow. One side would run hotter than the other, but now that is reversed. How will it affect the head? Will it remain straight and seal the jug?

Just my .02

[wilkin250r]

There is also the issues of gas build-up to consider. As it is now, any air bubbles will rise to the upper most portion of the coolant path, which is the upper hose, and since the radiator is mounted higher still, the air will travel all the way to the radiator.

Air buildup in the radiator isn't all that bad, because it's not generating heat. You lose efficiency, but that's all, there's no danger of vapor lock or hotspots.

Air buildup in your engine is bad bad news. You don't get proper cooling with an air pocket, and you can easily develop local hotspots and warping, expecially in an aluminum head.

I believe this is the main reason for the current design. No place for an air pocket to form. By reversing the flow, you'll change all that.

[C-LEIGH RACING]

Good point wilkins.
Neil

[86250rbanshee]

I know I had a LS1 Camaro they I did some work with I did something with the throttle body bypass coolant and changed the flow it. It seemed to work out well.