2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Performance Aluminum Radiator, Part 4: Prototype Road Testing and Project Conclusion
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Mishimoto Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Aluminum Radiator
Time to put some numbers behind the effort our team has put forth on this project! As mentioned in the last post, we would be collecting real-world driving data to analyze the effectiveness of our performance aluminum radiator against the factory unit. To prepare for this, we attached our temperature sensors to both the inlet and outlet of the radiator. This would allow us to analyze the efficiency of the radiator by comparing the reduction in temperature from inlet to outlet. Check out these sensors attached to the factory radiator.
Now that we had everything installed and the cooling system was bled of any air bubbles, we could begin to collect the necessary data. To keep things consistent, identical testing conditions were used to ensure that this was as close to apples-to-apples as possible.
Testing Conditions
- Ambient temperature: 68°F-72°F (20˚C-22.2˚C)
- Data collection on the highway at 65 mph, cruising for 10 miles
- Attention given to vehicles in front of the truck to ensure sufficient airflow
Once we had our data for the factory radiator, we installed the Mishimoto unit and performed an identical test. Check out a close-up of the sensor installed.
This data would provide the information needed to compare the efficiency of both radiators tested. Prior to analyzing this data, we put together a few charts to display the physical benefits of the Mishimoto radiator compared to the factory unit.
Core thickness is a big deal to a lot of consumers. Core thickness plays a large role in fluid capacity as well as heat transfer and dissipation. Simply adding a larger core cannot guarantee improved performance, because the core also needs to be designed properly to take advantage of this increased size. The Mishimoto radiator provides a 10% thicker core compared to the factory radiator.
Core volume correlates with core thickness. The greater the fluid capacity, the greater the impact on cooling performance. The Mishimoto core utilizes shorter external fins, which allow us to pack more cooling tubes into the core. Core volume is also increased by 10% with the Mishimoto radiator.
Next we compare coolant capacities. The Mishimoto radiator has a 37% increase in capacity over the factory radiator. These gains are achieved through the use of more coolant tubes, as mentioned above, and a thicker core. Additionally, our end tanks increase in volume as well, which results in a total capacity increase.
Because the Mishimoto radiator uses shorter fins compared to the factory unit, we are able to provide more total fin area. External fins make direct contact with air, which then transfers the heat from the coolant tubes. This means that more fin area will result in greater overall heat transfer. The Mishimoto radiator provides a 20% increase in fin area.
This increase in fin area will have a direct result tube area, which is increased by 15% compared to the factory radiator.
So what does all this mean for you? How do all these gains translate into actual real-world coolant temperatures? Check out the compiled efficiency chart below from our road testing!
This direct comparison of respectable inlet and outlet temperatures for the factory and Mishimoto radiators provides the data needed to support this radiator as a performance benefit to your truck. Thanks to the core improvements and size increases, we are able to achieve an overall 5% improvement in cooling efficiency compared to the factory radiator. Greater efficiency is extremely helpful during heavy load towing and hauling, or aggressive driving situations. Now that we had all our data points and a product that works as designed, it was time to recap our goals and results.
Project Goals
- Must be direct fit and require no vehicle modification.
This radiator bolts into the factory mounting points and functions perfectly with all factory equipment and shrouding in the engine bay. Despite an increase in physical size We confirmed this by test fitting the radiator in several vehicles.
- Provide additional coolant capacity and an efficient core design.
The Mishimoto aluminum radiator provides a 37% increase in coolant capacity compared to the factory radiator; this allows for greater efficiency. Additionally, the core that our engineers designed provides improvements in volume, fin area, and tube area, which resulted in real-world decreases in fluid temperature.
- Test and provide data regarding radiator performance compared to OEM unit.
Our real-world data collection and comparison showed a 5% increase in radiator efficiency compared to the factory radiator. These gains will be extremely useful for trucks in a towing or hauling situation or when driven aggressively.
So that’s it, all goals for this project have been met! Our team really hit a home run with this radiator. The additional cooling efficiency we can provide for our customers will surely help those who ask a lot from their Powerstroke. We look forward to the independent customer reviews.
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