Secondary cooling system
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 176
Likes: 1
From: Syracuse NY
Secondary cooling system
So I am new to psd performance . I can't find much information on the secondary cooling system. While I appreciate the function and small size of the intercooler, why when the ambient temps are lower than 65 degrees does the secondary cooling system not work as an open (non thermostat controlled) cooling system. Is it not advantageous for the charge air temps to be as low as possible?
In air to air intercooling it cools the charge air temps to close to whatever the ambient air temp is. Colder charge air is always more dense = more power. Why is the psd water to air intercooler always preheating the charge air Temps to at least 65 degrees in colder temps?
What else is the secondary cooling system cooling to need a thermostat?
In air to air intercooling it cools the charge air temps to close to whatever the ambient air temp is. Colder charge air is always more dense = more power. Why is the psd water to air intercooler always preheating the charge air Temps to at least 65 degrees in colder temps?
What else is the secondary cooling system cooling to need a thermostat?
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 193
Likes: 15
From: Fort Collins
"The secondary Ford 6.7 radiator, mounted in front of the primary, is responsible for heat exchange within the system that feeds coolant to anything else in the vehicle that is not the engine block itself or the oil cooler. This includes the transmission cooler, the EGR cooler, the fuel cooler, and perhaps most importantly, the charge-air cooler...
it uses two thermostats – one incorporated into each end tank – that direct the flow of the coolant as it flows among the numerous passages. Additionally, the heat exchanger utilizes three rows of internal coolant passageways, but one of the aforementioned thermostats opens and closes one of the rows, giving the unit the ability to function as a two or a three-row radiator. When the third row is closed off, coolant is directed to the other side of the Ford 6.7 radiator via a pipe that travels across the front of the unit. This design element presumably allows the truck to heat to operating temperatures within a more reasonable amount of time, and to begin cooling more effectively once conditions are appropriate and the third row is open."
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 176
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From: Syracuse NY
^Perhaps the best reply!^ It's handle a lot more than I thought. I guess cooling the fuel and transmission to freezing would not work hence the higher thermostat. Just wish you could thermostat down to say 20 degrees (above gelling point) to gain power. If the running temp of the trans is 200 then, I would think, it has to have its own separate thermostat in the system.
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 88
Likes: 2
From: Center Valley, PA
Perhaps the best reply! It's handle a lot more than I thought. I guess cooling the fuel and transmission to freezing would not work hence the higher thermostat. Just wish you could thermostat down to say 20 degrees (above gelling point) to gain power. If the running temp of the trans is 200 then, I would think, it has to have its own separate thermostat in the system.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,592
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Diesel vehicles are not efficient until they are up to operating temperature because it is heat and compression that ignites the fuel, so cooling air going into a cold motor could be counterproductive. Heating up the air going into the engine with coolant is an easy way to bring the motor up into its most efficient state quickly just as if you listen to your motor when it is -5 degrees or so out it is loud as hell for a few minutes, that is because the egr is just about wide open shoving all the hot exhaust gasses into the combustion chamber to make sure that the fuel gets ignited properly.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 176
Likes: 1
From: Syracuse NY
This discussion pertains only to the secondary cooling system. The primary cooling system is responsible for engine coolant temperature. The secondary cooling system even with wide open thermostats or no thermostats would do very little to the truck (engine coolant) warming to full operating temperature. My truck at 20-30F degrees ambient can take almost ten miles to get to around 180 degrees. Then to get to the 195-200 (full temp) takes almost 15 miles. The secondary cooling system stay at 65-75F at all times under these circumstances : ambient is under 50F, no real load (running empty), and no extended high boost accelerations. The secondary system gets to 65-75F within 2 miles of cold start.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 221
Likes: 10
From: Manitoba, Canada
Thank you for that clarification. I am seeing that same thing at -7 celcius so pretty much the same temps. I heat my garage so the engine block is well above freezing when I start out. My 7.3 was at full operating temps within 6 miles/10kms at -30 highway driving, I live in a rural setting. This 2019 at much warmer temps is taking me 20 kms and like I said -7 celcius or so. Was worried it wouldn't be warmed up on my 35 km commute to work once it gets to -30 so wondered how it would ever get hot enough the whole winter to clean the DPF. Hate it when I have to apply some boost to get into traffic and the engine is not at full operating temp.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 176
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From: Syracuse NY
I know I might get some that will disagree but as long as the engine has ran for a minute or two, I wouldn't worry about driving it normal. At low engine temps it will limit fuel and boost itself anyways. We use multi weight oil for this reason. At only 80F coolant temp, in my lml duramax, the glow plugs shut off. Boost numbers under 20 psi aren't much for diesels either. In short, get in, start it, throw it in drive, and drive it normal barring no white smoke or crazy unhappy clattering noises when it's really cold, below 0F. I have never even plugged mine in, even down to - 25F.
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