In the UK all the Spridget racers that I can recollect don't have a fan to
cool the radiator - a race car simply doesn't need one. Some block the
heater take off and some don't. But what is acceptable for a race car in
respect of water cooling doesn't mean the same practice is acceptable for a
road car.
My car has a well developed cooling system and I saw differences in running
temperatures in using different size water pump pulleys - the hottest reading
wasn't enough to get even close to causing engine damage but I still chose
the pulley that produced the lowest temperature reading.
It may be the case (there is still room for debate) that shutting off coolant
flow to the back of the block causes no engine damage on even highly
developed road engines but without installing a temperature gauge and
conducting controlled testing who can be sure. Also, even if shutting off
the coolant flow doesn't cause damage the question remains: does it raise
water temperatures at the end cylinder(s) and if so even if the increase in
temperature doesn't generally cause engine damage will it drop the power
output of the engine (a cooler running engine produces more power but is less
economical.
Finally, for those who think that shutting the valve does no harm, can it be
proved that it does good or makes no difference?
Daniel1312
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