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My Radiator block and Hot air intake modifications.
There is a wealth of information on this site contributed by knowledgable and enthusiastic members worldwide. Both these mods have been done before, and in depth, but I have decided to document my simple versions for the benefit of others who may want to make these relatively simple changes. It was important to me that my mods did not permanently change the car, so both can be removed in a short time if I needed.
The info in this post applies to my two UK Honda Insights, your’s may differ, so check everything before you begin. I used a ScangaugeII from http://www.scangauge.com/ to monitor the coolant water and air intake temperatures in my vehicle. This helps provide some reliable data, and improves on the Honda water temperature gauge which is very unhelpful.
I'll start with the Radiator block modification. The Honda Insight engine is so efficient that in cold weather it does not develop enough heat to warm itself or the occupants of the car properly. Wear is increased in the engine due to this reduced temperature, and little heat is available for cabin heating. This leads to less than optimum fuel consumption. This simple mod is hugely beneficial, especially in cool/cold climates, it has been shown to produce a significant saving in fuel, and a shortening of engine warm up time. I highly recommend it.
It basically consists of a thin piece of blocking material inserted between the water cooling radiator and the air con radiator. This reduces air flow through the water radiator and engine compartment, improving efficiency.
I used some 2mm lightweight plastic sheeting for my version, it is easy to work with a stanley knife, and it is less likely to damage the radiator on insertion, as it's fairly soft. You can use whatever you like, but lighter is better, don't forget it must be able to stand about 100C without melting.
The block can easily be removed when the hotter weather arrives or when the temp gauge indicates a problem. I took mine out for 3 months during the summer last year. It was in situ the rest of the time.
Here's a picture of the general shape.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockcut.jpg
A picture with the mod half inserted.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockinsertion.jpg
And fully in position with little tab sticking up for easy removal.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockfin.jpg
The sizes I used were
Overall Width 40cm, Height of main area 25cm, height of tab at end 13cm, width of tab 3cm.
Onto the Hot air modification.
This is more tricky, but again has been shown to produce useful results. The Manual Insight has a lean burn feature which works better at higher temperatures. The hotter air being drawn into the engine reduces cylinder charge density and improves combustion effeciency, leading to improved mpg. With an increased air intake temperature it has been shown that the lean burn window widens, and it is easier to maintain in general.
There is not much spare heat in the block water cooling system, but there is a useful amount of heat going to waste via the exhaust system. The catalytic converter requires a certain amount of heat to operate properly, so we have to be careful how much heat we remove if we are using a pre-cat hot air mod.
UK Insights have a normal down pipe from the back of the cylinder head until it runs into the cat, which is mounted under the car in a tunnel. US ones seem to have a cat in this down pipe section. I decided to use the hottest and longest bit of pipe I could find, which is this down pipe area, it is also fairly free of obstructions, and there was enough room to get my mod in position.
These photos show my finished mod in postion on the down pipe from the cylinder head. (I need to trim the jubilee clips!)
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairfin1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairfin2.jpg
I decided to duct the hot air into the normal air intake system using the resonator air inlet point on the underside of the the right hand air inlet hose. This is a 44mm 1-3/4" inlet, and I used 125C rated lightweight rubber ducting hose for my mod, so it fitted straight on without problems. I got it from RS Components part no 399-0675 Ducting high temp Superflex Calor 45mmx5m.
Ducting the hot air in via the resonator point has the benefit of allowing you control of the air being drawn in, and the resulting intake temperature, by simply blocking or partially blocking the normal air inlet.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/airintakeblocked.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/openinlet.jpg
Above photos show my normal air inlet completely open and blocked, I just used duck tape for this, it can be removed in seconds. The blocking of the normal inlet forces all the engine air to be drawn in via the resonator port, and my hot air mod. Partial blocking of the main intake gives a mix of hot and cold air, leaving it fully open results in about a 50/50 mix of hot and cold air. Just adjust it until you get the temp you want.
With the full block in place, and all air via my intake mod, I am seeing an increase in air intake temp of about 15C, with ambient temp here about 9C at the minute, this moves it up to 24C and a much better lean burn operating window.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/scangaugereading.jpg
The Insight exhaust is made of Stainless steel, so I used a perforated sheet of 0.9mm stainless steel for my mod, and stainless steel 80-100mm jubilee clips to avoid reactions/rust with different metals. Use as thin as you can get away with to keep weight down. The photos below show the mod at various stages as I built it up.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod5.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod4.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod3.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod2.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/airtakeoff.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodtakeoff1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodoutlet1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodheat2.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodheat1.jpg
And finally ready to install with hose attached!
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotai ... nstall.jpg
It's pretty self explanatory, here are the measurements I used.
0.9mm x 22cm x 20cm for main sheet of mesh steel.
44mm 1-3/4" hole cut in center.
There is a cut out at the bottom end to allow for the sensor 35mm x 35mm.
The cuts at the ends to achieve the petal effect are 15mm x 20mm, I then tapped these over to form the ends of the pipe. This is also the bit that grips the exhaust pipe when the jubilee clips are tightenend, so no sharp points please. You don't want to puncture/damage the exhaust. I formed the tubular shape of the mod around some 48mm scaffold pole, when it sprang back it gave me about the overall diameter I wanted.
It's a bit tricky getting it into position, but it can be done from above the car, I did not need to go underneath to install it. Route the rubber hose away from sharp edges and secure it with a few black cable ties. The mod is very discrete if you take a bit of time, and it does not detract from the underbonnet appearance. I shall be making a non perforated sheet version of the hot air mod for my other car, and comparing the two over the summer. I'll keep you updated.
Good luck with your mods. Lets us know how you get on with them, remember we are all learning from each other. I want to learn from you as well.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/bothcars.jpg
Regards
Peter UK 8)
There is a wealth of information on this site contributed by knowledgable and enthusiastic members worldwide. Both these mods have been done before, and in depth, but I have decided to document my simple versions for the benefit of others who may want to make these relatively simple changes. It was important to me that my mods did not permanently change the car, so both can be removed in a short time if I needed.
The info in this post applies to my two UK Honda Insights, your’s may differ, so check everything before you begin. I used a ScangaugeII from http://www.scangauge.com/ to monitor the coolant water and air intake temperatures in my vehicle. This helps provide some reliable data, and improves on the Honda water temperature gauge which is very unhelpful.
I'll start with the Radiator block modification. The Honda Insight engine is so efficient that in cold weather it does not develop enough heat to warm itself or the occupants of the car properly. Wear is increased in the engine due to this reduced temperature, and little heat is available for cabin heating. This leads to less than optimum fuel consumption. This simple mod is hugely beneficial, especially in cool/cold climates, it has been shown to produce a significant saving in fuel, and a shortening of engine warm up time. I highly recommend it.
It basically consists of a thin piece of blocking material inserted between the water cooling radiator and the air con radiator. This reduces air flow through the water radiator and engine compartment, improving efficiency.
I used some 2mm lightweight plastic sheeting for my version, it is easy to work with a stanley knife, and it is less likely to damage the radiator on insertion, as it's fairly soft. You can use whatever you like, but lighter is better, don't forget it must be able to stand about 100C without melting.
The block can easily be removed when the hotter weather arrives or when the temp gauge indicates a problem. I took mine out for 3 months during the summer last year. It was in situ the rest of the time.
Here's a picture of the general shape.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockcut.jpg
A picture with the mod half inserted.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockinsertion.jpg
And fully in position with little tab sticking up for easy removal.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/radblockfin.jpg
The sizes I used were
Overall Width 40cm, Height of main area 25cm, height of tab at end 13cm, width of tab 3cm.
Onto the Hot air modification.
This is more tricky, but again has been shown to produce useful results. The Manual Insight has a lean burn feature which works better at higher temperatures. The hotter air being drawn into the engine reduces cylinder charge density and improves combustion effeciency, leading to improved mpg. With an increased air intake temperature it has been shown that the lean burn window widens, and it is easier to maintain in general.
There is not much spare heat in the block water cooling system, but there is a useful amount of heat going to waste via the exhaust system. The catalytic converter requires a certain amount of heat to operate properly, so we have to be careful how much heat we remove if we are using a pre-cat hot air mod.
UK Insights have a normal down pipe from the back of the cylinder head until it runs into the cat, which is mounted under the car in a tunnel. US ones seem to have a cat in this down pipe section. I decided to use the hottest and longest bit of pipe I could find, which is this down pipe area, it is also fairly free of obstructions, and there was enough room to get my mod in position.
These photos show my finished mod in postion on the down pipe from the cylinder head. (I need to trim the jubilee clips!)
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairfin1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairfin2.jpg
I decided to duct the hot air into the normal air intake system using the resonator air inlet point on the underside of the the right hand air inlet hose. This is a 44mm 1-3/4" inlet, and I used 125C rated lightweight rubber ducting hose for my mod, so it fitted straight on without problems. I got it from RS Components part no 399-0675 Ducting high temp Superflex Calor 45mmx5m.
Ducting the hot air in via the resonator point has the benefit of allowing you control of the air being drawn in, and the resulting intake temperature, by simply blocking or partially blocking the normal air inlet.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/airintakeblocked.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/openinlet.jpg
Above photos show my normal air inlet completely open and blocked, I just used duck tape for this, it can be removed in seconds. The blocking of the normal inlet forces all the engine air to be drawn in via the resonator port, and my hot air mod. Partial blocking of the main intake gives a mix of hot and cold air, leaving it fully open results in about a 50/50 mix of hot and cold air. Just adjust it until you get the temp you want.
With the full block in place, and all air via my intake mod, I am seeing an increase in air intake temp of about 15C, with ambient temp here about 9C at the minute, this moves it up to 24C and a much better lean burn operating window.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/scangaugereading.jpg
The Insight exhaust is made of Stainless steel, so I used a perforated sheet of 0.9mm stainless steel for my mod, and stainless steel 80-100mm jubilee clips to avoid reactions/rust with different metals. Use as thin as you can get away with to keep weight down. The photos below show the mod at various stages as I built it up.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod5.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod4.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod3.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod2.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmod1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/airtakeoff.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodtakeoff1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodoutlet1.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodheat2.jpg
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotairmodheat1.jpg
And finally ready to install with hose attached!
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/hotai ... nstall.jpg
It's pretty self explanatory, here are the measurements I used.
0.9mm x 22cm x 20cm for main sheet of mesh steel.
44mm 1-3/4" hole cut in center.
There is a cut out at the bottom end to allow for the sensor 35mm x 35mm.
The cuts at the ends to achieve the petal effect are 15mm x 20mm, I then tapped these over to form the ends of the pipe. This is also the bit that grips the exhaust pipe when the jubilee clips are tightenend, so no sharp points please. You don't want to puncture/damage the exhaust. I formed the tubular shape of the mod around some 48mm scaffold pole, when it sprang back it gave me about the overall diameter I wanted.
It's a bit tricky getting it into position, but it can be done from above the car, I did not need to go underneath to install it. Route the rubber hose away from sharp edges and secure it with a few black cable ties. The mod is very discrete if you take a bit of time, and it does not detract from the underbonnet appearance. I shall be making a non perforated sheet version of the hot air mod for my other car, and comparing the two over the summer. I'll keep you updated.
Good luck with your mods. Lets us know how you get on with them, remember we are all learning from each other. I want to learn from you as well.
http://www.solarvan.co.uk/insight/bothcars.jpg
Regards
Peter UK 8)
Did you go under, behind or over the top of the engine when routing the hose from the exhaust to the resonator?
