Coolant temp sensor real?

[Zygrene]

100% agreed, and I'll also go ahead and state the obvious that it all by proxy applies to our cars as well.

It is a fun and capable car on track, but it is not a purpose built track car out of the box.

As for the cooling, so far no one has really reported any serious concerns over cooling on track, and people have had this car on track pretty extensively. I've had my car on track and had zero issues, but it was a pretty light track effort all things considered- but also that being said I had an absolute blast and validated my use case for the car, which is light track use/autocross.

Follow @Zygrene on YouTube for the absolute best dedicated overall content for the Integra Type S, with an emphasis on track use. In his latest video he does mention something about the coolant finally "going above 4 ticks" while on track and also notes that it hasn't even gotten as hot as it's going to get yet. But also note that he absolutely rips that car on track- most of us at full tilt are probably still only around 7-8/10ths of what he's putting the car through so my takeaway from this is that I can probably be just fine with my intended use for the car without having to go down the coolant upgrade rabbit hole.

Yep -- another shout out to Zygrene -- great ITS content, and great car content in general. Seems he always has the opportunity to drive some awesome cars (that 996 / 997 comparison ). I really enjoy his content.

Thanks for the kind words!

Yes, my coolant temp gauge went from 4 to 5 ticks on track, but only once and early in the day. Later in the day when the ambient temp got just slightly warmer, the gauge stayed rock steady at 4 ticks, which is the normal level. Not sure what was going on. Regardless, I've got a PRL intercooler and Acuity reverse flow radiator hoses now installed and ready for 2 track events coming up in mid/late June. It'll likely be HOT during at least one of the events, so we'll see what happens. I still haven't bothered adding proper temp sensors/gauges but depending on how the car performs in the summer heat, that might be next. So far I haven't felt any noticeable drop in power due to engine temps (all my track days have been at/below 70F ambient). Only issues were due to fuel starvation.

 

[submitaweasel]

Regarding the off topic portion on oil temps and cooling:

FL5 on the Nurburgring having high oil temps.

 

[ABPDE5]

Regarding the off topic portion on oil temps and cooling:

FL5 on the Nurburgring having high oil temps.

Note: I'm on record saying this car has a compromised "cooling" system, etc., but having said that...
This is a modified car, with (if memory serves) an aggressive tune, an oversized bar / plate intercooler, an undersized (HEL) oil cooler, and an open air filter.

A quick look on CivicX/I forums shows owners have found:
(I) oversized ICs, particularly bar / plate, cause more harm than do good, because they restrict so much air to the radiator, causing coolant temps to rise;
(II) the HEL oil cooler is too small to be effective over extended runs (several users have actually removed theirs as, like a huge IC, it blocks air flow to the radiator, and it is quickly overwhelmed by oil temps);
(II) open air filters are obviously not ideal, but more importantly... if you're compromising your engine cooling with a massive IC to try and lower IATs, why would you then also pursue an open air filter that results in higher IATs over stock?

This car was modified in a manner suited for street driving, not for an 8 minute long session on a very demanding track, in the hands of an extremely capable driver (I don't think it's exaggerating to say nobody else will competently push that car that hard again).

This car was probably quicker than stock, due to the tune and suspension changes, but also probably had compromised cooling when compared a stock car.

None of this excuses the compromised cooling system these cars come with.

 

[StingertimeNC]

Agree with all of the above.
Ben with Point by Patrol(youtube) was back at it with his new FL5, see his latest video, and driving the car at 9.5/10ths, in stock form, sans brake fluid and pads, the car was fine on track for 30 minutes at a clip. VIR has two very long straight sections which probably help airflow/cooling, and a couple other places where you just can't go flat out. It really speaks to the fact that for all but the most punishing drivers/tracks, our cars are very capable in stock-ish form.

 

[submitaweasel]

Note: I'm on record saying this car has a compromised "cooling" system, etc., but having said that...
This is a modified car, with (if memory serves) an aggressive tune, an oversized bar / plate intercooler, an undersized (HEL) oil cooler, and an open air filter.

A quick look on CivicX/I forums shows owners have found:
(I) oversized ICs, particularly bar / plate, cause more harm than do good, because they restrict so much air to the radiator, causing coolant temps to rise;
(II) the HEL oil cooler is too small to be effective over extended runs (several users have actually removed theirs as, like a huge IC, it blocks air flow to the radiator, and it is quickly overwhelmed by oil temps);
(II) open air filters are obviously not ideal, but more importantly... if you're compromising your engine cooling with a massive IC to try and lower IATs, why would you then also pursue an open air filter that results in higher IATs over stock?

This car was modified in a manner suited for street driving, not for an 8 minute long session on a very demanding track, in the hands of an extremely capable driver (I don't think it's exaggerating to say nobody else will competently push that car that hard again).

This car was probably quicker than stock, due to the tune and suspension changes, but also probably had compromised cooling when compared a stock car.

None of this excuses the compromised cooling system these cars come with.

Fair call on my smooth brain missing that those "cooling mods" can be detrimental in the use case of the video.

 

[ABPDE5]

Fair call on my smooth brain missing that those "cooling mods" can be detrimental in the use case of the video.

I wouldn't say you have a smooth brain! Lmao.

I believe you'd have to watch one (or more) of Dream's prior vids to know their mod list. Additionally, a lot of owners pursued similar upgrade paths for track use before it was determined to be detrimental (and many still do... there's a fair bit of marketing and just, general, assumptions -- like bigger IC = better or aftermarket must be > OEM -- that push then).

It should also be acknowledged that, for individual pulls, like you see on a dyno or might do in the street, the PRL IC outperforms OEM.

Use case matters, and there's no comprehensive guide with all the info... you're stuck digging through forums and comparing user data.