Table of Contents
Background:
Previously the stock Mk7 GTI radiator was flow tested. In this post, a flow test with the CSF radiator is performed to measure the airflow through the external fins and compare the results with the stock GTI radiator.
For reference, the CSF radiator weighs 12.2 lbs.
Test Procedures:
The airflow through the external fins will be measured using a flow bench with an adapter that draws air through a subsection of the core.
The radiator flow rate is measured three times, rotating the radiator on top of the adapter in between measurements to obtain an averaged reading that should help to reduce variance that might result from the position of the fins on top of the adapter.
CSF Radiator Flow Test Results:
The CSF radiator flowed 455 CFM @ 10″ of H2O.
This result is compared with the stock GTI radiator in the chart:
Conclusions:
The CSF radiator was flow tested to measure the airflow through the external fins and this value was compared with the stock GTI radiator. The CSF radiator flowed 455 CFM @ 10″ of H2O, which is an 18.8% increase over the stock GTI radiator.
Very interesting and not what I would have suspected! Hoping to gather more data on track myself from other vehicles, as I’m still not entirely sure the radiator itself helps coolant temps in a meaningful way, though allowing more flow externally should absolutely help airflow in general (better IC efficiency, potentially let more radiant heat in the engine bay out assuming there is ducting to let it out, etc).
I was surprised as well; I was guessing that the CSF would be lower.