These were available in the 70’s and maybe earlier and were used to cool fuel to prevent vapor lock - it was a bottle with copper tubing out the top mounted close to the radiator in front of the engine. Jim Transporting To Travel Traveling To Share Stories From The Road
Never heard of that particular brand. Moroso was the big seller from what I remember. Aluminum coil in a cylinder you pack with ice.
Mmm, you are pointing to the "coil" ! Agree with RmK, never heard of that brand. Mostly the large (about 7" in dia.), with many coils of copper tube. You fill with ice, and...go racing.
Never heard of that brand. https://www.jegs.com/c/Fuel-Carbs-Intakes_Cool-Cans-Fuel-Coolers/10291/10002/-1 What Does a Cool Can or Fuel Cooler Do? A cool can for fuel or fuel cooler is a device that helps regulate the temperature of the fuel in your vehicle's system. By reducing the heat of the fuel, it can improve overall engine performance and prevent fuel vaporization, especially in high-temperature environments. This can lead to a more consistent fuel delivery, increased power, and improved fuel efficiency. Cool cans and fuel coolers are particularly beneficial for vehicles that experience fuel heating issues, such as those with high-performance engines or operating under extreme conditions. What Is the Difference Between Cool Cans and Fuel Coolers? Cool cans and fuel coolers serve a similar purpose of cooling the fuel, but they differ in their design and installation. Cool cans are compact, cylindrical containers that are typically installed between the fuel pump and carburetor. They utilize heat exchange technology to dissipate heat from the fuel. On the other hand, fuel coolers are inline devices that are installed in the fuel line itself. They incorporate various cooling mechanisms, such as heat exchangers or fans, to cool the fuel as it p***es through the system. Both cool cans and fuel coolers can effectively reduce fuel temperature, but the specific choice depends on your vehicle's setup and application requirements.
A lot of racers would make their own. I never heard of that brand, but I'm sure there where a lot that I never heard of. Most of the ones I saw were Moroso. I had one a friend put together for me using a large coffee can. It worked good keeping the fuel cool when I raced the car.
I have one of the big aluminum can types. I've always planned on running it but have never found the right car.
The finger belongs to the owner of the car I transported - he is pointing to where it was located in the front right engine compartment next to the radiator. Jim Transporting To Travel Traveling To Share Stories From The Road
I recall seeing that very decal or sticker, probably in an age-old parts ad for that product, the likeness of the little Asian character & the Coolie name relates to the Asian common labors as the product was perhaps made offshore by the industrious little guys.
While some were probably used just for cutting down on vapor lock and should work great for that the original purpose is as several said, cooling the fuel when you are racing as the cooler fuel will expand more on combustion in the cylinder just as cooler air will.
Had a big block truck I thought was vapor locking. Someone told me to put clothes pins on the fuel line to act as heat sinks. Used to see large nuts or other random things on fuel lines trying to accomplish the same thing. For modern stuff they make underhood mounted fuel cells/ice box all in one.
Fuel's thermal expansion coefficient is almost negligible, so I don't think the secret is anything to do with cooler fuel being more dense. Especially on a direct injected engine, cooler fuel will help to keep the in-cylinder temperature down. This would help stop pre-detonation and allow the timing to be advanced without knocking, thereby creating more power. The lower cylinder temperature would also help cool the incoming air charge. The thermal expansion coefficient of air is much higher, so the benefit of denser air (higher oxygen concentration) would far outweigh any gain from denser fuel. You really wouldn't get any significantly higher volume of fuel into the cylinder to make much of a difference. Another benefit of colder fuel is that it is better at maintaining pressure and flow, so it helps with fuel delivery at high rpm.
Anybody have any more of their decals? Dad had one on his Mustang with a Chinese fellow pulling a rickshaw with a blower!
Moroso sold a million of 'em. 3lb Maxwell House coffee can & a coil of 3/8 copper line. Solder a pet**** drain in the bottom if ya wanna get fancy.
I had an open-top coffee can with a coil of copper tubing simply sitting in it. Before heading to the staging area when my cl*** was called, I dumped ice cubes in it. I also tossed a double handful of ice cubes loosely on the intake manifold. The can was Folger's Brand..... but it never had a decal on it. EDIT: Slowmotion isn't that slow in posting the same idea faster than I could.
If you're dealing with a true "vapor lock" condition, your cooling efforts should be before the fuel pump inlet. Vapor lock occurs in the fuel system between the tank and the suction side of the fuel pump. Mechanical fuel pumps especially do a poor job of trying to draw in and compress air bubbles. Additional cooling between the pump outlet and carburetor can work to reduce fuel percolation. Such as hot, hard restart problems due to flooding, or a raw gasoline smell at hot idling or after shutting off a hot engine. Though there can be other causes for these problems as well.
I had one on my race car for awhile, don't know if it helped or not. I worked at an ice house so I had unlimited ice to use, I scooped it up off the floor into a big cooler before heading to the track that night. Ice doesn't last vey long in them, if you were driving on the road, it would melt in no time. At the drag strip, you needed to add ice every run, and drain the water. I seen more then one car leave the lid off and dump water on the track!
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