Do cooling plates really help? I was told that cooling plates actually disrupt the air flow over the engine and that it might lower coolant temps but ambient engine temps will go up since the airflow is directed towards the radiator and not going into the engine bay. Is any of this true? I am looking into getting an ARC cooling plate down the line and was wondering if it would help or hurt.

 

Do they REALLY help? My gut feeling is no. You wont feel any improvement, it just looks better in the engine bay. Now there a few that direct airflow towards the intake area, these may help a little. But the ones that block off (ARC) totally or mostly i wouldnt go after.

Good luck!

 

its really not needed. i have a huge ass heat exchanger blocking my radiator, i have a battery right behind the fan for the radiator, all sorts of extra shit in the engine bay and my car never runs hot. no cooling plate. use the money for other things

 

the stock air ducting does a very nice job of directing the air through the radiator from the opening in the front bumper.

 

Although its not necessary, I would imagine the type of cooling plates that have the scoop that goes over the opening on the stock air box would help a bit with a sidewinder type manifold. The turbo on a sidewinder type manifold would basically be positioned right there where the scoop on the cooling plate is, and while driving i'd imagine (in theory) that it would guide cooler outside air straight toward the turbo. Just a thought. I doubt any gains would be noticed though. Thats the only way i'd see a cooling plate be generally effective.