Foam strip over radiator

The forward strip seals against the top of the radiator and forces air through the radiator rather than up and around (there should also be foam strips below and on the sides of the radiator).

The rear strip seals the radiator exit air from the spare tire tub and forces the air out through the vents rather than heating the spare tire and front bulkhead. (I was surprised how much cabin heat was reduced when I replaced this rear foam.)

The front foam is a specialty trapezoidal shape. If you want to restore to concours condition, you should buy this foam from a Ferrari parts supplier. The rear foam also has some custom shaping to it, but it is easily handmade from a piece home furnace foam. I had bought an oem rear foam and found it to be horribly made (two narrow pieces laminated crooked). I returned it and made my own.

 

I just replaced my radiator hood foam with Home Depot version (about 2" square). It's not meant for concurs judging, but works perfectly for $5.

 

I want to add that these foam strips are VERY important to your cars cooling!

 

I have found them about zero help with the cooling.

When I got my 84 QV back in 1997, the foam was missing. I drove it like that for probably 8 or 9 years and this was when I was really tracking the **** out of it. The temps were fine, just the usual QV hot running thing when stuck in traffic in a hot southern summer day.

I finally had had enough after a particularly close call in downtown Atlanta on the way home from Road Atlanta and out of desperation or something, I finally got the "correct foam strips" from Rutlands or someone, don't recall now - my point being I didn't get a/c foam strips from Home Depot (if there is even a significant difference).

Didn't do a single damn thing to help the cooling . None. Zero. Just like the decade before, it ran normal temps everywhere except when stuck in traffic in a hot southern summer day. Still the same today with the foam still attached. When these finally die and come apart, I'm not going to even bother with spending $ on new ones and if I do it will be a/c foam strips from Home Depot since my particular car - #50045 - doesn't care if it is there or what I use.

So don't get your hopes up for a night and day difference.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login I think the foam strip was more of an effort to keep hot air from reaching the inside of the cabin. Kind of makes me wonder why more effort hasn’t been made to build a custom spare tire surround that would channel air through the radiator and down through the bottom of the car more efficiently. This is where this type of front bonnet would be very beneficial ,and way cool!

 

As long as I’m rambling on this morning, any of you California guys have contacts of people who do fiberglass mold/ layup that would be interested in building some of these front bonnets? I would love to have one and then just store my factory lid.

 

Kim,

Try contacting Rennspd on ebay. He makes fiberglass front valences (both variants) at very reasonable prices and may be able to at least point you in the right direction. I’ve only communicated with him on ebay so I can’t vouch for his quality however, he has 100% feedback on 9000 sales.

 

I have wondered that myself

Apparently hot air getting into the cabin was an issue from new. A road test in the early 80's mentioned this. I am almost certain it was on a new 2Vi test. The foam really didn't help this on the 4V but I don't think the added hood vents were a bad idea. Every little bit helps. It certainly doesn't hurt anything.

Not only do I have foam on top but I also have some on each side. But I believe the real trick is to fix it from blowing in UNDER the spare tire well straight at our feet as well.

 

And you documented this how?? With the factory temperature guage.Tell us how Ferrari didn't know what they were doing and just wanted to stick foam on the car for entertainment.

 

24 years and 70,000 miles of experience in the driver's seat of this particular 308.

It is common knowledge that the cooling system was under engineered from the factory on the QV's. That is without argument. I guess the foam and vent thing was one attempt to improve it but didn't quite do the job.

The needle pointed straight down with the foam. The needle pointed straight down without it.

If the only way to determine a difference is to install a calibrated digital thermometer and route it to a laptop - there is no difference.

It makes no difference if the gauge is off 10 degrees one way or the other as long as I used the same gauge both ways. Accurate vs precise thing.

 

You know what DID make a difference?

A big fat ass aluminum radiator. THAT made a difference. The factory one is now safely packed away where nothing can hurt it if I ever need it again.

 

Whose aluminum radiator did you use?

Doug

 

Someone here sold them I forgot who.

It's lighter too.

The factory radiator is more durable etc but this aluminum one fixed nearly all my sitting still overheating thing in dead still traffic in the summer. It will still inch over to the right on the gauge but it takes more effort. A lot more.

 

All subjective opinion. No data. Worthless opinion. I logged all engine data for more than 20 years with Motec EFI. I can assure you the foam helps by several degrees C and increase cool down time once you start moving. Just because the factory temp gauge moves up or down doesn't mean the actual engine temps have changed. I see it all the time.Turn on your headlights and watch the gauge move up. Did the engine temp change? No, just the nearly worthless gauge.
Stick to Magnum PI trivia.

 

Dont get your panties in a wad over useless foam.
Any difference is absolutely insignificant.

I have proven it in real world conditions over nearly a quarter century.

If you dont like my facts, put me on ignore.

 

Let's be honest here: Ferrari did quite a few things "back in the day" that they thought aided cars, but in reality, made little real World difference, if any.

A couple from the 308 GTB/GTS cars:

Sodium filled valves - The cars that have since had them replaced with solid valves don't appear to drive any worse than they did with the sodium valves.

The aerofoil that sits on the rear buttresses - Cars with them don't appear to drive any better, or cooler than cars without them.

Sometimes Ferrari don't always get things as right as you seem to be claiming they do.

 

The aerofoil is a cosmetic addition.

Any cooling help is needed at slow speeds, not highway speeds. That cute black thing behind the window is doing nothing to suck hot air at 30 miles per hour or sitting still.

 

I think with Ferrari's somewhat elementary understanding of aerodynamics at the time, they originally, genuinely thought it did something to help the aerodynamics of the car - Directing air from the roof, onto the lip/flip up at the rear edge of the engine cover (rather than aid cooling - The aerofoil was available on Euro spec cars, that had less cooling vents on the engine cover than US-spec cars. if Ferrari thought 308 GTB's/GTS' needed help with cooling, surely Euro-spec cars would have come with US-spec engine cover grills?)

They eventually discovered that it actually did bugger all really, but realised that they could make some extra money from offering it as an option, so left it on the options list.

 

My '85 runs a little warm and my foam was in bad shape so I decided to replace it over the winter. The only area I wasn't able to address was under the radiator (evidently there's a strip under there). Since I don't have a lift or anything like that to get under the car, I have no idea what condition that piece is in - can only assume it's in pretty bad shape. I plan to have it replaced as well once I take it in for its annual service.

Replacing the foam seems to have made a difference for my car. I also feel like I'm not getting quite as much heat in my cabin. Here's a previous thread with some more info:

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/radiator-foam-strip.545635/

 

When I pulled my radiator that form strip was completely deteriorated underneath. Went to Walmart and got one of those gray foam camping pads and cut to the proper width/ length for both bottom and sides and glued it in place with 3M weatherstrip adhesive.. Radiator fit very snug as it should be. Worked terrific! And under $15

 

Aluminium rad from Nicks Forza Ferrari - very well made, lighter and most definitely keeps the temp lower by about 10-15deg across the board. Well that's my experience of course....

 

Tommy, did you upgrade your cooling fans? I am considering replacing the stock ones wit Haydens

 

I don't think a lift helps see that foam. Probably an inspection camera from above is the easiest way to see it. Removing the radiator is probably the best way to see it. And since you have the radiator out, you may as well replace it. I don't think it's even a 1/4" gap, it's really just the thickness of the rubber padding the radiator sits on. I wouldn't expect that you'd notice a difference with just that one change.

 

I had my original radiator re-cored. My temps also dropped one marking on the temp gauge. I suspect everyone with a new aluminum radiator is comparing it to a clogged up 40 year old radiator and thinking it's better than original. Kinda like getting new tires and saying how much better they are than the previous tires - that were worn funny and seven years old.