a few questions

[diRtY]

Hi i have a few questions

1. i´ve seen some radiator caps that are for 16-29 lbs and they say that it´s better because you increase the boiling point and that the engine work better is it true?

2. i want to know if you improve something by adding an additional engine and transmition oil cooler of course bigger than the og

3. does it help to add another fan like a 16¨ pusher style in the front

4. does somebody know something about the intrax springs? any comments?

5. do you really get any better by changing the oe paper air filter for a hi- flow like k&n or fram?

thanks in advance to everybody

[TDK]

Dirty,

IMO:

1. i´ve seen some radiator caps that are for 16-29 lbs and they say that it´s better because you increase the boiling point and that the engine work better is it true?

NO. Let GM do the engineering on the NorthStar engine cooling system. Consider this: If it was a better idea and such a cheap part anyway - woudn't GM already do it?

2. i want to know if you improve something by adding an additional engine and transmition oil cooler of course bigger than the og

Oil cooling = NO. The oil has to get hot enough to reduce water content etc. Oil coolers for racing are for a specific purpose and not needed for the general public.

Tranny cooling = MAYBE. If you are going to do a lot of towing, then more cooling to the transmission fluid can help. It won't improve performance per se, but it will reduce the stress on the tranny when hauling heavy loads.

3. does it help to add another fan like a 16¨ pusher style in the front

NO. The raditor fans are set to turn on at 225F coolant temp. Coolant that is too cool - does not help anything.

4. does somebody know something about the intrax springs? any comments?

Intrax springs for either racing and/or lowering are probably very much like other aftermarket parts.

Will they make the car go arond corners faster by reducing body roll etc? Maybe, but then its very hard to document such items.

Will they make the car sit lower? Yes, tha can be done with any number of springs.

Will the shorter springs cause a differant ride, probably. Will the ride be better - its all up to you. Caddy did not install 'em because they would not sell as well.

When someone spends hundreds of dollars on such a part, it would be surprising to hear them say "I was wrong to do that". Instead, they usually brag about their decision - no matter what the results (at least while their wife is around)....

5. do you really get any better by changing the oe paper air filter for a hi- flow like k&n or fram?

NO, this is based on nearly everything on this site relating to air intake. There is documentation that shows anthing other than stock always causes power losses. Note, just because the intake is noiser - does not mean it is more powerfull. Refer to the last paragraph on the answer to part 4, for additional insight.

Dirty,

Based on various site inputs - the best bang for your performance bucks are:

A. Opening up the exhaust system, it will be louder as a trade off.

B. High-stall torque convertor (to get rpms higher at launch) with some gas milage loss. Some real money here to get into the tranny.

C. Cam indexing 3-degrees, if the engine is the STS version (may need to look this one up and know what you're doing for sure)

D. Highest octane premium fuel.

Again, all the above is only my humble opinion.

Good luck

[Poobah]

After reading this forum for some time, I have come to appreciate the tremendous R&D effort General Motors (and, I am sure, other manufacturers) take to optimize the design of their cars. On the subject of cooling system design, I was very impressed with the following thread...

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...&hl=baker+grade

I, personally, would not presume to think I, based on advertising hype, hearsay, and guesswork, could improve on GM's design.

I know it is fun to tinker with things and experiment and try to come up with a better mouse trap. I don't discount that, and if that is your desire, go for it! I've certainly done a lot of that over the years and I know it's great fun.

I have come to realize, however, that the best way to actually improve my car is to spend my time and money on maintaining it as closely as I can to the original design. (This isn't always easy, or cheap, with a 10 year old car).

I would encourage you to enjoy your car in whatever way you choose but I enjoy keeping mine totally O.E.M. and enjoying the great car Cadillac designed.

(This is just one man's opinion.)

Enjoy!