18 replies to this topic

[Cy Peake]

It's time to stop bailing on races due to minor heat stroke in the summer months. Those have been miserable nights and it scares my wife every time it happens. I've got dual NACA ducts in the vent windows and a cool shirt. I tried the hooded version last year and it barely made a difference. I run my cool shirt all the time, be it April, July or November in New Hampshire. I get HOT when I drive and have been overheating frequently during our summer race weekends.

I spend lots of time in air conditioned haulers and can often be seen with an iced towel over my head. I stay more than adequately hydrated and still get cooked in the car. I've gone to great lengths to insulate the driver's compartment and all surfaces are cool to the touch at the end of a race.

It's time to pony up to a forced air helmet and the larger sized cooler. My gallon bag full of ice is usually water in the smaller cooler at the conclusion of a race with the cool shirt. I have a small, narrow head and use a GForce helmet that fits VERY comfortably. I've also got a halo-equipped Ultrashield seat. I've read that the top feed helmets distribute air better than the side draft models, which may have hose clearance issues with my seat. However a top draft design may not have enough clearance to accept the hose without contacting the hard top.

First and foremost I'd like to buy a helmet that fits my head type. Are any of the other brands shaped to fit my head type similar to the GForce? Is a top draft design really better than a side draft? I see all the NASCAR drivers using top draft helmets. I don't use a radio and don't think that I need a drink hose for 30 minutes in the car (Stilo). Can some of you guys with forced air helmets offer any advice? I'm getting lots of Saferacer gift certs for Xmas and plan to build my system from their inventory using my current shirt and water hoses. When I talked to one of their customer service people, he couldn't recommend a helmet based on my head type, saying that they're all about the same, which I know isn't true...

If there is an option to get a helmet with a lip around the bottom to slip a nomex neck sock around, ala Kevin Harvick, that would be great.

[steve]

Another option is to have an air inlet added to your existing helmet. The FAST operation supposedly does this.

[Mark Franklin]

I've had FAST convert two helmets to side vent and they do a great job. They do some extra channeling for more air flow than some of the stock helmets that come with venting. I confirmed this when I bought a Pyrotect side vent helmet this year that did not flow as well. I was able to open up more channeling around the mouth on that one, myself.

I haven't used the top vent style because I feel like it would interfere with the roof.

I tried to use one of those nomex neck socks and found that it made things hotter because the air could not flow as much volume. I ditched it.

I recommend the Cool Shirt 4" fan, not the fans that FAST sells. It's cheaper and blows lots of air. Finally, if you have a small ice chest, you may need to find block ice to last the race if you are running both the forced air and cool shift.

Regards,
Mark

[steveracer]

I'm looking at a Pyrotech helemt for the same reason.

http://www.pyrotect....2&cat=22&page=1

[Keith Novak]

I haven't used the GForce but I have the narrower head shape and I find Bell and Pyrotect fit well. Between the two, the Bell is a lot more comfortable with softer padding. Both are designed around the same headform. At one time at least, Pyrotect was made by Bell. Mine actually came with Bell literature in the box. The Bell is one you can try on in motorcycle shops to see how it fits. The motorcycle helmets fit the same as the car racing ones.

[Pete]

I bought a Gforce side inlet helmet several years ago. I did have to modify the chin area where the air comes in - it was escaping down towards my neck. I made my own system. Using some boat parts (http://www.amazon.co...24146506&sr=8-3) 4" blower I brought air from the passenger side through a cone filter, blower, 4" hose which contained 4 feet of coiled copper pipe, down to smaller hose which attached to the helmet. The cool shirt cooler was in the trunk and also used a boat pump to pump water through the copper pipe, to the cool shirt, and back to the trunk. I was hoping the ice water would cool the copper pipe which would in turn cool the air.
One thing to consider is hose movement when looking right and left and how it goes through the seat. Make sure the opening btwn the head constraint and seat is the right size and height. If the hose gets caught up on the seat it isn't going to work.
I also believe the top draft is better but don't have enough room. Given the type of seat you have, the top draft may be better if you can make it fit....

[Cy Peake]

Does the FAST conversion only route air to the chin area? I need cool air to circulate throughout the whole helmet, around my ENTIRE head, not just blow in my face as I'm a contact wearer.

I've found blowers from 105CFM up to 235CFM. While you'd think that more volume would be better, I'm wondering if the lower volume blowers would allow air to remain in the cooler longer, thus resulting in cooler air coming out of the cooler. I'm going to mount it in the truck, so I'll have alot of hose for the air to move through. My current cooler setup is mounted on top of my ballast on the passenger floor, which I need to remove it every time I pull the weight to run a non-SM race. It's a royal pain in the ass and aids in my overheating problem. So it's all going in the trunk next season.

[LarryKing]

I spend lots of time in air conditioned haulers

There's yur trouble - you need to be outside getting acclimated to the temp. Have you tried exercising in the heat when you're not racing?

I wonder if this would work? http://cooltechmarke...met-Cooler.html

[davew]

I am good friends with the owner of FAST, she went to high school with my sister. So I may be biased.

You need a large cooler. Period. If you are using a baggie inside your cooler, you are working at about 30% efficency. The system works on the water being in contact with the ice. The baggie acts as insulation blanket. Beside not being able to completely fill the cooler.

Block ice will last longer but will not cool as well. Only put in enough water to cover the inlet on the pump, then fill with cubes to the top. Shake the cooler and add another inch of ice. Come up with a method to filter the water from the ice after each session and put only the needed water back into the cooler. If you are using a timer, convert to an on/off switch.

The NASCAR boys use the top feed helmets due to the confins of their containment seats. My last years helmet was a FAST conversion of a Bell helmet. You need to try on helmets, every helmet fits different. I do not think a top inlet forced air helmet will fit in a Miata

My opinion is to not bother running the air through the cooler. Sorry Jill. It takes up valuable ice space and does not really work. The initial blast is refreshing but that is all you really feel.

I have started running a "carbon monoxide filter" in my helmet blower. I honestly don't beleave it is removing the CO, but it does help eliminate exhaust smell. This may also be part of your problems.

Dave

[Kyle Disque]

If you're the tinkering type, I saw a neat design where the builder used the intercooler from a turbo motorcycle to cool the air. The intercooler was suspended in the cool suit cooler and the air was blown through it before going to the helmet. It will require some morerate plumbing skills, but it works very well for him.

-Kyle

[Kyle Disque]

After thinking about this, I wonder if you could plumb a cheap ebay water to air intercooler into the cool shirt water line and use this to feed cool air to the helmet?

-Kyle

[Cy Peake]

I'm a contact wearer. I'm worried that a side draft setup that only blows air onto my face from the chin area is going to be a problem with watery/drying eyes and is another reason that I'm interested in the top-draft design. I've got about 1-1.5" between the top of my helmet and the hardtop in my current config when strapped in...

[Cy Peake]

After chatting with owner Jill at F.A.S.T, I decided to get the GForce side draft helmet. GForce and F.A.S.T worked together to develop this helmet and it fits my head well. I was told to use the nose air deflector to keep my contacts happy. I'm getting all the components mounted this week and am anxious to see how the airflow inside the helmet feels.

[Blake Thompson]

What Dave W said is all very true. Large cooler will help, CO is aggregate and can build up in your system, and surely the dust isn't helping if one doesn't have some kind of filter.

Here's a $15 fix that changed my propensity to heat stroke though:


it hangs off my roll cage with a pair of $4 keychain carabiners.

I found that I had a really hard time staying hydrated during the day and rehydrating after the race, there were many days I fell out of the car after a race or talked in crazy circles for a time after the race. (more than usual). I generally take on a liter both in qualifying and during the race. I believe it's more useful than my blower unit. It is not uncommon for me to lose more than 5% of my body weight during a race weekend.

[Blake Thompson]

I'm getting all the components mounted this week and am anxious to see how the airflow inside the helmet feels.

come over to my house and I'll let my labrador breath in your face on a hot day. It's a lot like that.

[Cy Peake]

come over to my house and I'll let my labrador breath in your face on a hot day. It's a lot like that.

Got a Ridgeback so I know what you mean

[Danny Steyn]

My advice on this as someone who sweats profusely and struggles with dehydration and heat

• Get the best helmet you can afford - safety first. Make sure it fits tightly and that you have to pull it apart to fit it over your head. If you shake your head violently left or right the helmet should not move at all. A helmet that moves on your head is too loose and will be a liability in a crash, and also possibly a liability just driving when hitting curbs.
• Get a side vent installed by someone who does this on a regular basis so that they have experience with the additional channeling that is needed to divert air all around your head. My vent is on the left side of the helmet so that my crew can assist in coupling it for me
• Just like Dave says above, the coolbox, irrespective of size, is not going to have any impact on the air temp through the blower. The air is not resident long enough in the cool box to have any meaningful heat transfer. Just blow the helmet with ambient air. Make sure you have a decent screen and air filter on the inlet of the air hose as you will be surprised how much debris is flung up by the cars ahead and ends up chewing the blades of the impeller.
• And plumb a 1.5L drinks bottle to your helmet with a quick release and a bite valve so that you can drink the entire event. I use two of these for enduros and refill them during refueling. I have experiemented with most of the sports drinks out there and the only one I have found that allows me to go an hour without serious cramping is CytoMax's Cytosport drink. Still isnt perfect as despite pre-hydrating and drinking 4.5 liters during this weekends ECR at Road Atlanta, I nursed a leg cramp most of the way.

Good luck - YMMV

[Keith Novak]

I've used one of these Camelbak Aerobacks worn under my suit on a mid 90s day endurance race:

http://www.mtbr.com/...581_156crx.aspx

Full of ice water, it kept me cool for a while and even when it reached body temp I still had something to drink. It was suprisingly comfortable but I did have to snug down the belts as I went through the water. We literally had to drag some of the drivers out of the car after their stints due to the heat. Watch out using anything but water in a drink system. Nasty funk can start to grow in them if you don't get them super clean after. Stuffing a bent up coat hanger in them to keep the bag wide open while they dry helps.

[wheel]

I have noticed a great improvement in my condition at the end of a race, since buying a top loader helmet. I blow in fresh air (uncooled) that completely eliminated the fumes and carbon monoxide. This, alone was worth doing it. The intake is in the right side window. I use a 3" bilge blower (brake duct blower) that blows into a reducer to get it down to the right size for the helmet. I tried the squirrel cage, with the CO filter, but it just didn't pressurize the helmet enough.

I have always used a water bottle with a sip tube. This keeps my hydrated and keeps me cool.
wheel