Water Cooled Question, Fan sequencing / works great! Options

[76-914]

For my Suby 6 conversion I've installed a twin fan system (from a Dodge) on my radiator. One is single speed (3 wire) and the other is 2 speed (4 wire). Which one of these 2 fans comes on first? Do they both run at times? Will I use the 2nd speed of the 2 speed motor?

[CptTripps]

I'm having one hell of a time locating a radiator anything close to the one you have. I started thinking about a compact sized radiator, and that took me to looking at two smaller radiators. I think the Boxster does something like that too.

What do people think about using two smaller motorcycle or quad radiators.

I could mount two of these, and put the Intercooler radiator in between them...all up front without taking up too much room.

[Mike Bellis]

I'm having one hell of a time locating a radiator anything close to the one you have. I started thinking about a compact sized radiator, and that took me to looking at two smaller radiators. I think the Boxster does something like that too.

What do people think about using two smaller motorcycle or quad radiators.

I could mount two of these, and put the Intercooler radiator in between them...all up front without taking up too much room.

Horse Power equals heat. You need to be able to dissipate the heat. Most motorcycles make less than 100hp, so you would in theory need 4 radiators rated for 100hp to cool 400hp. It doesn't really work that way since it's not a linear equation.

Things to consider:

1) Surface area - larger surface area will have better heat transfer. Small radiators look cool but may not be cool.

2) Water flow - too much or too little water flow will reduce heat transfer.

3) Air flow - radiator must be sealed with a shroud to prevent air flow around the radiator. Air will follow the path of least resistance.

4) Confection - To create a low pressure area behind the radiator to promote air flow. Most of us accomplish this by having a larger outlet for air and a smaller inlet in the bumper. This creates a high pressure zone in front of the radiator.

5) Fans - fans must pull air through the radiator. Never push through.

6) Surface tension - Increasing the surface tension of the water can promote better heat transfer. This is accomplished by using a product like "Water Wetter" or "Purple Ice"

7) Tuning - an improperly tuned engine can create additional heat.

[skeates]

I'm having one hell of a time locating a radiator anything close to the one you have. I started thinking about a compact sized radiator, and that took me to looking at two smaller radiators. I think the Boxster does something like that too.

What do people think about using two smaller motorcycle or quad radiators.

I could mount two of these, and put the Intercooler radiator in between them...all up front without taking up too much room.

Horse Power equals heat. You need to be able to dissipate the heat. Most motorcycles make less than 100hp, so you would in theory need 4 radiators rated for 100hp to cool 400hp. It doesn't really work that way since it's not a linear equation.

Things to consider:

1) Surface area - larger surface area will have better heat transfer. Small radiators look cool but may not be cool.

2) Water flow - too much or too little water flow will reduce heat transfer.

3) Air flow - radiator must be sealed with a shroud to prevent air flow around the radiator. Air will follow the path of least resistance.

4) Confection - To create a low pressure area behind the radiator to promote air flow. Most of us accomplish this by having a larger outlet for air and a smaller inlet in the bumper. This creates a high pressure zone in front of the radiator.

5) Fans - fans must pull air through the radiator. Never push through.

6) Surface tension - Increasing the surface tension of the water can promote better heat transfer. This is accomplished by using a product like "Water Wetter" or "Purple Ice"

7) Tuning - an improperly tuned engine can create additional heat.

A little "confection" goes a long way in many baking recipes, but I'm pretty sure that it's "convection" that facilitates the heat transfer between the radiator and the air (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

As long as you are matching HP figures on the radiators you will be safe (and in my opinion fairly conservative). One thing to keep in mind is that in our radiator set-ups we don't have a massive mass of metal inches behind the radiators. In fact, we have fairly un-obstructed paths for the air flow (particularly if you are ducting or venting through the hood) which dramatically increases the air flow rates and therefore capacity of the radiators.

[Mike Bellis]

A little "confection" goes a long way in many baking recipes, but I'm pretty sure that it's "convection" that facilitates the heat transfer between the radiator and the air (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

Stupid spell check... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)