What's the best radiator set up?, Most efficient set up for overall cooling, airflow ect... Options

[BIGKAT_83]

I agree with the smaller opening in the front. I cut it large on my first conversion and one summer I started checking how small I could go. I ended up with about half the size I had.
On my Subaru and LS1 cars I have a opening the same size as a stock 914 GT oil cooler cut out in the bumper and valance.

Thom .......I think it will cool a LS1 fine its a double row with 1" tubes. Not a double pass. The fans seem to work like a set of spals that I have. The blue color is not my first choice.

Bob

[DBCooper]

That's good to hear, I intend to change my front bumper and valance to a narrow-body GT style. I thought I might have to enlarge the opening some, but have suspected that it might be enough as-is. That'll be great if it works.

[Fastcruisin914]

Just wanted to say Thanks for all the replies and information given.

It seems those that have bought the Renegade kits seem to be happy with them and say its worth the money, and even some that built their own say Renegades kit is worth the money.

I am thinking of going the Renegade kit route now, but cut the smaller intake hole and go from there.

I need to do more research first to make sure, and contact Renegade and ask some questions there like Andyrew advised.

Again Thanks for all the information and pictures.

[jimkelly]

ditto, seems many are using this celica radiator now, for several reasons.

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

Andrew,

Can you send me the details on the R.H. radiator system such as dimensions, Inlet and outlet sizes and rad type (number of rows, if cross flow etc...).

This hot summer has proven that my system cannot handle it. I have some good components such as a 2000 cfm, 9 blade fan out of a Ford Taurus. The remote mechanical water pump is a standard R.H. unit. I also have a Griffin radiator, model 125241-H... no radiator cap (inlet=1.5" and outlet=1.75").

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gri-1-25241-x

The dimensions are 16"x 27.5" x 3". it is a 2 row unit. Although the inlet/outlet sizes are different, the hoses carrying coolant from front to rear are all the same size at 1.25 inch diameter. The Tech rep at Griffin seems to think that the rad should be fine but I ain't no 4 core unit either.

The other part of this is the car has a Chalon kit installed. I question whether the bumper opening for rad air is sufficiently sized. The opening is ducted to the bulkhead opening. The inner fender walls are fully open to allow the air to exit.

From all that I've read; the viable solutions is to either go with a RH rad setup (or as close to as possible) and/or go with an electric water pump. I think I have some (most) of what RH would sell me as there rad kit. The only difference I can see is the rad size/type and the bumper opening size.

Pictures of my current setup can be found here:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...132273&hl=#

I feel like I am close to getting this figured out. Just a bit more tinkering is needed.

Thanks!

Rennegade kit is worth the money. Contact renegade for your questions.


From a guy that built his own cooling system..

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

I forgot to add... I recently purchased a couple of 12 inch AC condenser fans off of a 90's Toyota 4Runner. So far I attached them to the inner fender walls to help exhaust the hot air from the radiator and main fan. No difference really. Any other suggestions to place the fan(s)... perhaps as a pusher on the front side of the rad or as a puller on the back side of the bumper grill opening? How about the engine bay area?

[Chris914n6]

This hot summer has proven that my system cannot handle it.

Thanks!

What driving conditions? Stopped, city traffic, highway speeds? Each one is a different cause.

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

It seems to get hotter the faster I go, even at a constant velocity. At stops, it seems to cool off a bit. Water flow isue then?

This hot summer has proven that my system cannot handle it.

Thanks!

What driving conditions? Stopped, city traffic, highway speeds? Each one is a different cause.

[cali914]

Meizere electric remote mount water pump 55 gms biggest dual pass aluminum radiator you can stuff in nose with two of the biggest fans sucking 3000 cfm through the radiator at iddle. Basically that is what the Renegade set up is LOL. Oh inlet shroud very important so the fans suck all the air through the radiator.

[Andyrew]

Tony, I dont have the Renegade system. My comment from 2012 was that its a well designed system and worth the money. For my system I wish I would have gone that route from the get go as cooling problems are the bane of the v8 conversion.

Now I have a Toyota radiator and Davies Craig water pump and fan controller. Its a great setup and fully self contained but I dont know if its enough for a hot hot hot SBC. The radiator itself is half the size. Of my previous griffin radiator.

[cali914]

It seems to get hotter the faster I go, even at a constant velocity. At stops, it seems to cool off a bit. Water flow isue then?

This hot summer has proven that my system cannot handle it.

Thanks!

What driving conditions? Stopped, city traffic, highway speeds? Each one is a different cause.

Yeah you have a flow problem or giant air pockets in the line. Get the Meizere remote mount water pump place it at the bottom of the radiator use one inch line in one direction and inch and a 1/4 in other direction and you should see significant improvements

[BIGKAT_83]

The radiator you have should be good. Lets see some pictures of where you fill the system.

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

Here are some pictures I took today.

The holes in the shroud are new... as a test top see if it made a difference. I think it did because in the past (with no holey shroud), it did not matter how cold it was outside; the temp would always go to 200 and beyond (have a 160 t-stat with bleed holes drilled and the fan is set to turn on at 180). After cutting the holes in the shroud, the temp would stay at around 180 (acceptable) although it was when it was cooler outside. Now in this 100 degree weather... it does not matter... it still get to 200 and beyond).

The extra fans are from a Toyota 4-Runner AC condenser units and were mounted there temporarily to see if they made any difference in assisting the main fan exhaust air from the front area (they were wired to push air out). They did not work.

Also; my temp sensor is mounted in a port right next to the t-stat/intake manifold.

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

What if I could stand the radiator up more vertically... might that help with a larger cavity in front of it?

[cali914]

The holes in the shroud are making the fan inefficient. Is that a dual pass radiator. Where is your expansion tank connected to the fill.

[cali914]

The expansion tank and fill in the rear looks good. I think it's your radiator and pump combination

[cali914]

Renegade using Ron Davis Radiator

[A&P Mech]

If you have access to a MIG and are willing to fab a bracket and cut some sheet metal you can have a radiator assembly for a little over two hundred bucks. I put mine together using the Toyota Celica GT radiator off of eBay. It cost $167 bucks and it comes with fans and shroud. I have a 2.5L Subaru in my car and it runs 190 degrees even in 95 degree heat.

I found that it that it doesn't take a large opening to provide more than enough air to keep things cool.

[cali914]

My opening is maybe twice that size of the pic above but I found on 6cyl it does not take a large opening as the v8. The larger the opening the more air through the radiator at speed. At idle is where a good set of fans and shroud do the work.

[cali914]

In the works as we speak because the wheel well exit is really inefficient and prehistoric. I'll send more pics when it's finished. The damn gas tank bar which ties the two shock towers together is our major obstacle at the moment, but making progress. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)