red motor radiators

[hsv-001]

I know this has been discussed many times before but here is my question .Say I was putting a larger radiator in a FC or FE and didn't wish to modify much bodywork [with a welder.Dont want to repaint ] would it be possible to fit a EH radiator to the original passenger side panel and remove only the shaped pressings of the drivers side panel [leaving the top, bottom and enough lip on the inner guard to attach a flat filler panel between guard and radiator].I am assuming that the stepped bottom tank fits between the rails and that I may have to modify the top support panel but both these things could be done off the car then refitted . I would normally modify both side panels and the top support panel to whatever radiator is supplied but am hoping to do this as a Bolt on job .I would appreciate some ideas . Thanks in advance .Haydn

[Geoff_K]

Hi,
To answer this a few more details are needed:
º Red Motor Spec
º Manual / Auto Gearbox
º Mech / Electric Fans
º AC ?
º Type of Use > Street / City Crawl / Race
We have seen and done a few radiator options.
Cheers

[Crumpsnr]

Haydn, I had a heavily modified 186 in an FE years ago, running a 3 row heavy duty core, which had the standard tanks reversed so the radiator sat in front of the support panels. No AC, manual box, thermostat controlling a single electric fan (which hardly ever needed to run) street and city driving which kept it cool on all but the most extreme 40 degree + days. Very little in the way of body mods to fit it. Regards, Martyn

[hsv-001]

Martyn, this has been a problem Wayne and I have been playing with since we put that air con condenser in front of that sideplate radiator .My guess is that the combination of poor airflow and the reconditioned engine still being tight is causing overheating. We think that we have a plan to solve this problem without too much disruption to the subframe and front panel work [Old Mt Isa Boys ute is very neat under the bonnet . We are hoping to use an aluminium LC LJ Torana radiator [this one seems to have  'c' section side frames to hide the ugle side panel removal] and we are getting the bottom tank stepped similar to a EH radiator so it will sit right down between the subframe rails and offset to the drivers side to clear the battery tray on the other side .We are hoping that a shrouded 13" thermo fan on the rear side and a diagonally opposite 11" on the condenser will do the trick .I hope we can get photos and post . I have a standard LC LJ radiator in front of my red in my van and it works fine [slightly ugly after thought installation ] also put one in a 186 powered FJ [ modified side panels] in 2012 without any problems . For those who don't know the LC LJ core is slightly shorter[same width] and the radiator sits down lower.Cheers Haydn   

[Ed]

Haydn,

Have you tried running the existing setup with a shroud?

A shroud makes a significant difference to the amount of air actually being pulled through the core rather than from circulating air within the engine bay. 

Sounds like the condenser is making life tough for air flow.  I did a radiator and shroud experiment a few years back and found that an engine fan with shroud was the most efficient form of cooling.

Cheers

Ed

[hsv-001]

Yeah ,Ed you are correct the shroud works best and I believe Wayne has organised that with Pete ,he has also ordered the two thermo fans .The radiator arrived yesterday and it now has the step on the bottom tank so we are only waiting for the fans to arrive .

[FCRB26]

Hopefully i will get it done next week.

[FCRB26]

.

[FCRB26]

Will be in the post monday.


Pete

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

Its a beautiful thing Pete.

Hopefully this along with the bigger radiator the heating issue will be solved.

Regards

Wayne b

[hsv-001]

Finally ,we started changing radiators yesterday and as usual the real problem becomes the modification of the support panel .If anyone has one they have done can the post a photo. The problem is that the open side of the panel faces forward and you need the extra space at the rear . Anyway here is what we have thus far.







Found some paint dregs in a spare tin [ I have a habit of tipping colour washed from the gun into spare paint can .This can save a lot of paint and thinners when using straight colour but is a curse when painting metallic ,pearl or candies . Anyway I hope this will cure the heating issues when complete .