Aussie Desert Cooler.

[JB]

Ya big girls blouse... we don't want excuses!!!

Should have done it the first time. 

Like this!!!

This was pre paint so the lines have now got clips to secure them to the car.



 

Cheers
Jason.

[Ed]

As usual Jason, showing us how it's done right   

nice job.

so ive got the car driving round and it seems to sit bang on 195F (90deg) in traffic or moving in traffic. 

the fans pull good air and after a short 15 minute light traffic cruise.. no apparent problems.

i am a bit dubious about the "genuine" water pump as it looks exactly like my after market unit and no Holden stamp or part number on it.

it has a cast impellor of same dimensions so i used it.

on its test run the temp guage shot up to hot but I suspect it was still bleeding off air in the system, it has settled down to 195F.  I felt the bottom hose and it was COLD, the top hose was warm so the thermostat is opening. I will bring it on a short high speed run to see what temp fluctuations occur.

I think I will get a smaller water pump pulley made so it spins faster while in traffic.  need to pilfer a spare pulley so i can send it to the shop to get made.

keep you posted... its a very mild 20 degree day with rain so I wouldnt expect overheating issues today.

Cheers

Ed

[FC427]

Hi Ed did you measure the distance between the impeller and the body on the old and new pump to see if there was any variance ?? we used to close then up in the race car to improve the flow of the water pump FC427

[ratbox]

this all sounds like something i'de do , spend a heap of money and hours mucking around to end up back where i started
to me it didn't seem like you had a problem in the first place other than the leak, i'de be pretty happy with those temps i only have a 16" thermo fan set up to blow through the front most of my driving is at 100-110 kph, the other day 36 degrees went to 195-200 up a hill so far traffic it sits around 190ish but haven't had bad traffic yet
i've had many many different cars with all sorts of different temp probs i've always found an engine fan and shroud to be the best solution when you can use one
i've had an EK with pretty much stock red 6 with and useing heavy duty torana radiator with heating probs, and an FE with hotty red 6 and stock FE gray motor radiator with no probs

[Ed]

good summation there Ratbox.

alot of time, effort and $$ and little result.   

with twin 12's on the back at 90kmh it sits on about 180 and around town about 195 (but doesnt creep up like before.. yet to be tested exhaustively).

Using an 180 (82°C) thermostat it appears to behave OK.
I have had the fan thermostat (in the ECU) set to kick in continuously at 195F.

the clearance on the new water pump impellor to body are very tight.  There is a metal plate to reduce any clearances.

the positive outcomes have been no engine fan dragging power.
less tendency for the temp to creep higher in traffic (although yet to be tested exhaustively).
better position for trans cooler.
ICE fans flow significantly more than cheap ebay fans.  You can feel the difference in the weight of the motors.  The ICE fans are alot heavier I reckon due to the weight of the magnets.

one thing it did highlight was some of the complexities of a conversion.  The motor was set at the optimum height for good driveline alignment, exhaust and steering position.

this has meant not enough clearance between the engine fan and sway bar to run a decent shroud.

I should post a pic, it's not as dodgy as it sounds.

Cheers

Ed

[FC427]

Ed do you run a HR front sway bar or EH I use a HR and scallop the outrigger and box the bottom of the outrigger for strength and it gets the sway bar a bit lower and out of the way. FC427

[ratbox]

i have no sway bar, but very low and heavy springs

[Ed]

Hey Mark and Ratbox,

I'm not even sure what sway bar im using.. i found it kicking about in the shed and it fit up OK. If you're using HR and need to scallop I can only assume im using an EH version.

It sits above the outrigger but my outrigger has already been scalloped on the underside for the CRS rack and pinion.

Perhaps I can check out your ute for ideas?

at this stage im going to keep running the twin 12's but no doubt i will re-visit this in the future.

thanks

Ed

[mcl1959]

FB EK sway bar is shaped the same as FE FC bar but is the same length as a HR bar. This is what you need to run. It could be the same as EJ & EH but I'm not sure.

Ken

[FC427]

Hi Ed what spring rate [lbs] do you run on your wagon The good thing about using  a HR  sports sway bar is they are thicker than EH etc sports bar especially with the V8. I have had a few sway bars made for different projects over the years the last one 3months back cost around $150 so if you need to make one to fit your application it is affordable I just make a sample out of copper pipe, and the spring maker makes it of that FC427

[Ed]

Hey Mark,

that's interesting, i never knew you could get sway bars fabbed up.

Just had another look under the car and my sway bar sits inches above the outrigger.

it could be an EK bar, again i really dont know. I'm using KMAC springs but couldnt tell you the spring rate, I just asked them to provide springs that could take the weight of a V8.

springs seem OK, but the dampers im using are rubbish.

while on this thread.. how do you go about purging the cooling system of any air?  I'm  certain ive got some air bubbles as the temp guage suddenly jumps up and down.

ive tried just leaving the cap off with the motor running and letting the thermostat open, some air bubbles came through  but coolant just seems to be pushed out the cap??

should i do this for longer??

Cheers

Ed

[FC427]

Hi Ed I have a Snap On tool that you connect to the radiator in place of the cap then connect to the compressor and it pulls a vacume on the cooling system first it is a check of the cooling system for leaks and then you open a valve that is connected to your new coolant and it uses the vacume to TOTALY fill the system with no air voids a must in a lot of late model cars. Hope this helps ......  FC427.......

[Ed]

snazzy sounding tool Mark,

I may hop down to the rad shop and see if they can do this for me.

my top hose is probably the highest point so it traps bubbles, coupled with a filler which is on a neck doesnt help either.

Cheers

Ed

[ratbox]

is the filter in the high spot in the hose, or higher than the radiator if so try filling through this, also you probably know this but if you have a heater the tap should be open when filling the radiator

[Ed]

Hi Ratbox,

 i havent got a filter installed 

if i put one in the top hose it would be useful to filter gunk and fill the cooling system.

another thing i put off because im using those metal convoluted hoses and splitting it meant buying another kit.

my heater is always flowing (no tap).

Cheers

Ed

[FB_MAD]

One of the car makers ( can't remember whether it was Holden or F#*D ) had a small bleeder in the thermostat housing in one of their engines to help bleed the cooling system of trapped air when refilling.It was pretty much designed the same as a brake bleed screw on wheel cyl/calipers.

Maybe drill and tap a small thread into your thermostat housing and fit a small bolt and "O" ring or something like that.

Just another idea to think of??

Terry.

[mcl1959]

I completely agree with the addition of a bleed port in the thermostat housing. Something we do in the workshop is to have a funnel which fits neatly in the radiator neck and sits about 200 mm above the top of the radiator. You fill the funnel right to the top and the extra head of coolant helps push the air out through the bleed valve. You should be able to adapt the unit off any 6 cylinder Commodore engine.

Ken

[Ed]

I would have never thought of an air bleed valve... funny as some of my bikes had them.

I'll drop in to the wreckers for a 6 cyl thermostat housing.

thanks again for sharing ideas.

Cheers

Ed
 

[FB_MAD]

The car manufacter I metioned re air bleed valve had to do it as a replacement modification when new as early in production they were having brand new cars coming back for replacement engines due to cooked motors.Seems that when they filled the systems in the factory the system still had air in it and eventually a hot day/under load ( ie-: towing ) caused the system to fail ( obviously ).

I remember it was around mid/late '80's but still can't remember which car manufacturer it was...... and probably just as well as they'd probably sue me for mentioning it anyway!!

Cheers,

Terry.

[mikey]

Hi all,
               FB, are you talking about the VL Commodore that had the Nissan 6 cyl engine? (RB30E )

Pretty sure that I had read somewhere that the VL commodore radiator sat lower than the front of the engine due to the slope of the VL bonnet. Air would then not be able to escape from the top/front of the motor.

Has been a while and will stand corrected on this info.

Cheers  M