FCRB30 Wagon

[JB]

Part 2,

Ok mate these are all of the photos that I had with the radiators from both of my cars...

Both were made so that they would fit underneath the bonnet catch shroud, and were done by getting a VT radiator from new and the cutting the tanks off... Thats when I spoke to a radiator guy who told me that the VT radiators flog out on the tanks leaving good cores to be used but are just thrown away, so i grabbed one.

You will need to get 1 metre fo 50 x50 x2mm tube and some 37mm round.

Cut one side of the tube this will alow you to flare it a little and will fit snugly into the core, this is done by finding something round and tapping the back of th tube with a hammer... Only need a few millimetres to fit into the core.

So when you have the radiator, cover it in cardboard to protect the vanes and then you carefully cut the aluminium at the edge of the tank so to leave as much aluminium to weld to, you will see if you get one. pull the plastic tanks off and throw them away.

The tube you need to work out where the hoses will mount... I had one down low of the passenger side that was the bottom hose and was the hardest to get the angle correct. The other 2 were quite simple .

You will need to get a filler neck and I think I got mine from ebay... was about $30 from memory.

Once you make the end caps take it all to someone who can tig weld and job is done...

Oh and be carefull putting the screws back in at the top... on my first effort I screwed it straight through the radiator... Very pissed off... drop all of the coolant and back to the welder..

It's not like replacing a floor!!!

Mate i hope this helps you get through the wall you have up at the moment.

Cheers
JB

[NosFEratu]

Hey Ed - I think a solution just jumped at him!   

Thanks Jason - there ain't nothing worse than an unhappy Pedro! 

[pedro]

Oh, what the heck - here goes....

Stop ya sulking Pedro!  There's plenty of other things you can do, you wuss!  Now finish your peanut butter sandwhich, get off your backside and get back out there and do something productive! It's not the end of the world you know! And I thought you'd be the last person I'd have to smack around the head at the moment!

Amazing what a motivational pep talk can do to make a person feel better ,
thanks for the words of encouragement folk, just had one of those days yesterday when nothing seemed to go right, felt like I'd wasted the last few days on that radiator and then last night i got told because I'd used acrylic primer i couldn't paint the car in two pack, then i started thinking about all the other bits i still had to make fit , this morning i was thinking should i just forget about this engine and fit a red 186 and tri-matic it would be cheaper and a whole lot easier, but then i had a win, while i had the engine in i fitted up the front end and it looks like the sump will fit alright, also I'm going to leave the radiator for now and get one made to fit when the time comes.

Would anyone know if the RB30 engine came out with a fan with no clutch, apparently they were fitted to a wide range of vehicles.

                                    Pedro

[pedro]

Thanks Jason, very inspirational pics, the V6 engine looks great in the old girl, the radiator fits neatly and it looks like the best way for me to do it (more like the only way ), better get back to work before i get chastised again
                       Pedro

[jack_fc]

Would anyone know if the RB30 engine came out with a fan with no clutch, apparently they were fitted to a wide range of vehicles.

                                    Pedro

Pedro, if the answer to this is NO, how about getting an aftermarket fan (eg, 'flexifan' or similar, or a fixed fan off almost anything and turning up a hub to suit? (I'll admit I know bugger-all about the RB30 fan set-up, but is this a possibility?)

[EffCee]

Pedro, if the answer to this is NO, how about getting an aftermarket fan (eg, 'flexifan' or similar, or a fixed fan off almost anything and turning up a hub to suit? (I'll admit I know bugger-all about the RB30 fan set-up, but is this a possibility?)

The flexifans that Jack has described above will work quite well. There are generic spacers about that have slots where the bolts go through rather than holes. The flexifans have slotted holes to allow them to fit various setups. The best way to mount these is to have someone turn up a bush to sit inside the relief for the water pump so that the centre of the spacer is a snug fit in the water pump. Also have a boss turned up to locate the fan exactly on the spacer as well.

This will ensure that vibrations in the fan are kept to an absolute minimum, thus ensuring water pump longevity.

Keith

[pedro]

Thanks Keith, Jack, sounds like the way to go, just had a look at the pic customFC put up for me, no fan and a Vk radiator, I'm still going to do it the way Jason suggested though the modified VT radiator looks like it fits perfectly.



                 Pedro

[Ed]

You should be able to sneak twin 12inch thermos on the front side of all that Pedro.

If you get stuck I have 2 fans you can use to dummy up.

and those flexi fans are great if you have space.. they really move air.  shroud it!

Cheers

Ed

[brads59]

I did FranCine with a similar rotissere only i used an old matress.
Nice work mate

[pedro]

Ok, fitted up everything around the engine and didn't find too many more unexpected probs apart from no room for the extractors, did some research on the net and it turns out the only problem with the RB30 engines is they crack heads in the Commodores because the radiators are too low and they develop air pockets, so lowering my radiator even more is out of the question, looks like it stays at the back with twin thermo fans.

I did FranCine with a similar rotissere only i used an old matress.

You sound like a fellow dodgy bro. there Brad















Sump finished, I'm hoping the pick up from a GQ nissan will fit, if not I'll have to modify my one.

        Pedro

[EffCee]

Well done Pedro,

Sump looks great. Looks like you had a more productive day in the garage than I did.

Keith

[jack_fc]

Pedro, are you going to get that sump ceramic coated? 

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Nup, Gold plated to match his front teeth 

[pedro]

Pedro, are you going to get that sump ceramic coated?

  , actually it's going to be done with a hydrocarbon based propellant, which leaves smooth ebony coloured reflective surface( gloss black spray can)
                          Pedro

[pedro]

G'day all, been flat out trying to get the old girl back on four wheels and movable, only got one more week then i have to dress up the house and get it ready for the market as we plan to sell and move over christmas if we can, front end welded, painted, shutzed and re-fitted, the two pack was great, really easy to paint with.















                    Pedro

[NosFEratu]

  WOW

Looking pretty specky there Pedro! 

[FC427]

Nice work Pedro.... The red looks great, Don't Stop you will make Orange easy at this pace  ....FC427......

[jack_fc]

Go, Pedro!!

Lookin 

but just as well we got an update; after all, it's Sunday, and I strongly suspect "someone" (hint - they've got an affinity for dead vermin as decoration ) was about to give you shit... 

[EffCee]

Well done Pedro!!!

You have to be happy to see colour going back on!! The paint looks great. I can't wait to see the rest of it

Keith

[Ed]

Pedro,

that colour makes it really pop doesn't it!

nice work.

Cheers

Ed