TheSamba.com :: View topic - Watercooled radiator planning on split bus

Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:01 am

I'm planning a watercooled swap on my '64 vw bus, and I have a question for those of you that have done it. Would two smaller radiators work on a EJ22 swap or an ecotec 2.2? My bus is so far from stock that I'm not worried about butchering a classic bus. I cant run a radiator underneath the bus as I have air ride and sit retarded low to the ground, and since I take mine on long road trips, I need it to be reliable. I don't want to cut the deck lid, so I cant mount one there. What I was planning was running two smaller radiators with fans inside the engine compartment where the vents are on the sides of the bus. I frequently drive 70-75 mph, and I currently live in texas, so cooling is my biggest obstacle. If you hate what I'm doing, then don't post on here. I have searched and searched for pictures or threads of anyone talking about it and I haven't came up with anything.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:25 am

I haven't done it first hand, but have been heavily researching it for "eventually", so I feel that I do have some insight. I think you might have issues with your proposed radiator layout. Even the baywindow guys (who get better airflow into the engine bay than your split) are having problems with in bay radiators. Seems like the ones that are making the in bay radiators "work", end up still relying heavily on the cooling fans, which are not really intended to be 100% duty cycle. The under belly radiator arrangement however seems to have a high success rate (although I understand your limitations). Your experience may vary, but I'd suggest doing a lot of searching both here and on STF to see what others are making work.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:16 pm

I seen pictures and in person of what people have done with radiator mounting on a early Bus both on roof rack and underneath the floor.
Shop Talk Forums Conversion Perversions http://shoptalkforums.com/viewforum.php?f=19&sid=3942f82b8d53e392afd69ffa0dee50d9
Has many threads on Subaru conversions and you may find what you are looking for.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:26 pm

well breaking the radiator up into two or more smaller units does allow one to fit them more effectively that is for sure. I would imagine that the overall radiator areas must add up to that of the original radiator for that engine (also the thickness of the radiator must be the same or taken into account along with the area).

One radiator on each side of the motor fed by air from the engine bay vents with puller fans inside facing on each radiator. the air would need to exit under the van at the rear around the engine, you may benefit with using a deck lid stand off if you don't like the idea of cutting the lid (or hide a cut out hole behind a stood off license plate) I think a decklid stand off might help improve air flow thru the radiators, as the rear of the van should be in a vacuum at speed. the under side may be a high pressure area, and hence not ideal for air flow out of the engine bay.

so consider standing off the deck lid, propping it open a inch or two to help exhaust the radiator air.

Remember the bus with the air cooled motor pulled air thru the body vents and forced it out the bottom of the car via the fan, and all the proper engine to body seals are required else the hot exhausted air would be pulled back in. That is why propping the deck lid might be needed, I just don't know.

But yes two or three radiators could be made to fit. I would think, maybe one more under the van? although air flow would be difficult as the fan might just recirculate hot air unless it has a good source of cool air and a low pressure (depression) to exhaust it.

an external oil cooler may help too.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:14 pm

You are going to have to get some ideas of what particular radiator is going to fit in the space you have in conjunction with the ductwork nessesary to enclose it with an air inlet and an outlet. I would stay away from ideas that testing would be needed unless you feel it is worth it or it becomes practical as opposed to the alternatives.

-What if you could source a short small radiator and have it recored with longer cores?
-What if you could daisychain enough used heater cores together to act as one big custom shaped radiator?Etcetera.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:32 pm

you can use mini cooper radiators.they are cheap on ebay. ibought two aluminum ones for 105. you can see them sticking out the back.

Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:40 pm

How are those mudflap style radiators working? :shock: Seriously ,are the mini radiators 3 or 4 core? Did you have to do a lot of cutting to get the 4 cam engine to fit?

Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:53 pm

the front of the radiators are shrouded and air from the decklid stand offs feed them.i have 3x19 hour trips to southern cal from portland and have no heating issues. i am running sohc heads so no real cutting needed. they are 2 pass.

my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese.......

Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:53 pm

I can't get around the hurdle of the compromises involved doing a non ACVW swap but I like to investigate putting something in my engine bay that I can get good used parts for a reasonable price. I personally would try to move the firewall back so it is close to the back of the rear seat and put the radiator there. I may look into getting the escort distributor mod to work to satisfy my curiosity. Your beetle must be like riding in a rocket ship with that setup in it. :shock: :shock:

Your car will have a swastika on one door and the rising sun on the other.Mine will have a swastika and the chinese flag combination instead. It's all good. :D I won't be as period correct as you. :cry:

Mon Sep 07, 2015 6:14 pm

Hi I have done a ej 22 swap into my early bus using a mid 90 s jeep cherokee rad in an enclosed box with a fan blowing down through the rad . I tried the 2 small rads shrouded and high cfm fans in the engine bay I could not get it to cool very well . My new set up works great drove on the highway today ran at 188 deg f and the fans never came on . The fans are being triggered by the ecu . My bus is lowered and the box is up as high as it can go in between the frame rails

Mon Sep 07, 2015 6:48 pm

Cherokee radiator with a ej swap; pictures ,pictures,pictures. :D

Mon Sep 07, 2015 8:02 pm

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Mon Sep 07, 2015 8:13 pm

Mon Sep 07, 2015 8:14 pm

Wed Sep 09, 2015 5:30 pm

Can you share with us if the radiator is on an angle, any baffles inside the box? What did you do for a reservoir or means to get the air out and monitor the coolant level? :D

Wed Sep 09, 2015 5:38 pm

The rad enclosure is wider at the frt then tapers to the rear the rad is laid flat in the enclosure with the top area open to draw in air and the bottom of the enclosure is open under the rad cooling fins to expel the heat . a small rubber flap is attached to the frt edge to try and create a vacuum to draw the hot air out at speed . No baffles in the box just sealed the rad to the box so no air could escape it has to go through the rad I have a remote fill wit a 13 psi cap inline with the top rad hose at the highest point and an overflow bottle attached to the overflow by the rad cap in the inline filler

Wed Sep 09, 2015 6:49 pm

to the o/p

I had dismal results in a bay, you'll need to go under.

read my tales of trial and error

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=561788&highlight=shoot++deluxe

let me say this...I HATE the fact it's under the bus, but it is what it is. over 3k on the swap and zero issues

and for what it's worth, now that I have the recipe, I would do it again in a heartbeat. fvck the fragile china time bombs that they pass of as air cooled engines. had my fun with them, time to move on. I would go Subaru as they fit with very little mods