TheSamba.com :: View topic - Need Your Help- Underbelly Radiator Design

Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:36 pm

McintoshType2 wrote:
So my thinking is if I can put one there and it would also seal the leak it would be a win win?

oh my :shock:

ok, my opinion....

get those black plastic button headed zip tie type mounts out of there! they LOVE to "saw" thru the tubes and fins...causing a leak.

what is that radiator from? I would try and mount it better. as noted, that big silver plug is either for a temp sensor, or a cooler port (tell me what year/make/model the rad is from and I can tell you exactly what it is)

you would add coolant under that cap....here is the rub...you may not want that tank full to the top. if it is, the coolant expands when hot and will probably piss out of the overflow tube...which should go to an overflow bottle.

as to your temp sensor question....yes, no, maybe. the coolant may not get hot enough at that location to cool the engine properly. 98% of the cars have a coolant temp sensor at the thermostat housing to control the temp gauge and electric fan. that is the area I would focus on in terms of a temp switch, not a radiator.

most of the time a temp sensor in the radiator (depending on the car) will only knock out A/C in severe temps (usually on domestic iron, but some euro's use that idea too...notably Volvo, MB, etc)

that radiator looks tiny for a V6...and looking again...seems to be one for an early watercooled VW (rabbit/jetta)

Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:59 pm

No idea what the radiator is from it’s just what the previous owner had intended to install so we figured we would try it out, I know larger and all aluminum is ideal. Any recommendations of a good sized one I can find online that would be adequate to cool the v6? We also live in fairly hot climate and summer temps reach 100+ and it will be mainly driven in a city environment, flat ground, lots of stop and go traffic.

Tue Jun 04, 2019 5:31 am

That is an MK3 VW radiator like for a 1996 Jetta with a 2.0. Just buy the radiator fan switch for that car and wire that up to turn your fan on like it should have been done. Wiring it up to a switch on the dash is just sloppy work.

Tue Jun 04, 2019 7:10 am

The previous owner got back to me and said the radiator was made for a Scirocco.

Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:00 am

McintoshType2 wrote: The previous owner got back to me and said the radiator was made for a Scirocco.

It's not a Scirocco radiator, its MK3 Jetta/Golf/cabrio. Scirocco had different type of mounts.

Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:05 am

OK thanks for the info, hopefully I can get this thing rolling down the road again.

Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:40 pm

69BahamaYellow wrote:

Using 69BahamaYellow's picture, since I don't have mine at the moment.

Any issue mounting radiators on the sides - marked in green? Reduced airflow or same?

Also, is it better to mount radiator with inlet/outlet facing up or down? (radiator fins lower than the inlet/outlet vs. radiator fins higher than the inlet/outlet respectively)

Thanks in advance.

Sun Aug 03, 2025 2:10 pm

if you want rocks and road debris from the tires to hit them, then it would be a great place to mount them

Sun Aug 03, 2025 2:44 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: if you want rocks and road debris from the tires to hit them, then it would be a great place to mount them
Noted