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Wulfthang Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2018 Posts: 719 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:14 pm Post subject: Finned tube radiator? |
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I drive a street legal rail here in Southern Arizona. My car has a Ford V6, naturally aspirated engine. The radiator is mounted "up on her back" at an angle to catch as much airflow as possible. It has three fans on it. Two are thermostat controlled and the third is for those extra hot times. It's on a switch. It also has a very large oil cooler...14" x 14" with a thermostat controlled fan on it too. The radiator was new last year and oversized. (4 core)
It always runs a little hot during the summer. The temperature stays fine but the fans all kick on constantly. Yeah yeah it's working like it's supposed to but I want to help it work better!!!!
My current idea is to use some type of cooler in line with the radiator hose. I have a fairly long straight run on one hose that would be perfect for that. My first choice is a finned tube. The problem is that I can't find any of the right size!!!!! I need hose fittings of 1 1/2". I can find smaller ones and bigger ones but nothing that size.
I've even looked at Turbo Intercoolers. The hose fittings are all to large. House type baseboard wall heaters that run on steam are to small. 1 to 1/14" hose fittings. Does anybody know of a manufacturer of finned tubes? |
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L5wolvesf Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2009 Posts: 196 Location: Northern AZ
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:43 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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I would bet you have an efficiency problem not a capacity problem. Pictures are worth 1000 words. _________________ Amonster Motorsports
SNORE # 1196 sponsored by:
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“Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”
S. McQueen |
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weasel_ugs Samba Member
Joined: March 16, 2012 Posts: 721 Location: Prescott Valley,Az.
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:29 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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As long as it isnt overheating you should be fine. Keep in mind in the summer here we are about 40-50 degrees hotter than winter so with hotter ambient temps your fans will run more. |
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Wulfthang Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2018 Posts: 719 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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It's not overheating at all. The system is functioning as designed. I just want it to be better! I have the room to build in a cooler of some type. I thought about adapting a turbo intercooler's hose fittings but I'm a little concerned about water flow. An intercooler is made for air. A finned tube would be perfect. |
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earthquake Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2008 Posts: 3984 Location: SANDY VALLEY, NEVADA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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How about a inline electric water pump? there are a couple of good ones on the market now.
eQ _________________ 74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
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weasel_ugs Samba Member
Joined: March 16, 2012 Posts: 721 Location: Prescott Valley,Az.
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Wulfthang Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2018 Posts: 719 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:53 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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Yeah I want it to look exactly like that. Those won't work because they're to small in diameter. I have to put fittings in them big enough for radiator hoses. 1 1/2" or 1 3/4". They're only two inches in diameter counting the fins. I also looked at an "intercooler " for a turbo car. The fittings on those are 4 inches. Thanks. |
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I Ride Sand Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2012 Posts: 567 Location: utah
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:03 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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the added cooling capacity of what you're looking to do is minimal at best. A bigger radiator is the way to go. Look for a rad with more cores, more size, or even a second radiator all together. _________________ Just a dirty coyote playing in the desert.
now where'd that dirty badger run off to? |
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Wulfthang Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2018 Posts: 719 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2021 3:40 pm Post subject: Re: Finned tube radiator? |
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I Ride Sand wrote: |
the added cooling capacity of what you're looking to do is minimal at best. A bigger radiator is the way to go. Look for a rad with more cores, more size, or even a second radiator all together. |
The radiator that's on it, is the biggest one that'll fit. I might be able to go a little wider but the amount that I could go wouldn't be worth it. It's already a four core!
Yeah, I've thought about an auxiliary radiator but I don't really have the room for it.
The temperature outside has been running about 110 degrees. It's not overheating even at highway speeds. It's not even running hot but the fans have been kicking on a lot. I just want to help it stay in the blue range!
I'm building an airfoil type scoop for the junction at the windshield and the roof. The windshield normally forces a lot of air upwards at about a 45 degree angle. Not only is that air not blowing into my radiator, it's forcing the oncoming air upwards and away from the radiator too. This thing will direct that air back against the radiator and stop forcing so much up and away. I think that will help a fair amount. I used ribbons, a video camera and my hand waving around on top to determine where the air is going. Most of it's getting "wasted". It's made out of 1/4" smoke Acrylic so the worst that will happen is that I get three inches of window tinting on my windshield!
I've decided on the tube type cooler like what weasel_ugs suggested. I'm planning on cutting off the ends, lathing off the fins for about 2 inches on the ends and slipping the hoses right over the ends with no fittings, just clamps. The internals of those things is interesting! They have fins on the inside too. At least the one I ordered does. We shall see! Here's a pic of the internals.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/0d0AAOSw7URfWtIn/s-l500.png |
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