Fluidyne radiator plumbing??

Yep - the bottom one should go to the intake on your water pump. Should your radiator lose fluid, you'd be sucking air once it got below the top fitting, even though you still have a radiator that's half full...

I guess my question was more about cooling, I wonder if it matters.

Actually, it COULD contribute to your cooling issues.

A clearer example can be seen by going to any water-cooled front-engined car and looking at the way the hoses are arranged. The bottom of the radiator goes to the water pump.

Assuming that you're actually drawing from the top of the radiator, instead of the bottom, if your radiator wasn't bled properly and you have an air pocket in there, then you might not get much cooling as your water pump would occasionally 'gulp air' when you hit a bump or take a sharp turn. That gulp of air would travel back to your block, only to sit there until you raised the right-rear corner to bleed/burp the air out.

Naturally, you're not going to effectively transmit the heat out from the top of the block or the heads to the coolant with an air pocket there. Consequently, it's going to get hotter.

At least, while drawing from the bottom, you'll most likely have fluid in your block until you actually do run dry. Hopefully, your temperature gauge will have warned you long before any actual damage is done.

Just My Three-and-Three-Quarter's Cents worth (adjusted for taxes inflation).....

Rick

The left side water tube running beneath the car supplies the suction of the water pump. It arches over & attaches to the upper radiator connection (aka nipple). This is how the oem radiator is plumbed. The Fluidyne radiator is designed as a drop in relacement.

In order for the left tube to connect to the lower radiator nipple, it would have to cross over the other tube for the right hand side. It is not designed to do this.

George

Having just completed installing a new Fluidyne, crossing over the cooling tubes just took some adjusting of the silicone hose lengths underneath and up front. As you can see from the pic below, it was no problem at all, they seem to cross over almost naturally. See following post with details on the installation.

David,

Did somebody instruct you to install the tubes crossed-over?

I'll tell you why I ask, I believe the water exiting the upper tank is the proper way to do a two pass radiator. Carrol Smith has a chapter in his very old, very well read book on race car engineering, and I believe (memory is fuzzy, need I say more) that is how he says to plumb it. You'll notice that the upper nipple is in the bottom of it's tank, the lower nipple is in the top of it's tank.

I'm still at work, anybody have Carrol Smith's book handy? I don't believe Fluidyne intended for you to reverse the engineering of the cooling system, as the deTomaso/Ford engineers designed that system as per standard race car protocol. If Fluidyne had wanted the water tubes connected in a manner opposite of how the car was designed, they could have put the nipples on the left hand side of the radiator.

(nice horns by the way, beep beep)

your friend on the DTBB

Interesting point. I got some advice from a few experts in LA who had done many of these. I could be wrong, but if it's plumbed backwards, why would the cooling be so improved?

Yeah the horns - real Italian screamers. Too big for the back of the splash shield.

First of all, I have to thank George for working the word 'nipple' into this thread. LOL

Unfortunately, I'm now more confused than ever. On my car (that still exhibits a cooling problem) the left pipe under the car connects the water pump to the upper radiator nipple. I asked Fluidyne today, their response was "The radiator inlet from the engine is the upper connection. The return to the engine would be the lower fitting". When I responded questioning his response and asking how the fluid actually flows through the radiator, I received no response. ??

Thanks all...

I only have an upper and a lower nipple if I lay sideways

Hey John,

the radiator hose connections actually are called nipples, I didn't name them! ha, ha, ha

David, 2 reasons the fluidyne improved cooling, first a porous rock would cool better than a 20 year old Italian radiator, second, the Fluidyne restricts water flow less (better core design).

I still don't have access to Carrol Smith's book, I remembered I loaned mine out a few years back, hmmmmm, think I'll ever see it again? I may have to drop by Barnes & Noble, gotta have Mr Smith's books on my shelf. And Smokey's too.

Personally I don't like the two pass radiator design anyway. But if your cooling is improved as is, I'm good with that! I'm sure running water through it backwards is not the end of the world, if indeed that's what you're doing.

On the subject of experts, a Pantera vendor I respect very much sells the wrong thermostats (Windsor style) for the Cleveland. Everybody is wrong every once in a while! Even yours truly. Being wrong does not mean somebody is any less an expert, or deserves our respect any less. Just means they put their pants on one leg at a time, like the rest of us.

your friend on the DTBB

Boy would I like to know the answer on this one ?????????? I guess I have to check my car tomorrow ... but if I'm not mistaken the pipes fit naturally the left side to the upper radiator nipple .... but I see the point that it is backwards. it shpould pull form the bottom as not to suck air and run the pump dry .. there is no means of eliminating air thru the water pump by means of a suction diffuser ..... I cant accept asking this question to a TECH'y at fluidyne .... its like a 50 / 50 crap shoot getting the right answer ... come on George find that BOOK.

quote:

Originally posted by george pence:
Hey John,

the radiator hose connections actually are called nipples, I didn't name them! ha, ha, ha

DTBB

George ol' buddy, I know, but it just sounds so good associated with you... You lucky dog.....


Thank you..

quote:

Originally posted by johnk:
...but it just sounds so good associated with you... You lucky dog.....

John, you make it sound so hedonistic.If you only knew the sacrifice I went through to get these pictures for you guys! Lugging a camera around the beach. Asking ladies to pose in the cold water. "I know its cold sweetheart, but can't you smile for just one more picture?" The promises I have to make "Yes honey, I promise, a candlelight dinner, and a room with a fireplace" Or the lies I have to tell "Yes Swetheart, it's ok if you sit in the Pantera with sand on your feet & legs". ha, ha, ha ...