I saw your post and pics and that is why I am now looking into the flaps. Be Cool Radiators have an existing fan shroud that has flaps but I don't think they open as much or would be as functional as yours. Looks like you did a nice job on yours. I hope to do something similar.
quote:I hope to do something similar.
While Johnny's flaps do allow air to pass through at speed, perhaps his initial problem was the closeness of the shroud to the core.
When the flex-a-lite is mounted directly to the rear of the core, air passing through the core into the shroud area has VERY little turning room. It hits the back of the shroud after maybe just 3/4" of travel. sort of like that air hitting a brick wall. NOT conducive to good flow.
Nancy Haney of PCNC added a metal shroud to her flex-a-lite fans that placed the fans about 2" further from the core. Now that air has nearly 3" of wiggle room, which surely allows a more unrestricted flow.
Jack DeRyke (Bosswrench, and Nancy's father-in-law) took it one step further and made his from aluminum and built a wooden buck to hammer-form the corners from a squared-off corner at the core to the rounded corner of the shroud. Jack never keeps things simple.
Larry
Here's a shot of Nancy's
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Are there any considerations for electrolysis of using an aluminum radiator? I mean, will the aluminum be eaten up unless an anode is used somewhere? What does BeCool say about that?
I have also heard of a new type of tube in a radiator that has a swirling effect built into the inside of the tube that swirls the coolant as it travels through the tube. It is a new development that is supposed to be a lot more efficient. Wilkinson is working on this one for my car.
Mark
I have also heard of a new type of tube in a radiator that has a swirling effect built into the inside of the tube that swirls the coolant as it travels through the tube. It is a new development that is supposed to be a lot more efficient. Wilkinson is working on this one for my car.
Mark
quote:will the aluminum be eaten up unless an anode is used somewhere
I just covered this in a phone call with Bill at Ron Davis radiators; my new Davis 3-pass arrived this week and I wanted to be clear about this, too.
The literature with the new radiator said to NOT use any brass fittings. Wellll, Pantera temp sensors are brass, the drain petcock on the previous radiator was brass, as was the air-bleed fitting at the top of the radiator.
Bill said they have not had the brass temp sensors cause any problems in Pantera radiators. They are in effect electrically isolated from the chassis ground. Just a switch in a brass case; not a grounded wire. When I pushed him on this, and the other brass fittings that had been on my previous unit, he said if an electrolysis problem was brewing, I would have found a black coating on the nearby aluminum. I did not.
There is no problem with using an anode, but with an ungrounded radiator and based on my experience with potential-problem brass fittings, electrolysis in not a real threat.
You can do a voltmeter test to determine if a potentially damaging current is present in your system. And the Davis literature gives instructions for doing such a test.
They did in fact include aluminum plugs for both those holes, and I guess their standard advice is to use them rather than leave a brass petcock in place; which seems pretty silly, to me.
He went on to say that an aluminum radiator should be totally removed from any contact with the steel structure of the car. Rubber bushings at all points, and this is stock for a Pantera, must be maintained.
So I intend to continue using brass, will not be placing an anode, and expect no problems.
quote:Wilkinson is working on this one for my car.
Mark, if you keep having Steve reinvent everything for your car, you will never have the joy of actually driving it and the rest of us will never have the opportunity of appreciating it.
A good aluminum unit will cool your car just fine. Feel free to just tell us the tubes are super-new, throw-down high-tech and let Steve finish the build.
Larry
DeMopuar wrote:
Are there any considerations for electrolysis of using an aluminum radiator? I mean, will the aluminum be eaten up unless an anode is used somewhere? What does BeCool say about that?
The guys at Be Cool agree with Bill at Ron Davis Radiators. There is no concern with brass and aluminum in this configuration.
DeMopuar wrote:
I have also heard of a new type of tube in a radiator that has a swirling effect built into the inside of the tube that swirls the coolant as it travels through the tube. It is a new development that is supposed to be a lot more efficient.
Guys at Be Cool Radiators said you are most likely referring to a fluted oval tube design. It creates turbulence in the coolant so it is all exposed to the cooling fin. They have been using fluted core design for several years now.
Are there any considerations for electrolysis of using an aluminum radiator? I mean, will the aluminum be eaten up unless an anode is used somewhere? What does BeCool say about that?
The guys at Be Cool agree with Bill at Ron Davis Radiators. There is no concern with brass and aluminum in this configuration.
DeMopuar wrote:
I have also heard of a new type of tube in a radiator that has a swirling effect built into the inside of the tube that swirls the coolant as it travels through the tube. It is a new development that is supposed to be a lot more efficient.
Guys at Be Cool Radiators said you are most likely referring to a fluted oval tube design. It creates turbulence in the coolant so it is all exposed to the cooling fin. They have been using fluted core design for several years now.
Don't want to hijack this thread, but I've got to be clear that Steve came to me on the radiator, at least this time. Come to think of it, he also said a Ford GT drivetrain would be incredible and could be done; and I have been patient ever since. Besides, with all of the communication technology now, it should not be too much of an issue to get problems solved in a timely manner.
I like reading about everyone's issues with the cooling system -- so Larry, the radiator needs to be isolated from the body with rubber, but isn't the water based coolant a conductor -- is this an issue or am I missing what you wrote on this tiny screen?
Thanks, Mark
I like reading about everyone's issues with the cooling system -- so Larry, the radiator needs to be isolated from the body with rubber, but isn't the water based coolant a conductor -- is this an issue or am I missing what you wrote on this tiny screen?
Thanks, Mark
quote:isn't the water based coolant a conductor
Mark, I've wondered the same thing.
I guess there is an acceptable limit, thus the voltmeter test?
Larry
The Corvette guys have been running aluminum radiators as well as engines and heads sine the '80s. One 'Vette shop says to take a GOOD VOM, switch it to the lowest current the meter will read, stick one probe in the coolant while grounding the other. If your meter reads above 70 millivolts, you have a problem. I tried this on our '72 with aluminum heads & water pump & Fluidyne rad. With a cheap VOM, the needle only flickered. With a $250 Fluke VOM, I got 37 millivolts- in safe zone.
Second game you can try is, once you succesfully get a reading, start switching on some electical stuff with it still connected to the coolant. If the meter reading changes, you have a grounding problem and it very likely won't be the radiator or its thermoswitches. You can start intelligently chasing a bad ground in your wiring, but at least you'll know which circuit(s) causing the problem. I've seen grounding problems so bad, the oil pressure reading changes on a running engine when the headlights are turned on!
Finally, use No-Rosion in your coolant if your local water is very hard. Adding distilled water is a mistake IMHO since distilled water is almost as acidic as Pepsi. Deionized (DI) water is better. Any doubts, get some pH strips from a swimming-pool supply house and check your local water and whats in your radiator for acidity (or lack of same). One East Coast guy DISSOLVED two Fluidynes (full warranty from a Pantera vendor) in a year, before Fluidyne figured out what the problem was. Good thing he didn't get his rad from Cheapo Mail-order, Inc....
Second game you can try is, once you succesfully get a reading, start switching on some electical stuff with it still connected to the coolant. If the meter reading changes, you have a grounding problem and it very likely won't be the radiator or its thermoswitches. You can start intelligently chasing a bad ground in your wiring, but at least you'll know which circuit(s) causing the problem. I've seen grounding problems so bad, the oil pressure reading changes on a running engine when the headlights are turned on!
Finally, use No-Rosion in your coolant if your local water is very hard. Adding distilled water is a mistake IMHO since distilled water is almost as acidic as Pepsi. Deionized (DI) water is better. Any doubts, get some pH strips from a swimming-pool supply house and check your local water and whats in your radiator for acidity (or lack of same). One East Coast guy DISSOLVED two Fluidynes (full warranty from a Pantera vendor) in a year, before Fluidyne figured out what the problem was. Good thing he didn't get his rad from Cheapo Mail-order, Inc....
I'm a little confused about the concern over using aluminum in the cooling system. Aren't most new cars and trucks using aluminum radiators? I know they are using aluminum engine blocks, heads, intake etc. Also doesn't the coolant protect the system from corrosion. That's why we need to make sure we use the correct coolant right?