moving the radiator

4x4skid · Post by **4x4skid** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:11 pm

hi to all

so im thinking about moving my radiator to the deck of my ute, for obvios protection benifits,

wanting to know from any1 thats done this or knows where i may find some info for these questions,

factory water pump keeping up???
best way to run the water back there??? through cab, underneath?? rubber/steel piping??

cheers all

Furgus · Post by **Furgus** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:59 pm

Road legal or rough truck?

muddy_munke · Post by **muddy_munke** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:37 pm

I used to drive a Subaru Domingo.

The we black van at the front.
It was a rear mounted 900cc weapon. Anyway, the radiator was in the front. It had copper pipes to flexible elbows etc. I don't know if it was standard copper pipes. But maybe. It's not your everyday van.
I geuss it was efficient or something??

Will you be using large electric fans to keep it cool?

That is all
Daniel

4x4skid · Post by **4x4skid** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:48 pm

Road legal or rough truck?

plan to have it certed and road legal but dedicated to off road

Will you be using large electric fans to keep it cool?

yes,

intresting buout the copper pipes were they runing along th chassis??

Steve_t647 · Post by **Steve_t647** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:34 am

Most run them under the body attached to the chassis rails used offraod you want strong tube so most of it would be hard mounted and flexable pipe to attach at the radiator and engine. Copper pipe is quite expencive as long as the radiator is large enough to keep temp's down you will not need the thermal effect of the copper (transfers heat well).

Personally why the hell would you want to run presurised boiling water through a cab? if you rolled over and managed to split a pipe then you would be burned, covered in Antifreeze and in need of medical attention.

I am pretty sure the certification people I have talked to would not allow in cab routing of the radiator pipes. but you also have a heater in a car with the radiator water going through it so up to you to argue.

muddy_munke · Post by **muddy_munke** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:37 am

Yeah the copper pipes were just run down the chassis. I agree with Steve about the potential for an accident.

That is all
Daniel

4x4skid · Post by **4x4skid** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:30 pm

agreed, through the ab would hav serious potential for danger, hadnt thort of that part and it wasnt that i wanted them through the cab just wasnt sure of how it was done.

only thing im left with is, will the water pump do the job, i dont see y not its just pumping a little xtra water a bit further, but the only concern is the xtra height as i know nearly all pumps have a maximum head rating, so is there an extra pump thats needed at all???

mud_slinger · Post by **mud_slinger** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:07 pm

under the chassis will be fine, i wood use mild steel 2 inch pipe all the way and get mandrel bends and jus use the rubber to attch to radiator and from the engine. get the inside of the pipe galvanised or if ya a lil richer use alloy pipe

rokhound · Post by **rokhound** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:35 pm

I have just done this. But i am running two radiators, (well soon) a 4 core one in the front, and a small one in the back.
Used 40nb galv pipe with 2 mm wall. I have run mine on top of that chassis rails all the way down to the back 1/4 panel (I don't want to damage or crush the pipe on any big rocks, so it should be safe up there.)
Radiator is yet to be mounted at the back (but will be before xmas rock rash), I am also relocating the alloy auto cooler here as well. then just bang a 10" fan on it, and form some venting in the rear 1/4 panel and all is good.

suzolla · Post by **suzolla** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 8:47 pm

Don't worry about the height of the radiator, the fact that the water goes around in a circuit means that the water going up is balanced by the water going down, the only thing the waterpump has to overcome is the increased pressure drop in the longer pipes, i would think that as long as the pipes are at least or a bit bigger than the existing it should be okay. If the is a lack of flow I think i recently saw somewhere on the net an in line pump that can be fitted in the return pipe, ie from rad to mtr.
Tim
Found it
http://www.daviescraig.com.au/main/display.asp?pid=43

Rocko · Post by **Rocko** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:21 am

My last toy was an early nissan navara ute i moved the radiator to rear tray and i used 1 1\2'' high pressure cowshed type hose about 4mm walls just used exhaust bends where i had to most of the pipe i squeezed inside channel at bottom of doors worked great and temp never went over half way