Rear mounting a radiator

[chevrolux]

my new mission!
my radiator is very very close to my engine. so close in fact that the water pump pulley has hit it as is evident on the radiator
i cant find much on the net about doing this with v8's. but i think i have a bit of a plan.
I am going to hang the radiator from the rack sort of thingy on the deck (you know the frame that goes up to the top of the cab).
Currently i have the diesel radiator with two 10" elec fans but i think i might try to find a more chur looking radiator. (maybe one that is less square and a bit wider than it is long)
So i will fit the radiator up there with the electric fans.
then just throw some plumbing down the truck.
this is where I have my first question
what pipe do i use? i think it should be hard (steel/copper). dont like the idea of copper so was thinking 1"-1.5" steel tube. does anyone have an idea if that would be alright?
second question
im running a 350 and with all this extra pipe and more height to push the water up, is the chevy water pump going to do the job?

dont see this being too challenging but there is just those two things i am a little stuck on as there is bugger all material on the net! will post some pics when i start doing it

ps. its an 85 d/cab hilux

[Pedro]

my new mission!
my radiator is very very close to my engine. so close in fact that the water pump pulley has hit it as is evident on the radiator
i cant find much on the net about doing this with v8's. but i think i have a bit of a plan.
I am going to hang the radiator from the rack sort of thingy on the deck (you know the frame that goes up to the top of the cab).
Currently i have the diesel radiator with two 10" elec fans but i think i might try to find a more chur looking radiator. (maybe one that is less square and a bit wider than it is long)
So i will fit the radiator up there with the electric fans.
then just throw some plumbing down the truck.
this is where I have my first question
what pipe do i use? i think it should be hard (steel/copper). dont like the idea of copper so was thinking 1"-1.5" steel tube. does anyone have an idea if that would be alright?
second question
im running a 350 and with all this extra pipe and more height to push the water up, is the chevy water pump going to do the job?

dont see this being too challenging but there is just those two things i am a little stuck on as there is bugger all material on the net! will post some pics when i start doing it

ps. its an 85 d/cab hilux

Steel is ok just run anti freeze, once the system is fully bled up and circulating the pump will push it around, you may how ever have a issue at idle , most rear mount radiator systems i have come accross at some stage give grief with air locks and over heating, one very good cure is a electric water pump, you can then removethe impellor on the chev and run electric. size wise run 1.5" min, to small a pipe and you will get flow restrictions,

other option you have is get a two core ali rad out of a late model car, alot thinner possibley than what you have and very efficent, and use the fans that come with the unit.

Cheers

Pedro

[blulux]

you could run normal radiator hose inside exhaust steel to protected it , you can get it in 1 meter lengths for repco , but its not to cheap

scott

[Scott]

Hi, I just ran big hydraullic return hose which i made brackets to hold it on either side of the gearbox and a two core radiator/fans. Had no problems.
I've got the hose on the shed floor if anyone would like to buy it?, i now run my radiator back in the front as the v6 is shorter than the old straight 6.
Cheers Scott

[Bulletproof]

Is it a trailer queen or are you driving it on the road ?

If you are driving on the road you will probably have overheating problems mounting it at the back as most cooling is from the road speed air going through the radiator .

On road driving is what produces most heat when the truck is under load in a high gear.

Cheers Richard

[swampa]

on the back, not too close to cab, on the angle, with twin electric fans, craig davis water pump flowing 90lpm, no problem at all at any speed, thats over simplified what i had but the principles are the same

[Jafa]

I have a rear mounted rad, attached about 50mm from the cab, alloy rad with 300mm budget trademe fans, mounted about 50mm from the core on a shroud, so all the air being moved goes through the core. It runs the stock 3rz water pump, I use 38mm stainless pipe and elbows for the tricky bends around the engine and rad etc, and some rubber/synthetic pipe from Paykels for the straight bits, works a treat, no overheating probs at all, no matter how much abuse the motor gets, its fine on long drives in high ratio, mint in normal 4wd stuff, and sweet as at idle. Runs at 180 deg F(90 odd centigrade) all day, every day. The only issue is getting the air out when you fill it, I drilled and tapped a bleeder in the toop of my t-stat housing, and use the heater loop to bleed as well.
Look here for pics and build, its piece of piss to get to work, I'll find what the red flexi hose was called, bout $17 a meter iirc.
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=678&start=270