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Author: Subject: Radiators...
franky

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:30 PM Reply With Quote
Radiators...

We all know that alloy radiators look nice, however I'm thinking I might go for a normal one as i've been told that over a period of 2 years alloy radiators loose 25% of their cooling ability due to internal corrosion/furring up. this is why race teams only use them for a season.

I need a mk2 escort radiator for my build a radtec one is about £250.

I've found a company that will make me a copper cored one for £110, triple cored so 3 cores of 41 rows, a normal mk2 escort has 1 core of 27 rows.

Does this seem like a good price? what would you go for? I'm thinking locost!

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blakep82

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:36 PM Reply With Quote
think locost, polo radiator, £35 brand new.
why does it have to be a mk2 escort one?





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franky

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:36 PM Reply With Quote
Fittings on the chassis are there etc. Also a polo one wont be able to cool the m3 lump.
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britishtrident

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:43 PM Reply With Quote
Don't believe everything you read, for road use a 50% solution of longlife OAT antifreeze will stop corrosion dead.

If live in a hard water area buy ready mixed coolant or prepare the coolant mixture using de-ionised water.

The standard Ford rad used in Escorts, Cortinas and Capris wasn't exactly efficient as a heat exchanger. While new Escort rads don't ost a fortune use a Polo or Nissan rad like everybody else it is a much more efficient heat exchanger.





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
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StrikerChris

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:49 PM Reply With Quote
i was told the same when sourcing mine.old chap near me could make either alu or copper ones but said alu ones are really just a fashion thing and if your relying on the material for cooling effects the rad's not up to the job.made copper one out of rangerover core's and ends off something else for £80.cools my motor with an intercooler blocking half of it .also he said the rad should be mounted at an angle so the air is forced into the cores at the back as well as the front if that makes sense,and the fan is far more efficient sucking from behind the rad.i have no reasons not to believe him!
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blakep82

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:52 PM Reply With Quote
on the northern radiators website, E36 M3 radiator, £110 +vat
550mm x 408mm x 42mm

VW polo diesel mk2 (or mk3, i forget) part number #VW38
£22+vat
525 x 323 x 32 mm

there's not much in it for the sizes. i think it'll be up to the job. i'd rather spent a tiny amount of cash to find out, than spend a fortune where its not needed. adapting the mounts shouldn't be a huge job. sure someone's done it here many times





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franky

posted on 7/3/10 at 01:58 PM Reply With Quote
its down to packaging though.... I can't fit a radiator that big in. Surely a rad designed for a 1.0-1.6 ltr car isn't up to the job of a 3.0?
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TigerB6 Paul

posted on 7/3/10 at 02:05 PM Reply With Quote
Isnt there a Golf one thats the same dimensions as the Polo one - only thicker?? As above - nothing wrong with the ali / plastic one from a Polo etc and at the price then you are quids in to replace it if it did ever go wrong.
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BenB

posted on 7/3/10 at 02:10 PM Reply With Quote
I wouldn't bother getting a triple cored Copper job, ali has a very good rate of heat disipation so you're better off with a Polo one.

Or put it this way STM used to use their own fancy copper radiator for racing. Then I built my Locost in their garage and used a cheap as chips ali one. Shortly afterwards they started doing the same.....

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britishtrident

posted on 7/3/10 at 02:15 PM Reply With Quote
Nothing to do with the metal the radiator is made of all to do with the design of the core.

If you compare a 60s/70s Ford radiator with a modern radiator you will notice the the modern radiator has a much finer core, this means much more water in contact with the tube walls and better use of the air flowing through the radiator.





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]

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britishtrident

posted on 7/3/10 at 02:23 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by franky
its down to packaging though.... I can't fit a radiator that big in. Surely a rad designed for a 1.0-1.6 ltr car isn't up to the job of a 3.0?


As soon as the the Polo and Golf went on to the market the Golf radiators were fitted to Formula racing cars March used them on cars such as the 742 F2/Formula Atlantic car and 743, they may even have been used on the F1 March but that probably used one each side.





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
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BenB

posted on 7/3/10 at 02:43 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Nothing to do with the metal the radiator is made of all to do with the design of the core.

If you compare a 60s/70s Ford radiator with a modern radiator you will notice the the modern radiator has a much finer core, this means much more water in contact with the tube walls and better use of the air flowing through the radiator.


Yes, but that's kind of to do with the material it's made from. It's much easier to create a "high resolution" radiator with loads of thin fins in ali than it is in copper. Add in the weight disadvantage of copper and the increased heat dissipation of copper soon loses it's attraction in my understanding....

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StrikerChris

posted on 7/3/10 at 03:48 PM Reply With Quote
obviously an alu rad's better at heat dissipation and it ultimately the best,but this being locost forum it depends on your budget as far as weight.the difference between an alu rad and a copper one,especially as most of the weight is the water inside it is probably the difference of having a dump before you go out!price difference may able you to save unsprung weight with say lighter calipers or something that would make a far greater difference.all depends on your wallet and priorities i reckon.
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franky

posted on 7/3/10 at 03:56 PM Reply With Quote
A polo radiator may keep a large engine cool on a track but surely never in traffic etc?

The weight is about 1kg more for the normal copper type core over the same spec one in alloy so its not worth it to be from a weight point of view.

The radiator sits at an angle to help cooling/airflow.

I didn't think £110 delivered for a triple core rad was too bad?

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Chippy

posted on 7/3/10 at 04:34 PM Reply With Quote
Franky, I fitted a small rad on my 24V, and it was hopeless, boiled after just ten minutes of running, and the fan just wouldn't cool it enough. I then changed, and on the advise of the local rad repair people fitted a rad from the 2.5 diesel Landy, never had a problem with it since, mind you it is mahoooosive. Cheers Ray

[Edited on 7-3-10 by Chippy]





To make a car go faster, just add lightness. Colin Chapman - OR - fit a bigger engine. Chippy

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dlatch

posted on 7/3/10 at 05:21 PM Reply With Quote
as you are going to cool a 3.0 straight 6 engine i would fit the biggest alloy rad you can poss squeeze in franky.
sure you can prob source a triple core custom one for a reasonable price, imo the polo rad won't be upto the job, but maybe two will

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speedyxjs

posted on 7/3/10 at 05:58 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by franky
Fittings on the chassis are there etc. Also a polo one wont be able to cool the m3 lump.


I have a polo one cooling my lump and it has no problems and i havnt got it moving under its own steam yet!





How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?

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02GF74

posted on 7/3/10 at 07:36 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by StrikerChris
i was told the same when sourcing mine.old chap near me could make either alu or copper ones but said alu ones are really just a fashion thing


interesting, so I wonder why all modern cars use aluminium radiators and have been for maybe the last 10 years or more?

wonder what will the fashion be next year, porridge oats?

probably a cost thing, but even so, allowng for the 25% loss in efficiency, you would have thought that this would be taken into account otherwise our roads would be jammed by overheated cars.






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