Can offer help in cooling

I work for a cooling company. We make custom radiators and water pumps also we are the only waterless coolant on the market.
I do tech and sales and I help anyone regardless if you are using our stuff or not.
I just wanted to offer up my knowledge about a cooling system. You would be surprised by some things you didn't know about how a cooling system in a motor works.
Will be more than happy to help!!:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Cool!(Hahah!!!) What's your opinion of Water Wetter, the Red Line chemical that purports to increase cooling system effectiveness?

 

Well..........any and all the additives on the market today are nothing more than surface tension reducers which is not a bad thing.
What that means is that they make water more slippery so it flows faster. Have had guys who loved it and those who say it didn't do a thing to help.
The problem I have with any product promising to lower temps by 20 deg is that they rarely deliver.
Now on the other hand........in all out race cars, you can't use anything but water and an additive. But for street use you need some freeze protection even if the vehicle is stored. You also want some corrosion protection which water wetter and other additives can't give you because of more water than additive.

 

I've used Wetter in my Honda F2 bike and it helps keep the temp gauge down in traffic situations in hot weather. My folks had a 63 Olds F85 wagon when I was a small Moto that would show its "HOT" light anytime you switched on the AC in warm weather. Always wondered if adding wetter might have been enough to help keep that aluminum V8 cool?

 

I wonder if beer is a wetter? I've met some slippery slimmy guys in bars! A large radiator, great fans, plenty of room for air to get thru radiator and past engine are very helpful. Found out it's not how many cores a radiator has is not as important as square inches of width and highth.

 

Stay out of those slippery, slimey bars, Cat!

 

Rule of thumb for radiator tube width inside the radiator is......up to 400HP...2 rows of 1" tube.......400-600hp.2 rows of 1.25" tube......over 600 or turboed/ blown...2 rows of 1.50" tube. Now these are for an aluminm radiator as they start at 2 rows of 1" and can be ordered with larger tubes.
Copper/brass rads work well to but once you start making big HP they can't flow well enough. Copper/brass rads are usually only 2-3 or 4 rows of 3/8" tubes, so flow capability is much less.
I have no problem with either type radiators, but there are differences.
As far as fins per inch goes, the aluminum rads do have more which helps dissipate heat alittle better. And also rule of thumb for air flow is......cubic inch = sq.in of finned area of radiator......example....a 400 cube motor should have a 20X20 finned area exposed to air flow.
Now I also know that there are many variables when it comes to every car out there, but I hope I shed some light.

 

Thanks for your insight.
It helps to have a few professionals around, thanks for joining up.

 

Very interesting info, chopt! Thanks!

 

Nice read chopt50. I don't claim to know sqwat about rads and cooling, but I do know years back I had a nice 84 GMC cargo van with a inline 6. I gunned the factory 1 core rad and clutch fan. I installed a made for me 3 core rad with my suplied over size side tanks and installed a 5 blade fan from a 70's 350 van and that lil' 6 banger loved it! It ran cooler than fatory specs recomended but I swear it ran better and had a bit more "pep" because of.....

 

Something to think about...........motors are meant to run at 195-210. Tha's where they make the max HP. If a motor runs too cold, it doesn't burn the all the fuel enough and sometimes the excess fuel can wash down the cylinder walls.
What alot of car guys think is that the sensor for the gauge sits in a still pool of coolant. And when you start seeing the temps go up, you get concerned. The fact is the sensor sits in an ocean, the coolant is constantly on the move. The sensor usually sits on the front of the manifold near the top hose outlet. So as the coolant passes the sensor, you get a reading but you are also getting a reading of coolant that is leaving the motor, not what's in the motor.
When a motor starts to heat up, what is happening is the water in the 50/50 mix is starting to turn to vapor from high internal metal temps. Steam vapors cannot remove heat from internal metals, so you see a rise in temps.

 

Would like your thoughts on this upcoming project:
I have a AMC 78 Concord V8 (304 cid) its a AC car w/ fan shroud and 7 blade fan flex, 2 row core ( all factory stuff) but upper and lower tanks are not tall (assume less resiviour water). I'm installing a near stock AMC
401 cid engine that will use a 998 trans with is own transm-cooler (12"x12" 3/8 inlet lines and has a built-in 8" fan for cooler.
Will this stock 2 core/row radiator be enough or should I go 3 core HD as such in 78,, OR just buy 2 row 1" Aluminum.. ?? Thanks for your help.

 

I have always favored aluminum rads over copper/brass for just the reasons I have already explained, especially when it comes to using A/C. But I also don't want anyone to have to go buy something if you have a decent rad sitting in your shop.
I would always use a 3 row over 2 , but like I said if you have to buy a radiator, get the aluminum because of better flow. And if you are using a belt driven fan, make sure the fan is no further into the shroud than 3/4-1".

 

I will use the factory radiator till early in the summer to see what it does by June, then I could switch to Alum if need,, its in the budget for the project.

 

I used my V8 rad on my I6, and she rarely gets to the 'N' on Normal in the temp gauge, and she's guttsy, although all stock specs.

ChopT50, nice writeup, thanks.