How much radiator is needed?
 

In looking at doing the Subaru swap a question comes up for me. How much actual radiator cooling area is needed to tame the heat?

I see people installing a variety of radiators in their cars and I wondered if there is a specific amount necessary to cool these down.

Thanks in advance.

Kev

Just fit the biggest you can get away with. The size of the donor car's rad is always a good startign point but pay close attention to intake/exhaust of cooling air too

Rich

Hey Ricola,

Did you have any cooling issues with your Ghia project?

My biggest concern is getting enough fresh air for cooling while not having to butcher my nose. I'm sick enough to want to maintain a 'stock' outward appearance while uprating the mechanicals quite a bit.

Thanks

The rad in the Ghia was much bigger than needed, you could tell when the thermostat opened as the temp dropped suddenly! My brother has the car now and it will be getting an EJ20t at some point...

Rich

Hi

Go as big as you can, remember the air flow is usually not as good in your car as it was in the donor car, also make sure the path for the air flow is well sealed so that all the cooling air gets forced through the radiator, try to look at other successful transplants.

Steve

Very wise words, after I did this the cooling capacity increased a lot and almost never have to use the fan (only in very heavy traffic)

Good point. Engineering cooling systems is not simple, particularly when you are trying to put one into a vehicle that wasn't designed for it.

Since you can't depend upon the airflow being as good, you need to compensate by increasing the radiator size.

The general idea is that you want to take the air flowing past the car and slow it down on the inlet side of the radiator. This increases the pressure which causes the air to pass through the radiator. The ducting on the exhaust side of the radiator is also important. It should exit to an area of high speed airflow, which will have the lowest pressure. Above all, you have to prevent recirculation through the radiator. That means that the radiator has to be well sealed to the ductwork and the exit of the ductwork need to be well away from the inlet.

Don't depend upon electric fans to move the air. They are not made for continuous usage and you create another failure mode if you depend upon then. Fans should only come on when vehicle motion is insufficient to move air through the radiator.

George

How big should it be.
 

Hey dudes

Check out VW1302RSi and ask him how he did his, for a monkie he's switched on.

Phil.

P.S BTW you don't want to see the temp gauge drop lots when the thermostat opens its bad for the engine.

I guess I should have put it in context, it was only 5 degrees or so and before the system was fully purged. Was just meaning that the system I built was way oversized for future engines :D

It was spooky seeing pics of VW1302RSi cooling set-up, almost the same as my VWRX cabrio!

Rich

As FYI,

Bugat5speed has developed a radiator for both N/A and Turbo applications.

If you would like PM with your email and I will send you two articles with info. Only downside its in german but it will give you an idea..

Take care
Alex

Hi all

Ricola must be good minds think a like:)

I have just posted a description of my cooling system and some pics on my web page, and a wee vid clip as well.

http://vw1302rsi.multiply.com/

Scott