Second Radiator on my car

[Paul]

Right, scenraio is that my car runs hot when i am sitting in it, like in traffic etc. Its a LET for those of you that dont know.

Its a fcuking pain in the backside in traffic especially, even with my fan on a manual switch it still climbs up and over 100deg in say 15 minutes of hitting traffic.

I already have a cool running thermostat in it, and switch the fan on, as soon as i get into a town etc.

I do not run a heater matrix, which really doesnt help. I have simply got the pipe running from the side of the head to the black plastic pipe on the back of the block. So even though the matrix is only small, it reaaly did aid with the cooling of the system.

So I am thinking of putting something like a bike radiator in place of the heater matrix.

I am considering a few things:

First would the water pump be up to the job of pushing water through two radiators?

Secondly is placement:

First idea is here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/lashednova/rad1.jpg

The problem here is that it will be in the hot engine bay, so may just make it hotter?

Second idea is here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/lashednova/rad2.jpg

The problem here is that it will get no cool air, but atleast it will be cool down in the arch. Although may be subject to a stone injury :(

Any input gents. Do not want to put it in the boot...

Paul

[Benn]

I'd do it in the wheel arch,
you'll get alot more air hitting it. Make a hole in the front pannel with a duct facing it.
Then wrap it in small hole mesh.

[Philsutton]

It should be fine for the water pump to do both as lets face it they come standard with too radiators (the heaters are one as well)

TBH if your having problems over heating I would seriously rethink how you have your current set up. You shouldnt have problems with a normal rad on a XE / LET, (I never ran a heater on mine as well) is your rad open at the front, can air actually get there ect...?

However I did look at putting it into the boot and drawing air up from underneath, and have the rad almost sat at a right angle to how it is normally sat, an then flow the air out the back somewhere. But I couldnt be ****d lol.

[Benn]

My other idea,
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/bennh3/rad1.jpg

As talked about.

[Paul]

the thing is phil, like you i have an IC the size of a snooker table and a 13 row Oil Coller inbetween the IC and rad. Its a genuine Valeo new one, and it still runs hot. lovely when driving, just when im sitting it will happily go to 100+. I have tried that watter wetter stuff etc. It aids it but doesnt cure it.

[R1CH]

Any pics of the front end, showing the IC / oil cooler / Rad ?

[Paul]

Nope, there isnt much air gap between all 3 though. Only one I have:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/lashednova/DSC00534.jpg

[Paul]

I never used to run hot, til i removed the heater matrix to be honest.

[R1CH]

Wheres the oil cooler, between the IC and Rad ?
Looks similar to my set up but my oil cooler sits above the IC in front of the rad, never had any probs with it over heating, mine still runs a heater matrix tho.

[R1CH]

Exactly the same set up as before, just not running a matrix ?

[Paul]

I didnt run a matrix lastyear, used to do eactly the same thing. But the year before with the matrix etc it was fine. Its basically silly having to pull over cause it can't cool down, so I've decided to do somehing about it.

[Paul]

Wheres the oil cooler, between the IC and Rad ?

Yep inbewteen them.

[R1CH]

I'd be moving it above the IC, surely thats not gonna be helping things ?

[Benn]

Can you not mount a small fan on the top of the rad at the front,
As rich said will the ic move forward?

[R1CH]

No need to move the IC forward, just move the oil cooler up above the IC so it sits at the top of the rad.

This is how mine is ...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/ricmetcalf/Nova%20build%20pics/DSC00507.jpg

My IC sits about 15mm in front of my rad, i've read somewhere (on here or MIG) that someone was intouch with Pace (?) about a custom Rad / IC set up and they said the ideal gap between the rad / IC was about 10 - 15mm. There was no science involved in fitting mine, thats just how it ended up !

[burgo]

depending on your budget id be seriously tempted with having a proper alloy rad made

[Stuart]

Alloy rad and a decent fan setup will hold temps fine.... as it stands it sounds like the fan/rad setup cannot hold a temperature. Extra rads in the system will simply introduce pumping losses to the pump and lose you power at the wheels

[Philsutton]

Looking at the front you have far more area of the rad free to the air than I did, mine was directly behind the IC. Where is your fan and what fan is it. I managed to squeeze in an astra coupe rad between the IC and Rad and of course reversed the direction that the rad span in order to still blow air through the rad.

[DaveyLC]

Simple solution.. Put the heater matrix back in? :D :D

[Ernie]

Were does the top hose from the exspantion tank go to on yours as should go to the top of the rad or cant i see it in the pic's.
Have the hose's been routed right to keep the flow of water going in the right way.
Just a thought.

[tony k]

what fan you running on it,whats the size of it

thers some new ally rads o the bay,dont know if the any good would post link but forum rules

[Paul]

what fan you running on it,whats the size of it

thers some new ally rads o the bay,dont know if the any good would post link but forum rules

11" sucker

Thinking about it, mine is one of them alloy rads from eBay.

[Paul]

No need to move the IC forward, just move the oil cooler up above the IC so it sits at the top of the rad.

This is how mine is ...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/ricmetcalf/Nova%20build%20pics/DSC00507.jpg

My IC sits about 15mm in front of my rad, i've read somewhere (on here or MIG) that someone was intouch with Pace (?) about a custom Rad / IC set up and they said the ideal gap between the rad / IC was about 10 - 15mm. There was no science involved in fitting mine, thats just how it ended up !

I will have a little play see if I can get the O/C to move upwards, but to be honest, i really cant see it helping matters that much? May be wrong though.

[Paul]

Alloy rad and a decent fan setup will hold temps fine.... as it stands it sounds like the fan/rad setup cannot hold a temperature. Extra rads in the system will simply introduce pumping losses to the pump and lose you power at the wheels

Surely as standard the pump had to pump it through the heater matrix, so surely just adding in another small rad isnt going to make hat much difference?

[quote=Burgo]depending on your budget id be seriously tempted with having a proper alloy rad made[/quote=Burgo]

Could get one, but its not a viable option unfortunately, thats £300+ that could be spent elsewhere on it.

[quote=philsutton]Looking at the front you have far more area of the rad free to the air than I did, mine was directly behind the IC. Where is your fan and what fan is it. I managed to squeeze in an astra coupe rad between the IC and Rad and of course reversed the direction that the rad span in order to still blow air through the rad.[/quote=philsutton]

I have a Pacet 11" sucker. I theoretically could get some more to blow through too I suppose.

But in all honesty, the only thing I can see that is really going to cure it, is to put in another small radiator fo some description...

[Paul]

Were does the top hose from the exspantion tank go to on yours as should go to the top of the rad or cant i see it in the pic's.
Have the hose's been routed right to keep the flow of water going in the right way.
Just a thought.

Yeh all the hoses are routed correctly I think.

Rad return to turbo, turbo to header tank. :confused:

[Ernie]

I will try and get a pic of my mates turbo set up and posted once i get chance.

[Lee H]

Yeh all the hoses are routed correctly I think.

Rad return to turbo, turbo to header tank. :confused:

Thats the right way although would be tempted to use a more direct route from turbo to header tank ie across the front panel rather than round the back of the engine bay. Can't see it making much if any difference though thinking about it.

[_JH_]

Have you tried a Nova or Corsa Diesel Rad? They cool very well.

I'd also agree about taking a direct route from the Turbo back to the header tank.

[16v Nova Kev]

dunno if it makes much differance but what about heat wraping your exhaust/turbo

[Paul]

Getting a new turbo soon, that I should imagine will get even hotter. lol

If you could get that pic for us Ernie, that'd be great.