custom radiator tips ???

[Rob]

anyone know any space-saving rad tips ??

is there such a thing a s a small efficient rad ? or is size important ??

[jizzy gillespie]

check out fiesta rs turbo rads , pretty small and cope with a turbo motor in a tiny bay

[slater]

Well the best way to make it better but still keep a small size is to make it thicker. only problem is when you make it thicker its hader for the air to pass through

Basicly if your driving very fast alot of the time (racing) you can get away with a thicker one but if you sitting in traffic all the time it may do more harm than good.

[Revolution 9]

Now, I'm far from an expert, but apparently aluminuim radiators are pretty effective, as well as multi-core rads, I think the alloy works well because a- it won't rust so you don't get rust in there, and b- aluminium heats up and dissipates heat quickly, so it'd be easy to get it to the right temperature, and it'd cool down quickly too. I think! ;D ;D ;D

[Kris]

SidewaysGTM has fitted a aluminium Corsa diesel rad in his GTM, its pretty compact and weighs fugg all.

Have a look in the rad catalouge at your motor factors, there are so many options.

[BenzBoy]

I've done quite a bit of rad-swapping on my Benz. I didn't really look into it all that much - I just whipped some sizeable ones off the cars at the scrappy and had a play ;D.
There are all sorts things to consider if you were to go into it technically - the amount of rows, single or twin-core.... all that malarkey. BUT in my opinion (and it is just my opinion) as long as you ain't trying to fit a 850cc Mini rad to a Rover V8 it should cool things enough. If you have an electric fan set-up then obviously it'd have to work a bit harder on a slightly smaller rad.
I fitted a rad from a Mk3 Cav SRi to my Merc and it worked fine - and that is quite a thin rad. My thinking was that they're both 2.0 engines, the SRi would probably run hotter, plus there is reduced air intake on the Cavalier due to that small grille, so..... with a cooler running engine and much more of the rad exposed to the airflow cos of the Benzies grille, it should be fine! And it was!
I've now changed to a rad from a 280 S Class cos it fitted better and had an oil-cooler built in that I was supposed to hook up but never got around to... but that works perfectly well too!
My next rad (as the 280 one has a slight leak ) is yet to be decided upon but will be chosen using the same (fuzzy) thinking!

[Rob]

BenzBoy said:

... as long as you ain't trying to fit a 850cc Mini rad to a Rover V8 it should cool things enough.

its for a rover v8 in the marina pickup... short of space and depth unfortunately - may have to think laterally on this one... on the roof maybe. ill head down to a breakers as you say and take a tape measure ! cheers guys . . . a leccy fan should help too....