Factory Radiator or Aluminium?

[davrianman]

Hi Chaps,

Well after 4 weeks of building, I am seeing rivet holes im my dreams! At least they won't ever fall off!!!

I'm putting together a list of parts I need for the next part of my build. I have been reading with interest the threads about cooling, and I need to decide whever to go for the std factory rad or a custom aluminium equivilant. What are peoples views on this? I am looking at an engine in the 500-600bhp range, so I expect cooling will be a problem. I just don't want to spend a lot on the standard setup if I then have to modify later.

Cheers!

[lvjost]

Can only say, my LS6 makes approx. 500 HP. I´m using 100% factory cooling system...even when pushing the car through hard driving there´s no problem with heat...Only in traffic with stop and go and at very slow speeds in the summer-sun water temp rose to 100, then the rads went on, and everything cooled down quite quickly...so I don´t have any problems with my system when it comes to cooling..

[luckyp]

The cooling thing seems to be an urban myth. Go factory, and if anything change to Stig's therm switch mod.

Pete

[davrianman]

Thanks for the advice.

This is my first build, so I would like to keep things simple if possible... That saying I already have an in car PC system design with a link to the emerald ECU!

Will probably go for the factory setup then. The Emerald ECU also controls fan temp settings, so I will be able to change these from the touchscreen as well as engine diagnostics. Thinking of installing the Pacet Fans though. Sounds like a sensible mod!

Thanks

[GTWayne]

I have a Pace alloy radiator in the GTW. I came about it in a roundabout way but I probably would have gone the alloy route anyway. Weigh up the pros and cons;

Alloy rad

Less weight
More efficient
Thinner so gives a little more room for larger fans
If you have one purpose made, you can maximise usable space in relation

Factory rad

The only benefit I can see as indeed stated by the factory as to why they prefer the copper rad is that because it is so huge it may act as a useful deformable structure in the advent of a head on collision and it is very heavy


I have a 650bhp motor installed in the GTW and as a result have paid excruciating attention to the cooling aspect of the vehicle and feel this to be one of the most important aspects to get right. Go alloy, you know you want to.

[CanAm Dave]

I have a Pace ally rad in mine. In fact I have two, one for the engine and one for the chargecooler. I went ally mainly because I needed the efficiency due to adding the chargecooler rad in-front of it. I'll be putting out similar power to Waynes 650ish BHP.

If you have not yet bought the factory rad then you could send me a mail as I have one to sell!

Regards Dave
www.v8yes.co.uk

[GTWayne]

Another couple of firms I have had experience with are Brise and more recently, Pro-Aloy who I had build my dry sump tank (they specialize in radiators) and their work is really superb and the guys that own and run it are ex Pace so they know their stuff. In my experience so far and given the fact that I am a keen exponent of any modified parts, all I would say is beware when deviating from the factory parts as the build will be inextricably longer for this reason and you will have a lot less factory support as a result.

[davrianman]

If you put a standard factory rad in, will the Pacet Fans fit in?

[steve_d]

I have the Pacet fans on my factory rad. You just need to come up with your own bracketry.

Steve

[GTWayne]

Steve, is your rad the four or five core rad?

[steve_d]

GTWayne said:

Steve, is your rad the four or five core rad?

Pass. How would I know, as in what are the clues/measurements?

Steve

[GTWayne]

The five core rad is obviously thicker than the four core one, don't know the measurements because I don't have either but am I not right in thinking that you have upgraded your fans recently Steve? If so, what did you use? If it was the Tripac upgrade didn't Stig also use this on his CanAm and if so I would have thought that with his kit being a fairly recent one, it would have the upgraded rad.

[steve_d]

I fitted a pair of Pacet PF1011P

Steve

[GTWayne]

Don't forget, when putting together a system using chosen parts you can go from the standard size 10" fans to 11" and they do fit (wonder why the factory don't do this?).

[stig]

davrianman said:

If you put a standard factory rad in, will the Pacet Fans fit in?

Yes. You can even fit 11" fans. Just don't bother with the factory brackets and use the Paceet Quickmounts. That's what I did in the Can-Am. Greater cooling area and more than double the CFM.

[davrianman]

Cheers Stig,

Will get the rad ordered in the next couple of weeks. BTW, by build is looking similar to yours :-) I'm pinching all your good ideas!

[cortina1]

have an old Spyder and i have the Pacet fans that were fitted into the units housing the original fans - just sent the original items to Pacet and they in return fitted in their own fans. Great improvement....

[stig]

davrianman said:

Cheers Stig,

Will get the rad ordered in the next couple of weeks. BTW, by build is looking similar to yours :-) I'm pinching all your good ideas!

I'm used to it