Automotive Radiators?

[SkiFletch]

hey guys, I appear to be your newest member ath these particular forums although I have been lurking for a while regarding my summer watercooling project. I've been reading all these first law of thermodynamics and heat transfer laws and stuff and pretty much figured out the differences in how radiators and waterblocks physically work. from everything I've learned from both here and many other places around, It appears that one wants high flow rates through waterblocks and increasing your mass flow through the radiator by using a large radiator with a large ID. I've read Bill Adam's Radiator heat dissapation guide and noticed that the largest radiator of the bunch with the largest ID performed the best by far. as I cannot find the Serck aircraft radiator that he used, and most "computer" radiators are too small for my liking, I was thinking about turning to the automotive industry for my needs. I was wondering if anyone has some first hand experience with using either straight up car Radiators, or perhaps heater cores? I'm pretty sure a car radiator would be overkill, but I was wondering if anyone had tried it. thanks for your thoughts

Fletch

[pRS317]

i went with a brand new heater core. $20 at the local auto parts store. works pretty darned well, too. doesn't seem to restrict the flow very much at all. i use 1/2" id barbs to match the id of the core, but my block has a 3/8" id. my 1/2" id tubing fits over everything nicely.

[dxiw]

the 1/2in tubing over a 3/8 block doesn't leak at all? You must have it clamped down like crazy....

[SkiFletch]

pRS, what model car did you get a core for that only cost $20? I cant find any that are cheaper than $40

[MajinSSJVegetto]

If the tubing on a radiator is to small, you can just cut two of the middle pipes, and set the radiator up with a Y barb so it runs two channells in parrellel through the single radiator.
That will increase flow quiet a bit without wasting space.

[pRS317]

the id of the block is 3/8" and the od is 1/2". fits perfectly :)

the heatercore is off a ford f-250. they had 3 types, one for 17, one for 19, and one for 22 (if memory serves me correctly). i picked it up at autozone, which was about a mile away from me.

[Diggrr]

I use a Ford Taurus heater core. It's 6" x 8" (fin area) and is copper with brass endtanks. Works great, but don't think I haven't been thinking of a (main) radiator.
I had bought one for my '79 Cadillac Sedan DeVille once (don't be impressed, it was old junker, but had the 503 monster under the hood :cool: ) that was a 2' x 3 1/2'+ tripple cored monster...the largest car radiator made.
Man I'd love to have that now. Radiator and res all in one, cause that radiator would hold more than a gallon easy.

[maxwedge]

If your gonna go with automotive products I'd look into
transmission coolers. Check out Summit Racing here.
http://store.summitracing.com/

look into the B&M super coolers....about $50 a pop.
This will work much better than a cheap heater core....You
just need to make it fit.

[SkiFletch]

tnx a load for the link wedge, quite helpful. anybody else got any suggestions?