Rear mounted radiators- lets talk about it.

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maddog

Here he comes to save the day!
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
864
Location
SFV Southern California
I am considering a radiator in the rear of the topolino. There just isnt enough room to put one up front without seeing it(and it looks like a big black box:eek:)

What are some of the problems with this setup.

Thanks.
 
It should work just fine. I helped a buddy put a radiator in the bed of his "pre-runner styled" bronco II. Just remember that when you mount the radiator in the rear, it is facing backwards from its stock mount so your hose connections are going to be reversed in the back. We ran a longer than stock rubber hose in front down to the copper tubing and just attached it with hose clamps then ran the copper tubing under the body and back to the radiator, then another long rubber hose to the radiator. Works great. I would recommend maybe some header wrap around the copper tubing in places where it gets close to the exhaust and definately cut the pieces and mock up the whole system on the car before soldering.
 
I used a large afco 31" racing radiator with an electric fan. I am using the stock water pump.
Ran 1 1/2" aluminized exahaust tubing to the rear of the car. Went to auto zone and looked at and measured many hoses till they all fit nicely.
Used ford style radiator so when turned backwards, everything was on the proper side for chevy motor.
I also tacked some small round wire to the tubing making a bead for the hose to slip over so the clamp and hose cant slip off. I'm running a 6-71 and no problems yet
 
Thanks Ratsalad
I dont know if I should listen to anything you say. Based on the looks of your car, your nuts.:D:D:D

Actually, I love it. Got any pics of whats going on in the radiator area?
 
I will get some pix up soon. The radiator is mounted at an angle like the trunk lid. Just received my new skin today that I will be taking to have many louvers punched in it in the a.m.
 
I'm thinking of exausting it downward.

If I have to make some ductwork for intake air, how do I calculate the volume needed to make sure the radiator has enough air flow?

Is it possible that the exaust side of the radiator is affected by freeway driving, possibly inhibiting air flow?

Maybe I should just by an old Indy car and put the Topolino body on it.:eek:
 
I think just putting a piece 4" or so below the bottem of radiator will push plenty of up into it. I am using a puller fan out to the rear.
If the air at hwy speeds push in a certain direction in you application, you would want to mount your fan to push or pull in the direction of natural air flow.
Sometimes you want to duct the exhaust side so the hot air doesnt just roll around to the intake side of the radiator.
 
I am going to run my radiator in the back on my truck, I was talking with my brother in law who has built several dragsters, and rock crawlers, he told me that when he put his radiator in the back of his Toyota Land cruiser, he found that it ran cooler, and he figured that it was because the copper pipe was actually disipating more heat as the water traveled to the radiator. he said that the the eletric fan he put on the radiator actually came on fewer times, and ran for shorter periods of time then when the radiator had been run in the front.

my 2 cents,

Pablo
 
I knew a guy who ran his coolant through the frame. The tubing was the pipe that carried the coolant to the rear and back up on the other side. It ran cool.
 
Rad in rear

This is the way I mounted the radiator. Here i'm building a foam box to seal to louverd trunk lid.
Rad1.jpg
 
I knew a guy who ran his coolant through the frame. The tubing was the pipe that carried the coolant to the rear and back up on the other side. It ran cool.

I like that idea a lot. Cuts down on stuff running along the frame. Just over build it and forget it.:D Since I am building my own frame its not that difficult to do.

Then if you had a cracked frame it would leak Coolant to give you an early warning.:eek:
 

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