4 core radiators.. Anyone got one?

[Sitec]

Hi all.. Ok, I dropped my radiator into the local mob yesterday to price up having a 4 core center put in it, and the outlets changed for larger ones... Nearly fell off my chair when he came back an hour ago with a quote for the job.... Anyone had one made, know for one, or know what it should cost to get one done, or know where I'd get an alli 4 core rad made for sensible penny's..... Cheers in advance! :)

[Bigbjorn]

Hi all.. Ok, I dropped my radiator into the local mob yesterday to price up having a 4 core center put in it, and the outlets changed for larger ones... Nearly fell off my chair when he came back an hour ago with a quote for the job.... Anyone had one made, know for one, or know what it should cost to get one done, or know where I'd get an alli 4 core rad made for sensible penny's..... Cheers in advance! :)

Have a look at Speedway Motors web site. Street Rod section. Radiators to cool 700 hp big blocks.

[Homestar]

What sort of dollars were they looking for if you don't mind me asking?

[pk.hoarder]

Funny you should mention a 4 core radiator. My IIA 6 cyl 109" has a 4 core radiator that leaks and is too far gone to repair. I was quoted around $700 from two places here in Adelaide to have it recored. Still trying to decide what to do about that, I love the old bus but it's a 186 and I paid less than $700 for the whole car!
Cheers
Paul

[Sitec]

$987 to remove the three core center and fit a new 4 core unit, remove the top inlet and breather pipe from the left and fit a larger inlet on the right, remove the lower outlet and fit a larger outlet... :(... Having had a chat with AJ, I'm now thinkin I might just get the outlets changed to suit the Cummins, and see how it goes. He was saying that the cooling effect of a 4 core is not a great deal more than a 3 core, because when all 4 cores are in line, by the time the air gets to the 4th core its hot so does little cooling anyway... He also brought up the fact that with a hot intercooler in front of the rad, its going to have its work cut out as well..... Hmmmm.. Had ten min pondering what to do and thinking.. Crap crap crap.. Then thought.. Well hang on.. The radiator in my old 101 coped fine with a 5.7 Nissan 6, so a 5.9 6 pot with a HUGE fan should have a chance.... If the Intercooler is too much, I'll remove it! Time to suck it and see I guess!

[Homestar]

If it makes you feel any better, I just had to get one of my big work gensets a recore on the main radiator - it has 2 - came in at over $20,000 for the recore alone on the one rad - plus labour...:D

Glad it wasn't my money... But yes, paying nearly $1000 for that little thing is ridiculous. Yeah, just suck it and see to start with, see how it goes and work on a solution if needed.

[Sitec]

Hell!!! What donk has that got?? Huge Cat or Troit? My 600mm square rad pails into insignificance with that sort of dosh!! :o

[Homestar]

You know what CAT stands for don't you? Cummins After This!!!:D

Our big 1250's and 1400KVA's all run Cummins KTA50's. 50 litre, V16's. They are my babies - I lavish much love and attention on them.:). Although I manage the technical side of over 400 odd gensets - from 11 to 1400KVA, the big buggers are where my hearts at.

I always love the look on a customers face when they ask what the fuel consumption will be at full load - 263 litres per hour... That always brings a :eek: to their face.:D

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Don't know about the 101s but the UK spec for Series Landies is 3 core while the vehicles sold in Australia had the diesel spec 4 core radiators from new.

It does make a significant difference and something people should be aware of when considering getting a radiator ex-UK. My ex-SADF SIIB was re-cored in Melbourne with a 3 core and it was ping-ing from over heat any time I went over 70KPH. It now has a 4core rad which cost about $700.

Aluminium cores are cheaper, apparently more efficient but don't last as long as the copper cores.

[The ho har's]

Herc has a 4 core. It cost about $600.00 for the recore and $200.00 for labour, so around $800.00. That was about 18 months ago.

Mrs hh:angel:

[Ancient Mariner]

4 core with dimpled tubes are well worth the money. Provides some redundancy anything more than 4 is a case of diminishing returns I also think
you will find copper is a better conductor . Nothing worse than sitting on the side of the road waiting for the engine to cool down:mad:

[Lotz-A-Landies]

4 core with dimpled tubes are well worth the money. Provides some redundancy anything more than 4 is a case of diminishing returns I also think
you will find copper is a better conductor . Nothing worse than sitting on the side of the road waiting for the engine to cool down:mad:Copper and aluminium are both good heat conductors, but I think you'll find the aluminium ones are more efficient because the walls are thinner and the shape of the capilliaries inside provides more surface area. The same things that make them efficient is why they don't last i.e. thin walls.

[Dougal]

I did intercooler calcs last weekend for 200kw on a 4BD1T. The cooling flow across the intercooler only gains about 6 degrees at 80km/h and full power.

[Ancient Mariner]

Would 655mm wide x 610 high work out ?

AM

[Mick_Marsh]

Who was it I was talking to? Someone is trying to organise a bulk buy on custom radiators.
What about a radiator with the intercooler mounted on the side, like a Disco 1?

[Dougal]

What about a radiator with the intercooler mounted on the side, like a Disco 1?

Cuts the radiator size too much. Which is why landrover went to a full size radiator and intercooler in front on the TD5.

[chazza]

... He was saying that the cooling effect of a 4 core is not a great deal more than a 3 core, because when all 4 cores are in line, by the time the air gets to the 4th core its hot so does little cooling anyway...

He also brought up the fact that with a hot intercooler in front of the rad, its going to have its work cut out as well...

If the Intercooler is too much, I'll remove it! Time to suck it and see I guess!

Don't forget that the outside air is always significantly cooler than the water inside the radiator; so for that reason alone I disagree with AJ about the 4-core.

If you deem the intercooler is a problem where it is, don't forget that it can be mounted anywhere there is airflow and still perform its job. For example Hilux has it mounted horizontally on top of the engine; whilst this is no use in a 101, there must be somewhere else it could go. Mini's had the radiator facing the inner wheel arch :D

Cheers Charlie

[Mick_Marsh]

Mini's had the radiator facing the inner wheel arch :D
And that is a real pain when you have a cross wind coming from the LHS on a warm day.
Oh, that does happen often enough. Add to that the air pushed though the radiator came from a warm engine bay.

[Dougal]

Don't forget that the outside air is always significantly cooler than the water inside the radiator; so for that reason alone I disagree with AJ about the 4-core.

I expect he was saying, "don't expect a 4 core to cool 33% better than a 3 core due to the last row getting warmer air".


If you deem the intercooler is a problem where it is, don't forget that it can be mounted anywhere there is airflow and still perform its job. For example Hilux has it mounted horizontally on top of the engine; whilst this is no use in a 101, there must be somewhere else it could go. Mini's had the radiator facing the inner wheel arch :D

Cheers Charlie

In front of the radiator is the single best place for an intercooler. If you do the maths on the volume of air moving through the intercooler/radiator and the heat lost by the intercooler it becomes clear that intercoolers don't heat air much at all.

To throw some rough numbers at it.
If you have an AC radiator out front, that will shed 5-10kw of heat at the most.
An intercooler for a 200kw 6BT Cummins has to shed ~24kw of heat at the most.
A radiator for a 200kw 6BT Cummins has to shed more than 200kw worth of heat.

The intercooler isn't the problem.

[Sitec]

Would 655mm wide x 610 high work out ?

AM

The 610 high bit would work well, and be taller than what I have, but the 655 wide bit would be the issue.. Between the two upright support plates is only 600mm wide... Governed by the chassis rails and tunnel width.. Cheers tho! :)

[Ancient Mariner]

The 610 high bit would work well, and be taller than what I have, but the 655 wide bit would be the issue.. Between the two upright support plates is only 600mm wide... Governed by the chassis rails and tunnel width.. Cheers tho! :)
Bad luck as it could have been used as a crossflow or upright 2" spigots on opposite sides 5 core new built for a project that never got finished:(

Noel

[bmw535guy]

got quoted $750 for custom made aluminium 4 core :)
The guy quoting me will be the guy making it :)