Thread: 300Tdi Radiator baffle, block or not

Originally Posted by TonyC

So my radiator is "in the shop" in bits, the new core is on back order due Tuesday, and my intercooler is leaking again, and your working on a fix.

The mad smilies are of course in jest.

When do you think you might have this Radiator Intercooler ready to go?
Do you have a prototype you'd like me to fit and test

Do you have an opinion re the hole in the baffle plate.

Thanks

Tony

Tony,

I have experienced no issues with 300Tdi rads UNLESS they are blocked, even 20% will make them overheat that is why I wanted to fit a full size 3 row and move the IC to the front. SO, the baffle plate hole IMHO isn't really an issue, just keep the rad core tubes clean and free of obstruction and they'll work OK.

I am still waiting for prices etc SO a long way off I'm afraid

It won't be cheap though, so I don't anticipate selling too many. Mostly to serious travellers towing vans, boats or campers.

I'll obviously be keeping all here informed of progress

JC

The reason for the hole is just like I said,to bypass the first pass.The reason for that is if the rad gets blocked and they all do over time the flow is slowed or stopped altogether and you get the same situation as a closed thermostat in that the engine is boiling but the temp gauge reads good.The hole is there so that regardless on the rad condition coolant is allowed to flow through the cooling system and past the temp sender with enough flow to operate the guage. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

The reason for the hole is just like I said,to bypass the first pass.The reason for that is if the rad gets blocked and they all do over time the flow is slowed or stopped altogether and you get the same situation as a closed thermostat in that the engine is boiling but the temp gauge reads good.The hole is there so that regardless on the rad condition coolant is allowed to flow through the cooling system and past the temp sender with enough flow to operate the guage. Pat

...And like you said Pat, 300Tdi systems need to be in tip top condition.

JC

Originally Posted by justinc

...And like you said Pat, 300Tdi systems need to be in tip top condition.

JC

I'm glad some one listens. Pat

Just to answer TonyC
the reason I went 4 pass was the rad was in the shop to get its yearly clean (as per PAT303!!!)
Was speaking with radman about getting hot issues when heavily loaded (3/4 in tray towing a tonne) up hills... so was just some experimentation while the tanks were off. Yea you are right will be 3 baffles in there to get 4 pass. The oil cooler was moved as there is no tank for it now. The 4 pass hasnt been the silver bullet I was hoping, but it was a first step before going to a full size radiator.

And PAT im certain you are onto something with regards to the air speed. I can drive at 80-90 or low range slow speed, stupidly loaded with the temp reading 85-95 degrees... but then when I push it up to the 100 mark even a moderate hill will see the water temp climb up to 105...

Steve

G'day Tony

Hobbo from Lynda's Landrovers told me the same as roverrescue said, the hole is there for cold climates where the radiator can freeze - the hole provides some water flow while the radiator is thawing out (I'm not sure how the radiator could freeze without breaking something, maybe the coolant takes care of that... ).

Our 300Tdi radiator was cleaned & the hole blocked around 10K ago & so far so good, including a hot summer with the a/c running pretty much non stop.

I'm told that it's worth getting the radiator cleaned & inspected (that is, partly dismantled & properly looked at) every 80K.

Hope that helps

That makes no sense hoarder. Pat

Pat, I've never pulled one apart but the way it was explained to me was like this:
the hot coolant from the motor enters at the top & flows across to the opposite side of the radiator, where it can get past the baffle & come back through the bottom half of the radiator to return to the motor. The hole in the baffle allows some flow in the event that the core is frozen - water flowing through the hole bypasses most of the radiator. This is to give the motor some coolant flow (& provide some hot coolant to thaw the frozen parts of the radiator) just after start up.

Before the hole in ours was sealed, the heater used to blow warm air pretty much straight away on a cold morning. Now it takes almost 10 minutes to warm up enough to blow warm air. It seems to drive much the same though.