radiator replacement quandary

[Garage10]

Hi elmariachi
When you installed your Taurus fan how did you mount it to rad ? Did you seal it to rad or is there gaps ? I put mine on with 1/2" thick weather stripping around it ot completely seal it to rad and used the DC control fan controller and it doesn't seem to pull all that well. I'm not sure if blades are too far from rad due to stripping or if controller isn't giving fan full amps. Anyway, any info appreciated. Thanks
Brent

[SantaFe66]

I have a similar problem. My radiator is an aluminum Modine Racing model (not sure "racing" is a plus since I don't). The core is 20"W x 16"Tall and 4" thick with 4 rows of 1/2" tubes. I didn't measure the tanks on both sides. I bought the Taurus fan and it's shroud is 22 x 17. Not going to fit unless I trim it a bunch, or just overlap on each side in the tank areas. Another solution would be to have another shroud made by a sheet metal shop that would cover the tanks and core if I can figure a way to mount it.

I have a roll bar that is about a third of the way up from the bottom of the rad. on the inside so I have to work around that.

I have no room in my car for a wider/taller radiator so I'm going to have to get the Taurus to work.

I already upgraded my stock water pump with an E'brock, fitted 1:1 pulleys, and will install a 170 stat and the wiring kit and sensors from the same guy elmariachi used, The Hollister Road Co.

Hopefully, that will solve my problem. I'm throwing a lot of mods to this problem at one shot but with the great info that elmariachi documented with his problem, I think it will work. We'll see.

By the way, you can have your radiator flow tested easily after you get it out, at any good radiator shop. Takes a few minutes and shouldn't cost anything if they're a friendly shop. Not sure I trust horsepower ratings on radiator capacity since there are so many variables. Street-driven Cobra's are way different than race cars and have more challenging cooling issues.

Good luck with your solution.

[undy]

You've got a small radiator too, about the same surface area as mine. ( I've been told before that it's not how big your radiator is, it's how you cool with it....) Your core is actually about an inch wider than mine is so making your fit should not be a problem. My current "Black Max" Flexalite fan shroud is nearly the same size as my new Taurus unit. Just enclose half the right side and half of the left side tanks, as well as the core. Trim the shroud around your radiator inlet and outlet, as I did. I used push-on automotive weather stripping around those trimmed shroud radiator outlets to give them a better seal to minimize the fan sucking air through the gaps. I made some aluminum sheetmetal tabs to secure the shroud to the radiator. Pre-installing everything on the out-of-car radiator and installing everything in the car as an assembly made it much prettier and easier too. I did some decorative aluminum work up top to give it a kind of "OEM" look ... if there is such a thing.

Originally Posted by SantaFe66

I have a similar problem. My radiator is an aluminum Modine Racing model (not sure "racing" is a plus since I don't). The core is 20"W x 16"Tall and 4" thick with 4 rows of 1/2" tubes. I didn't measure the tanks on both sides. I bought the Taurus fan and it's shroud is 22 x 17. Not going to fit unless I trim it a bunch, or just overlap on each side in the tank areas. Another solution would be to have another shroud made by a sheet metal shop that would cover the tanks and core if I can figure a way to mount it.

I have a roll bar that is about a third of the way up from the bottom of the rad. on the inside so I have to work around that.

I have no room in my car for a wider/taller radiator so I'm going to have to get the Taurus to work.

I already upgraded my stock water pump with an E'brock, fitted 1:1 pulleys, and will install a 170 stat and the wiring kit and sensors from the same guy elmariachi used, The Hollister Road Co.

Hopefully, that will solve my problem. I'm throwing a lot of mods to this problem at one shot but with the great info that elmariachi documented with his problem, I think it will work. We'll see.

By the way, you can have your radiator flow tested easily after you get it out, at any good radiator shop. Takes a few minutes and shouldn't cost anything if they're a friendly shop. Not sure I trust horsepower ratings on radiator capacity since there are so many variables. Street-driven Cobra's are way different than race cars and have more challenging cooling issues.

Good luck with your solution.

[undy]

Originally Posted by Garage10

Hi elmariachi
When you installed your Taurus fan how did you mount it to rad ? Did you seal it to rad or is there gaps ? I put mine on with 1/2" thick weather stripping around it ot completely seal it to rad and used the DC control fan controller and it doesn't seem to pull all that well. I'm not sure if blades are too far from rad due to stripping or if controller isn't giving fan full amps. Anyway, any info appreciated. Thanks
Brent

As we talked about before, I don't think you're getting full voltage from that controller. Not knowing the specific wiring, why don't you run a temporary #8 copper wire from the alternator's output to a the fan's motor leads that are downstream from your DC controller. When the engines fully hot and the fan's pumping as much air as it can simply bypass the DC controller and put a full 13.xx/14.xx volts directly to the high speed on the fan motor. If it picks up and moves more air you've discoverd your problem. Have you actually measure operating volts at the fan while it was running at max? Just curious ... You can stick a small push-pin/needle thru the hi speed hot wire and measure your voltage from there.

Dave

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by Garage10

Hi elmariachiWhen you installed your Taurus fan how did you mount it to rad ? Did you seal it to rad or is there gaps ? I put mine on with 1/2" thick weather stripping around it ot completely seal it to rad and used the DC control fan controller and it doesn't seem to pull all that well. I'm not sure if blades are too far from rad due to stripping or if controller isn't giving fan full amps. Anyway, any info appreciated. Thanks
Brent

The Taurus fan is flat against the back of the radiator. Its still temporarily mounted using 4 flat aluminum tabs bolted through the top and bottom radiator crossbraces, which is how Hurricane mounted the original fan. I agree with Dave that your issue is probably that controller. I am using the Hollister Road relay harness, taking 12V+ directly from the starter lug and sufficient amperage is not an issue.



As I have said before, I don't think the solution to my problem was so much cfm airflow as the shroud helping to cool the entire surface of the radiator. Before the Taurus fan I had hot spots in the outer corners on the face of the radiator over 210*F. They are much smaller and only around 200F now. And in the area inside where the shroud perimeter is, my front face temps are 160-185F.