3 and 4 row radiator fun

[RLDSL]

I was bored today ( and out of cash to blow on more parts for the moment , and I have the 4 row radiator that I pulled out of my truck that needs surgery, and a 3 row radiator that I got with my *new* '94 turbo engine that just needs a good cleaning, so I decided to measure the capacity of the cooling tubes to see if the 3 row would do the trick and the results were interesting.

The 4 row has 73 rows , 4 tubes each for a total of 292 tubes
Now unless my math has complety gone from my feeble old brain and my calulator has slipped a cog ,
They measure internally 0.35"x0.05"x 24" for a per tube capacity of .42cu in , making for a grand total of 122.64 cu inches of coolant capacity.

Now the three row has 81 rows, 3 tubes each for a total of 243 tubes.
They measure internally 0.5"x0.05"x24" for a per tube capacity of .60 cu in,
Making for a grand total of 145.8 cu inches of coolant capacity.

So... It looks as if the three row radiator has a coolant capacity of 23.16 cu inches greater than the 4 row.

I guess this thing should do just fine with my new turbo engine

----------Robert

 

[typ4]

if it does please let me know, my new 3 row would not even come close to cooling under load, the water flows thru the bigger tubes too fast.
my 300 bucks worth
russ

 

[slongfellowii]

Cooling is more effective with more surface area exposed to air flow.

 

[Diezel_Cowboy]

Cooling is more effective with more surface area exposed to air flow.

DITTO!.........i dont think a slight capacity difference is substatial however with convection cooling the larger the surface area the quicker the heat transfer.

 

[argve]

I ran through many different rads for a total of a little $1000 but I finally found a rad that flat cooled like a son of a bleeep... It used the stock tanks but was a 4 row dimpled core with double the fin count of a stock rad. I could not overheat that rad no matter what I tried. I could pull our TT in the summer with the ac on full blast at highway speeds in the mountains or on the flats and watch the thermostate cycle. The final bill on the rad was like 500 clams but it was well worth it. Yes it was a copper rad not an alum that was the next step if it didn't work.

 

[RLDSL]

Cooling is more effective with more surface area exposed to air flow.

So true, but here again, we have a winner with the 3 row with a total surface area of 6415.2 sq in as opposed to the 4 row at 5606.4 sq in exposed surface area.

As far as fin count, quess what the 3 row comes in the winner again at 18 fins per inch as opposed to the 4 row at 16 fins per inch

Now obviously these figures won't translate to every 3 row radiator out there, but for the one from this particular manufacturer ( which I haven't found a name on it yet, but it's still bolted into a spare core support with a bunch of goodies in the way ) it appears to be the better choice.

--------Robert

 

[Mojave Red]

Hey Travis

Where/how do I get one of those? I going to hold on to my truck for a while and cooling is the last major issue I have to deal with. I'd like to never see the high side of 220 again - regardless of load or ambient temp.

Thanks, Brian

 

[argve]

I got mine from John at ACE RADIATOR here in Fort Wayne...http://aceradiatorinc.com/ again talk to John. I don't remember if he will remember me or not... but if you do a search here in the IDI forums you will find the part number from my reciept. I don't know how else to say is other than it was a (pardon my french) a COOLING SON OF A *****... I had it installed just before Sherri and I took a trip to the Smokies on our anniversary and I was pulling Jellico (I75 south at KY/TENN border) and I told Sherri as I was yanking the TT up the hill that I was going to overheat it and blow it up then call John and pitch a royal fit....


well I called as I topped the hill with my foot plastered to the floor...

I called to tell him that it did it's job and then some... As I said previously it was not cheap but it FIXED my cooling issues - period.

There might be a different way of correcting the cooling issues but for me that is what I found that worked. I never overheated it again after that rad even with my lead right foot and trust me I tried on many many trips with the trailer. I wanted to find the breaking point....

 

[typ4]

On the fins per inch note, the three row I had did not have as many as a stock radiator, tubes were wider and thicker.
I now have a 4 row oem out of a 97 f450 and it still runs warm but we will see under load in a week.
I just dont like engines so close to 220 all the time. Old school thinking I guess

 

[Runboy]

Temp

Just out of curiousity, what degree is the stock thermostat?
Mike

 

[RLDSL]

On the fins per inch note, the three row I had did not have as many as a stock radiator, tubes were wider and thicker.
I now have a 4 row oem out of a 97 f450 and it still runs warm but we will see under load in a week.
I just dont like engines so close to 220 all the time. Old school thinking I guess

Well, you could just switch over to Evans waterless coolant and not worry about it. I've switched all my vehicles to it ( the truck will be getting it now too , it didn't have it in the old engine because it was on it's last legs anyway) and it's already saved one of my engines from damage from an overheat. 375 deg non pressurized boiling point. No boiling= no hot spots= no damage www.evanscooling.com cheap insurance. and no SCA needed with the stuff.

----------Robert

 

[icanfixall]

The stock (and only) thermostat for our motors is a 192 degree stat. Others will fit with lower temps but will not pass enough coolant to keep the motors cool. You will burn down your motor with an after market thermostat. The fin count per inch of tube is the real cooling issue. An aliminum 5 row with 18 fins per inch if available would cool several motors at once. The new Buggauti has 1000 hp and 10 radiators to keep it cool. It also has a top speed of 253 mph and tested at that speed in Germany. It was the only place on the planet that could offer a track with a 5 mile long straightaway....

 

[GenLightening]

I was reading their info and they recommend not using any thermostat. Not sure if their talking bigrigs, race engines or all applications. What all did you do to run it?

 

[RLDSL]

I was reading their info and they recommend not using any thermostat. Not sure if their talking bigrigs, race engines or all applications. What all did you do to run it?

That's only for race cars and for the race coolant the NPG. It's a different animal than the NPG+.
Diesels and regular cars take the NPG+ and all you have to do is flush all the coolant out, run a bit of their prep fluid through to displace water out of the low spots and the heater core, blow everything out with air best as possible, and either put a zero or low pressure cap on, or on engines with sealed radiators and expansion tanks with caps, just drill a hole in the cap . Factory thermostat is kept in place.

--------Robert

 

[ttman4]

Diesels and regular cars take the NPG+ and all you have to do is flush all the coolant out, --------Robert

I hadn't heard of this stuff.
What is it? Wonder what it made out of?
Does it still carry & transfer heat? Like where I use heater hose & coolant to heat my fuel lines, filters, & fuel tank?
Learn something every day.
James