Cooling system tweaks.

[bearsrngr]

I have an F150 fead with a slim line flex and about 3/4" clearance.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have an F150 fead with a slim line flex and about 3/4" clearance.

Does it cool pretty good?

 

[Tominator]

Check out summit racing, I was looking into a complete aluminum rad from them, it like around 130 or so. Also, you can try this. Grab another heater core from the jy or cheap one from the parts store, and about 20 feet of heater hose (what I will be doing for when i wheel). On your heater hose lines, run the RETURN line from your factory heater core to the 2nd core, and locate it the back, under your bed(where the spare tire would be located), then run the RETURN line back to the water pump. A fan is not needed on the heater core. The heat it will displace will be sufficient. By the time the hot water gets to the core at the rear of the truck and back to the water pump, the temp will drop significantly, not to mention your capacity will increase by a few gallons, also helping cooling. The reason you want the core return line and not the supply is come winter time your heater won't work as efficiently. Also, you can drill and tap the water neck for a sender. I did this on SVT, its covered in the first post of the build thread.


SVT

It is the placement of the radiator that is the problem. In a couple of weeks I'm putting a SN95 Mustang radiator IN FRONT of the support. A Taurus fan will go where the radiator presently sits. Pic and writeup to follow.

My Ranger has ALWAYS had cooling problems no matter the cooling setup. James Duff radiator and twin fans barely did the job. I did notice that turning on the heater would bring the temps back to normal, so that might be a very credible solution as outlined above.....but that was before I supercharged the motor and then lost all my space.

So now I have a whimpy puller on the left and an even whimpier pusher on the right. So I bought a NASCAR oil cooler and did the a modified version of the heater core mod mentioned above. It holds 2 quarts of coolant...using Evans Waterless Coolant BTW. Put in a heater valve setup from a limo that is set to open with the fan controller. This is mounted below the radiator.

I can make one hard run and then it hits 240...so no 'spirited' driving.

Be selling the James Duff radiator in a couple weeks

Remember that a flex fan runs all the time so the motor could run too cool under certain circumstances and be it flex or clutch fan should be in a shroud and the fan should be at least 1" from the radiator.

 

[bearsrngr]

Does it cool pretty good?

Honestly I havn't put a lot of hard miles on it yet, still working in on the body and getting ready for paint. The driving I have done so far I havn't had anny over heating. It did get a little warm when I first got it running durring break in and untill I set the timing. That was on a 95 plus day last summer idling in the shop but was only about 220. I guess time will tell if I need to add a pusher or not. I hope not cause I would like to hook up and run the A/C.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It is the placement of the radiator that is the problem. In a couple of weeks I'm putting a SN95 Mustang radiator IN FRONT of the support. A Taurus fan will go where the radiator presently sits. Pic and writeup to follow.

My Ranger has ALWAYS had cooling problems no matter the cooling setup. James Duff radiator and twin fans barely did the job. I did notice that turning on the heater would bring the temps back to normal, so that might be a very credible solution as outlined above.....but that was before I supercharged the motor and then lost all my space.

So now I have a whimpy puller on the left and an even whimpier pusher on the right. So I bought a NASCAR oil cooler and did the a modified version of the heater core mod mentioned above. It holds 2 quarts of coolant...using Evans Waterless Coolant BTW. Put in a heater valve setup from a limo that is set to open with the fan controller. This is mounted below the radiator.

I can make one hard run and then it hits 240...so no 'spirited' driving.

Be selling the James Duff radiator in a couple weeks

Remember that a flex fan runs all the time so the motor could run too cool under certain circumstances and be it flex or clutch fan should be in a shroud and the fan should be at least 1" from the radiator.

When it was really hot last summer (90+) the electric fan ran most of the time and it was about 210-220 degrees (the fan kicks on at 190) It never really got HOT running around town but it was warm enough to make me nervous. And that was with a 160 degree thermostat, running around in the winter I never heard a peep out of the fan and I had a rather pathetic heater and it ran 160 on the nose.

So if it would let me run a warmer thermostat it wouldn't exactly break my heart.

Honestly I havn't put a lot of hard miles on it yet, still working in on the body and getting ready for paint.

Well that is a big help.

I have the low profile one and the adaptor coming, then I can figure out what I need for a spacer if I need one at all.

 

[bearsrngr]

When it was really hot last summer (90+) the electric fan ran most of the time and it was about 210-220 degrees (the fan kicks on at 190) It never really got HOT running around town but it was warm enough to make me nervous. And that was with a 160 degree thermostat, running around in the winter I never heard a peep out of the fan and I had a rather pathetic heater and it ran 160 on the nose.

So if it would let me run a warmer thermostat it wouldn't exactly break my heart.



Well that is a big help.

I have the low profile one and the adaptor coming, then I can figure out what I need for a spacer if I need one at all.

Sorry man, the longest trip so far has been the 10 miles between my place and my buddys shop. Wish I had this thing done.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sorry man, the longest trip so far has been the 10 miles between my place and my buddys shop. Wish I had this thing done.

I was messing with you.

I got the adaptor (Flex-a-lite 851 IIRC) right before lunch, ran home and tried it over the noon hour and I have an inch and a half between the mounting flange and the radiator. The spacing off the belt looked good but I am still waiting on the fan to make sure.

I am going nuts with my truck down for over a month now, I can't wait to get it going again.

 

[Tominator]

When it was really hot last summer (90+) the electric fan ran most of the time and it was about 210-220 degrees (the fan kicks on at 190) It never really got HOT running around town but it was warm enough to make me nervous. And that was with a 160 degree thermostat, running around in the winter I never heard a peep out of the fan and I had a rather pathetic heater and it ran 160 on the nose.

So if it would let me run a warmer thermostat it wouldn't exactly break my heart.

Running hot is one of the reasons I sprung for Evans Waterless Coolant. I run a Evans zero pressure cap and the boiling point is around 280 degrees. It is basically a lifetime coolant that does not degrade and will not corrode the cooling system which is the case with typical OEM antifreeze coolant mixtures.

Remember that the thermostat has very little to do with how hot the motor runs. In your case it is all the way open well before you get to the 195 mark let alone 210 or so.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Remember that the thermostat has very little to do with how hot the motor runs. In your case it is all the way open well before you get to the 195 mark let alone 210 or so.

My thought at the time was the 190 stat was opening too late and the temp was climbing fast enough that it would overwhelm the smallerish radiator I am using and just keet going after it opened. It was a sad theory because after I changed stats to a 160 it did pretty much the same thing.

We will see how it goes, we had an unusually nice winter so I got to drive the truck a fair amount. Normally it would have been parked so its heating abilities would have been a non-issue.