Installing Radiator IN FRONT of the Support!

[Tominator]

Barely fit, but everything is going to fit!

I've had the front end on and off several times and my arms and hands are all scratched from getting to bolts in impossible places.

After getting the fan permanently attached to the home made shroud there were some gaps to fill...

...upper and lower...epoxied in place.

Radiator hoses were next..upper...

Final product..

And lower..

Decided to eliminate that NASCAR oil cooler turned into secondary radiator and going to convert it back into an oil cooler....
Double checked all my vacuum hoses and now to get all the lighting on the front back together.

I'll be back...

 

[--weezl--]

i think overall, you're going to get way better cooling with the oil cooler acting as an oil cooler

 

[Teddyzee]

Remember, "barely fits" is way better than "doesn't fit"!!!

 

[Tominator]

i think overall, you're going to get way better cooling with the oil cooler acting as an oil cooler

You are probably right and I appreciate the input more than you might imagine.

Remember, "barely fits" is way better than "doesn't fit"!!!

Don't think I did not sweat all this out...in more ways than one! I'm not a mechanic. Just a guy with a garage and handtools.

My truck is 15 years old this week and only has 12,000 miles on it. Been apart more often than on the road by a long way.

 

[--weezl--]

happy to help, you've got a wicked truck!

 

[Tominator]

Definition of a cxxt hair!

Got all the lights back in and working.

Wiring the fan today.....

 

[shane96ranger]

Definition of a cxxt hair!

Wow, you aren't just a kiddin'! That looks like one RCH away from touching.

 

[RockLobster01]

Tominator, that is some awesome work. When I put my small block chevy in, I kept the GM radiator and mounted it to the outside of the support as well. Thought I'd share a photo.

 

[shane96ranger]

Tominator!

How is this set up working for you? After reading this, I may go pilfer a Volvo relay in the morning. I found a really decent write up over on a **cough cough** chevy page. But it's a good one:

http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200028

 

[Tominator]

That's where I found the info.....

Things came to a halt soon after Thanksgiving...pulled a couple of leg muscles and being on blood thinner just makes any injury much worse. Then I decided to upgrade the HVAC system in my house. Didn't do it myself, but getting bids and doing research took a lot of time. I ended up installing a heat pump water heater myself and now am replumbing a basement bathroom, installing a complete video surveillance system and now with Spring here even with my adult son here there is lot's to do as far as yard work and normal maintenance any house needs.....

The good news is that Monday the doc said I can stop the rat poison! My leg is healed up and I've been in a much better mood.

Got LED lights for my sub box and going to try and get some things done shortly to my neglected Ranger.

If I can get the fuel system flushed out as the gas is a couple years old I could at least get it started.

To me all that sounds like lame excuses but everything takes time. Thanks for asking!



Great build RockLobster01!

 

[shane96ranger]

Tom, what was/is your plan for the BMW sensor? Where are you going to locate it? I am thinking of putting it in the t-stat housing.

Having difficulty finding a 3/8 to 14 X 1.5 adapter though.

 

[RangerSVT]

Shane, you should be able to find those taps at a parts store and then drill/tap it for your adapter, or I can fab one for you...

SVT

 

[bobbywalter]

well, i wasnt around much last year so i can see how i missed this.


but the first thing you needed to do was get rid of the flowmasters.


the tuners i have worked with(sbf related) when working with less then upgrade fox cooling always suggest open mufflers when pushing air through the engine. so i am surprised your guy didnt consider it.

my experience past 370-400 hp has been huge heat "creep" with non open mufflers with these engines naturally aspirated...pushing air it just gets worse. its one of the reasons i like the dynomax weldeds and even the aeroturbine type setups are close enough to open.

i personally would use a slightly bigger radiator with 500 plus hp when running ac as well with frame and core support mods. worth the effort imo.


this thing is going to be a riot with all of that whine and tire smoke.


you cant go back an inch or so with the engine???

i learned allot about cooling these things over the years, and even removed the cooling system from the engine bay and had it out front testing theories with heat creep related to load and a given bsfc and exhaust restriction.

this system is external out in the wind with no way of heat soak to be blamed from tight quarters.

keeping it out against the grill makes changing water pumps a breeze. i went thru 1-2 a year at least. shifting at 5 g all the time is hard on them.

there are as many ways as you can imagine to cool it. if you cant cool a street truck with shelf parts, something is wrong with the tune or the induction/exhaust flow.

 

[RANGERROD]

Here's some pics of mine in front of core support I'm really liking the latch on this. I'm running Volvo relay setup as posted above it works awesome.

 

[Tominator]

Tom, what was/is your plan for the BMW sensor? Where are you going to locate it? I am thinking of putting it in the t-stat housing.

Having difficulty finding a 3/8 to 14 X 1.5 adapter though.

The thermostat housing I had, Mustang, had an untapped bung on the top of it. Spark plugs have the same thread and pitch so I tapped it with a spark plug thread chaser and plenty of WD40. Worked like a charm! BTW, there is no need to actually submerge the sensor in liquid according to many sources I researched so I just screwed in the sensor until it bottomed on the plug. Tested it out by grounding the sensor wires. Works perfectly!

Bobby, remember I have a NASCAR oil cooler under the radiator that holds 2 quarts plus what the 5/8" lines hold. I talked to Griffin and was told by their tech department that my setup should easily cool 600HP.

The firewall is already pushed in an inch to accommodate the valve covers. Had to keep it low for the Tremec.



This is a STREET TRUCK....not allout drag or offroad...Tri-Ys into 3"...Flow Master 40's to 2.5" tails. The 40's are mounted where the spare would normally be way back under the bed and the sound is much better than any Mustang with the same basic setup. I'm convinced that is from the rear mounted mufflers. All tucked up between the frame rails and not visible from the side. Complete Dynomatted and that includes the roof...and with the windows up and stereo off there is no excessive noise associated with open or near open exhaust. An important consideration for my goal.

I was REALLY tempted from the start to strip her down to the bare necessities but that would have been too easy especially after Summit agreed to either supply or discount much of the original build in exchange for the promotional aspect. It took me 6 years to get it out of Ohio because it would not pass emissions! It sat for 4 years in a warehouse in Cleveland and I could not transfer it to my home state of Illinois....long story.

It only has about 12,000 miles on it and has spent much of the last 10 years getting one modification or another with only a couple summers of driving in between. Life keeps getting in the way...

I have 3 goals in the next 3 years.....150MPH, Texas Mile, and get kicked out of an NHRA event for going too fast in the 1/4 without a cage.....and I've already started plans and measured for the cage...

After that a 4 link on a total air suspension..and a repaint...same scheme though.....by that time retirement Lord willing...and be driving it in many events I've only dreamed of.....we both will be antiques by then.

Somewhere in there it will get the 347 and T Trim that is right beside it now on a stand.....then we will be pushing 600HP...I have the SS lines. A1000 pump,etc in my box of parts....be a shame not to use it all....