Radiator height???

[Lakota]

I keep hearing things about the radiator has to be a certain with the engine. I do know if the fill cap is lower than manifold then a pipe with a fill neck needs to be installed at the highest point. I keep hearing things about cooling problems because the radiator was lower...anything to it?

 

[Dr. Frankensickle]

yep it needs to be that way to burp the air outta the system

 

[Sniper]

As long as you can get the air out of it, (the entire system) and have proper air flow through the rad, it won't matter where it's installed. As been mentioned a burp can mounted at a higher point than the rest of the system will allow it to work just fine. I have added a small bleeder valve to the high point in the block to purge trapped air as well, saved a lot of grief. I'll look up a picture of a system to show it can be done. Sniper

 

[Sniper]

Here's some pictures of an airplane I had built and flown for a number of years. The rad is placed under the engine on a slight incline with the rear end of it being the high point. I installed a bleeder valve at that end to get the trapped air out. The "front" has both inlet, and out let hoses attached to the end tank. To make it work, I welded a baffle plate in the tank to partition it off. The coolant would enter, go down one side of the rad, across the end tank and back up the other half of the rad and out. Other than that, your looking at a regular ol' Chevette rad core and tanks. This might be a bit more extreme than what your looking to do, but the point being, it can be done and it works fine. Just provide a way to get all the air out, (bleeder valves)and a high point to gather the stray bubbles, (expansion tank) and to be able to add coolant when needed. Sniper

 

[Lakota]

Thanks guys. I'm using a side to side flow radiator, and the fill cap is below the inlet on the engine. I'm going to install a pipe with a fill cap at the engine inlet. That should take care of the "burp" problem.
I read somewhere that low mounted radiators can affect cooling, and I just wondered if there was anything to it, or just BS.

 

[rainman]

Cooling system is a closed pressurized system you can mout it any way you like as long as you evacuate all the air, and pull air through the rad.