Radiator orientation

[Rusty Cage]

I found the rad I have been looking for, sort of.... The dimensions are right, it fits perfectly under my grille/rad shroud but I have to give it a quarter turn to make it fit. The tanks are on the sides normally, I have to turn it so the tanks are on the top and bottom. The rad cap I can work with but will there be any cooling issues with the rad on its side rather than normal? Coolant flow will still be OK?

 

[rainman]

Very good question, I'll be interested in what others say!!
I've thought about doing this myself, and see no reason it wouldn't work, but have no experience in doing it!!
As long as you pick up off the bottom and return to the top, I don't see why it wouldn't work!!

 

[ratrodz]

water doesnt care which way it runs

 

[LOWANDRATY]

radiator

The new radiators today are side flow, the old radiators of yester-year flowed top to bottom, so it will work, like it was said before water don't care how it flows, if you have issues with the radiator cap just leave it on and fill from an alternate location, you always want to fill from the highest point, that way you get all the air out, they make thermostat housings with a fill cap on them, and a dodge durango uses an upper hose with the fill cap made into the hose.

 

[zzrodder]

I did it on a 38 Chev, turned a crossflow rad from an 84 Cutlass on end - it worked perfectly - only issue was that due to the location of the filler cap to fill the tank I had to park it on an angle so it was higher - if you use a recovery tank, this not a problem. Or you could solder on a neck to raise the cap.....

 

[donsrods]

A radiator shop can install a filler neck anywhere you want, or Speedway sells a remote fill that goes in the hose and gives you a place for a cap.

Don

 

[Rusty Cage]

Excellent, thank you! I figured it didnt matter but it does not hurt to ask.

 

[sneakysnake]

Jumping in a little late, I used a 70 torino radiator turned up on end and it works just fine and I also put the inline filler in the upper hose.

 

[NitroJohnny]

With the water flowing vertical it doesnt cool as well as a side flow. Thats why the new radiators all flow horizontal. You may not have any issues at all so give it a shot. Mild small motor may be fine. HP motor would probably over heat. Let us know how it works out.

 

[Sniper]

With the water flowing vertical it doesnt cool as well as a side flow. Thats why the new radiators all flow horizontal. You may not have any issues at all so give it a shot. Mild small motor may be fine. HP motor would probably over heat. Let us know how it works out.

Ok, I've got to ask, please explain the difference of how or why the water would cool better going across a rad than top to bottom vertical. I just don't see it making any difference, what is it I'm missing?[S

 

[HOT40ROD]

Most time if your radiator holds 1 1/4 time the water your engine holds you should be find. Most cases you will find that someone put to high of a thermostat in the engine. If you are running a 180 try a 160 degree thermostat. Not running any thermostat will cause the water to flow to fast from the engine to the radiator and back to the engine.

If you raise the compression or bore the engine to were the cylinder wall are thin you may have to go with a larger radiator because of more heat produced by the engine . Before you change to a larger radiator i would try restricting the flow from the radiator to the engine.

As for which way the water flows I do not see were it would make a deference. Copper cools better then aluminum but aluminum is cheaper.

Another issue that happen a lot is that the engine heat will flow over or around the radiator and get pulled back through the radiator which will cause it to run hotter. fan shrouds and boxing the radiator that no engine heat can get around it will help.

electric fan work great but them should cover most of the radiator and should be a puller fan. Pusher fans do block some of the flow through the radiator.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Ok, I've got to ask, please explain the difference of how or why the water would cool better going across a rad than top to bottom vertical. I just don't see it making any difference, what is it I'm missing?[S

My best friend owned a rad shop for twenty years. From what I can remember, this is how it works.


Water doesn't cool better in one direction or the other. Surface area, tube size, number of tubes and fins per inch cool water.

The advantage a crossflow has over vertical, is the cap location. A crossflow affords the luxury of placing the cap in the low pressure tank (after the coolant passes thru the core), allowing the system to maintain higher pressure and boiling point.

A vertical has no choice but to place the cap in the high pressure tank. So, the relief pops off easier, reducing pressure and boiling point.

Flipping a crossflow to vertical turns the low pressure tank to the top, making it the high pressure tank, and eliminates the cap advantage.

 

[fargodeluxe]

My understanding is that crossflow radiators have an advantage because they have longer tubes so allowing the coolant greater longer contact and more cooling particularly as 'modern' cars got grille areas that were shorter and shorter so reducing the height possible for the tubes in a vertical radiator. I also think that crossflow radiators used different water pumps (greater volume?) because of the loss of the natural thermosyphon effect of hot water rising. I know one car in Australia had a double pass radiator where the inlet and outlet were on the same end and a baffle seperated them. The water flowed across the top half of the tubes into the end tank and then back through the bottom half of the tubes to the outlet. An aftermarket manufacturer here makes triple pass radiators for added cooling.
Cheers Will

 

[NitroJohnny]

What fargodelux said. And we run triple passes in our race cars to keep them cooler.

 

[NitroJohnny]

This goes for stock single pass radiators as well.

 

[Sam_Fear]

RAISING COOLANT SPEED WILL INCREASE COOLING. (until foaming or cavitation is reached)

Very good read: (The math is inconsistent, but correct.)
http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/14_rules_for_improving_engine_cooling_system_capability_in_high-performance_automobiles.htm

Also copper does cool better than aluminum, BUT copper radiators do not transfer heat to the fins as well as aluminum due to the manufacturing process.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Welcome to RRR fargodeluxe.

Good info Mr. Fear.

Now we have covered the difference between crossflow and vertical designs, how about the original question? Can a crossflow be used vertically?

I would expect the core to do its job regardless of orientation. It should remove the same heat from one tank to the other, up, down, or sideways. I think ZZ has proved that. As I suggested, the cap may need to be replaced with one rated for higher pressure.

I'm thinking a crossflow flipped vertically might actually increase the rate of flow. A welcome bonus, if that's true.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Crossflow to vertical? I say yes. BUT the inlet and outlet will need to end up in the right places. In the case of my 85 Cutlass rad, if I turned it, the smaller opening would now be on the bottom. Also, the cap would be at an extreme angle.

Apparently vertical isn't as efficient as horizontal.

 

[Torch]

water doesnt care which way it runs

LMAO [cl

I hopped on the thread to be a joker and say "Radiator orientation...is your radiator gay" [P

And I see this lol "water doesnt care which way it runs"

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

I think it makes for a Bisexual rad, Tmann. Can do it orthodox, or flipped and put it in the wrong hole.

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It's good to know your local radiator guy, SF.

We did all kinds of goofy stuff in my buddy's shop. (I sure wish he was here. That guy had a wealth of knowledge and could cure any cooling issue). Swapped tanks, moved inlets/outlets you name it. Of course it helps to have mountains of used parts kickin' around.

We built a few monsters in his place too. Similar to this,

Now that's a freakin' radiator!


RIP CMM