L Radiators again .

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:46 pm

Having read about timmos Vectra cored L Series radiator I saw Kyle at Southern Suburbs Radiators to see if it was possible to make another like timmos .
For various reasons they don't reckon its not a cost effective way to go and suggested a few other options .
Kyle reckons the way to get greater cooling capacity may be to make up a twin row brass core and fit the wider filler neck side std tank back onto that .
The drivers side tank would need to be a made up brass one because the std composite one is too narrow for a thicker twin row core .
Kyles dad , founder of SSRs , is old school and likes making up the odd one off copper/brass radiator .
Anyhow I'm taking the old original radiator over to them tomorrow so they can get the measurements and work out whats possible .

I do realise that multi row radiator cores are not the best way to go but a twin row one has to have more water flow area and more surface area than a single 16mm deep row of tubes and gills .

More as it unfolds , cheers Adrian .

sublime · Post by **sublime** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:16 pm

discopotato03 wrote:I do realise that multi row radiator cores are not the best way to go but a twin row one has to have more water flow area and more surface area than a single 16mm deep row of tubes and gills.

The RX radiator should be twin core (and hence 32mm deep) from factory.

Lee

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:30 pm

Seppe RX radiators are 32mm

Im pretty you can still get them (if you wanna get it shipped over here)

spike · Post by **spike** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:56 pm

im liking this vectra idea though.................
ill find one at the wreckers

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:39 pm

I went and got a custom job done. They didn't do a twin core, either single or triple. So triple it was. Goes well but wish I got a twin core only for the small bit of extra space up front between the donk and the rad so i could easily (or it be easier to) fit some thermos in there...

Brass/copper IS the way to go. I've also got an all brass/copper heater core, no more blowing out end tanks for me

Cheers

Bennie

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:56 pm

I went back to Southern Suburbs Radiators today to drop off the radiator I replaced not long after I bought this car . The narrow (drs side) tank had been removed and the top and bottom steel straps unbolted .

Their next step is to find a twin row core of the correct length and then make up a wide drivers side brass tank . If I can talk them into it I'd rather have both tanks brass and eliminate the plastic composite garbage completely .
With metallic tanks they can solder rather than bolt the straps on and have some flexibility where they place them .
From glancing at my car if these straps are central there should not be any conflict of the core and the fan shrouds . If the core thickness doubles from 16 to 32mm then it should only be 8mm fore and aft than it is now .
I may have to do some minor persuading of the radiator support panel down low on the drivers side depending on how they align the straps .

Again in time , A .

PS will take pics of any parts of the process that I can including the finished product .
Like most one off creations for unconventional cars this won't be a dirt cheap exercise but shouldn't cost anything like a custom aluminium one .
Will get back on price in case anyone else wants one too .

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:11 pm

A bit more news in the L Series twin core radiator saga .

I got an update from Southern suburbs Radiators this afternoon and the story is that there IS a twin tube core listed for L Series Subaru's and they can get them too .
What this means is that your outlet or passengers side tank goes straight onto this core and all your missing is a wide drivers side tank .
Being a copper/brass core means that a brass tank can be soldered to the hot side and away you go .

A feller from USMB kindly sent me pics of a single and a twin core L Series radiator though both are copper/brass ones .
The top and bottom straps are different as is the positioning of the lower mounting pins namely the (RHD) drivers side , the side that normally has the skinny tank on the single row core . No doubt this is to space that end of the radiator slightly back from the radiator support panel .
The wider tank on the twin row core has more volume and is a bit longer end wise probably to better feed double the number of tubes .

In time , cheers A .

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:23 pm

Great to hear Adrian.. I had a good look at mine today and couldn't see really what you wanted a picture of so glad to hear one of the guys from USMB could help you out. I'm in the process of getting some Alloy rads made for the L.Series but with larger outlets and tanks, hope to have them soon.

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 11:05 pm

I was curious to know if the tanks are plastic or brass , the few pics I've seen show the twin core ones as being brass meaning solder fixing rather than the folded tabs used on the plastic tank setup .
Actually it would be easy to spot because copper/brass crossflow radiators have the top and bottom straps soldered on , plastic tank ones usually have them bolted on either end .

Cheers A .

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:32 am

Oh.. sorry now I understand. Mine have plastic tanks but the one my rad shop made for me is metal tanks. The metal tanks are about a third larger than the plastic ones.

RX Coupe · Post by **RX Coupe** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:03 pm

I have a twin core, brass tank L series radiator good condition for sale if anyone wants it. It cost me $450 and was in the car for about a year. I took it out of my wagon when I sold it to put in the RX but that is also gone. Looking for around $300 and PM if you are interested.

Cheers,
Justin

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 4:40 pm

PM sent asking if this is OE or made up one off .

Cheers A .

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:59 pm

Thank you RX Coupe for selling me your radiator , its basically what we were going to make and cheaper than I was quoted .
For those not in the know Steve from Subareck in Adelaide had some twin core L radiators made up based on the wide pass side plastic tank and a brass MY radiators drivers side or inlet tank .
The 32mm thick twin row L core can still be made up but no one can get the wide plastic inlet tank it needs , the go is to solder it onto an already wide MY brass tank and solder the top and bottom straps to the brass tank end .
The deluxe option would be to try to use both MY brass tanks though my radiator mob says the plastic outlet tanks virtually never die like the inlet side ones do because they don't generally get as hot (heating/cooling cycles) because the water has been through the cores tubes .

Anyway I straightened out a few bent over gills and Coxy gave it a coat of flat black to insulate any bare brass or copper from atmospheric moisture which eventually causes corrosion .

Very tired ATM due to 1-2 am starts so will fit it probably tomorrow .
To be on the safe side I'll remove the fan and its hub because everyone reckons the thicker core is easier to damage because it sits closer to the fan . Also I'm told the elec booster fan needs to have spacers/washers fitted to sit it back behind the thicker core .

Fingers crossed Ellie should keep her cool more easily with this radiator .

Cheers A .

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:22 pm

The above mentioned radiator went in this afternoon and was fairly straightforward . The fan shrouds needed a bit of spacing and a small amount of reshaping next to the inlet tanks fan switch .
Also you have to drop in the fan/viscous hub and its shroud together because the thicker core wont let the shroud in/out with the fan in situ .

The only fopar was breaking the Davies Craig bulb off its capillary tube so no adjustable elec fan ATM .

The result is very good with the mechanical fan itself easily cooling as well actually better with this twin core rad than both fans and the single core one . Should be a ball tearer with the elec fan working again .
Subaru should have been shot for not using a twin core radiator on all MPFI Ls and particularly the turbocharged ones - manual as well as auto .

Thanks for making it easy for me Justin , cheers Adrian .

RX Coupe · Post by **RX Coupe** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:16 pm

No worries Adrian I hope it goes well. When did the radiator arrive?

Cheers,
Justin

spike · Post by **spike** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:50 pm

you painted the radiator matt black???

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:47 pm

RX it turned up Friday at Explosive Racing - just after I left for work .

I didn't paint it Coxy did , some special Wurth stuff out of a pressure pack can . It seals the copper and brass and helps prevent corrosion .
Ever seen a nude copper/brass radiator .

Anyway it run much more steady temps and the non working elec fan isn't missed .

Great upgrade , cheers A .

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:18 pm

Best cooling upgrade i ever did was to replace the aftermarket electric fan with the stock mechanical one. I didnt care that it sapps a little bit of power

The mechanical one moves about 3 times as much air as an electric one can.

RX Coupe · Post by **RX Coupe** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:56 pm

As I said it worked wonders in my L series wagon thats why I took it out to put in the RX when I upgraded to an Outback. Sadly the RX is also gone, replaced by a Brumby.

Cheers,
Justin

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:11 am

My engine runs cool enough that if you open the bonnet and put your hand on the steel return pipe to the water pump it doesn't burn any more .
I actually tried the heater on the way home from work and the air was warm instead of hot . Who cares the engine runs cooler !

I'm thinking of removing the elec fan for the winter , fingers crossed I can get at the oil filter more easily because its a pain to R/R with the TWE style header in place .

A .