Staged use of Cooling Water

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

I've done some searching so been able to read up on the cooling tank idea for cars with no grill openings.

I've got an idea that fits my desire to try and run in a few classes with different levels of aero improvements including Altered with it's blocked grill.  Take the stock gas tank and turn it into the water tank, should be good with ~28 gal of water located where it will do the most good for balast.  Take one of the Air to water intercooler radiators and put it in the tank so I can run the pressure in the cooling system not in the tank.  Will have to check to see what they are rated to pressure wise to make sure I don't blow one open.
Now since I'm going to be running an air to water intercooler on my turbo motor, I was thinking of using the intercooler "exhaust" water to run through a GM 4th Gen F-body power steering cooler that fits into a lower radiator hose to cool the trans fluid with an inline thermostat to keep the trans from being overcooled (less pumping losses with thick fluid).
Since I'm planning on racing in production and maybe Blow Gas Coupe/Sedan, I've got to keep the radiator in place.  I was thinking that if it's got to be there, might as well use it.  Route the water from the engine through the radiator before returning to the radiator in the tank and using the transmission cooler lines in radiator for an oil cooler.  I can see potentially putting a bypass valve in the line back to the tank when the nose is open but for when I run it as an Altered, I'd definatelly need the rear mounted cooler working.

I know some of this is covered ground, anyone see any major flaws in the ideas or "been there and it didn't work out" type experiences?  I know I'll have rust proof the inside of the gas tank but I'll have to cut it open to get the radiator into it anyway so that shouldn't be a hard job.

Thanks,

[SPARKY]

I run a radiator in a box or tank that I use the rear water tank for water that I pump through my radiator if my intercooler reaches my hoped for exit temp I will be doing something with it either for the water in the box or I may build a "Boil off Resivor" around the entrance area for the intercooler---it will be seeing 330 + air from  the turbos!  There is some pretty good detail on my Wild Weasel build!

[Rex Schimmer]

Using a radiator in a water reservoir has proven to be a pretty popular system as of late and almost everyone that has done it are happy with the results. You probably need to do a little consideration of the amount of heat that each system needs to dissipate and then stage your water flow to take care of each. Depending on the flow rate of your water pump each system will increase the water temp a certain amount and also depending on the differential temperature between the cooling water and the fluid to be cooled will determine the amount of temperature rise each system will have. Adding ice to the reservoir tank can have a huge affect because of the "energy of transformation" that ice has.

Now a shameless plug" Do I ever have a deal for you!! Look in the " Private parties items for sale" section and I am selling some double pass aluminum radiators about 15 x 15 x 4 inches thick which should do the trick.


Rex

[CTX-SLPR]

I've been thinking about your comments on the amount of heat that each system will dump into the coolant and wether it's well matched or over capacity.  I'm now wondering if it would be a better idea to permenantly rely on the rear mounted tank for engine cooling and use the front mounted radiator either as a heat sink for cooling the trans and oil (thermostatically controlled) with a small circulation pump.  Or use it as part of the intercooler system and use less ice during the open nose runs but still use it to cool the oil and trans.

Rex,

I'll definately check out your radiators and the size of a stock Regal tank to see if they are a compatable system.
Was thinking something like this:
->|\     (inlet from small circulation pump into the baffle box)
   |||    (radiator core)
    \| ->(outlet of baffle box back into main tank)
To keep water moving through the radiator so I doesn't build up a boundary layer.

[CTX-SLPR]

Ok, had a chance to pull of the dimensions of a G-body tank and the "long skinny" radiators will fit in pretty much any configuration except for along the long axis of the car.  The dual pass units will only fit if I lay them down.

This raises the question, think there would be enough natural convection with a horizontal mounted cooler in a ~8in tall tank through a 3in core?  Otherwise I'd have to put some form of flow pump on it and I'd preffer to do that on the "long skinny" unit.

Thoughts?

[SPARKY]

 more power with 160 motor temp than you can with a 200+ motor temp == commit to the 2 pass and the pumps 

[CTX-SLPR]

Rummaging through Craigslist today while rocking a baby and ran across Forklift radiators that are roughly the same size as the "blatant self promotion" units.  Any reason why they wouldn't work?

Now considering they are likely imports and are more expensive than the ones Rex is listing, I doubt I'd go this route unless his supply runs out before I have the funding/timing to purchase one and his won't be available forever.  Forklifts don't seem like the kind of thing that end up in junkyards but they could so I guess used is possible if unlikely.

[Rex Schimmer]

Regarding radiators, if you want an aluminum radiator almost all of the "race car" parts places sell some nice aluminum radiators at pretty reasonable prices, $125 starting, and these are welded and furnace brazed units so you can weld on them which means it is pretty simple to just saw one down to the size you need and weld up the end of the tanks and "Bobs your uncle" you have a nice aluminum radiator that fits your needs. If my last 15x15 unit is sold I could easily make you something fairly custom for not much more.

Rex