I don't know if this has been posted before, but it has a lot of good information for those of you looking to design a cooling system from scratch for your builds, or for those of you having issues.
It might not cover every aspect, but it does a good job of explaining things in a manner that's easy to understand.
In reply to carguy123:
Some good info but too much like an infomercial for Griffin.
What is this "cooling liquid" they keep mentioning?
Can't say as I agree with them about too much flow being bad. Obviously they never dealt with a flathead ford.
kb58 wrote: In reply to carguy123: Some good info but too much like an infomercial for Griffin.
There is very little Griffin info other than talking about using their radiators. The fact that the info comes from Griffin does not make it an infomercial.
It's pretty basic in some areas, but still I found out numerous "whys" and ways I could have done something wrong for all the right reasons.
Good article. Only thing I found wrong, well partly, was in the beginning.
"2) Heat rises - hot fluid will rise in a system and cooler fluid will descend."
Heat does not rise, it radiates equally in all directions. Hot gasses rise, hot fluids rise, but heat radiates equally.
carguy123 wrote: There is very little Griffin info other than talking about using their radiators. The fact that the info comes from Griffin does not make it an infomercial.
I disagree:
Infomercial said: The short story is: Get the biggest aluminum radiator from Griffin Thermal Products that you can possibly fit!
Infomercial said: More details on rad tech to come shortly but again, short story is - buy an aluminum one from Griffin!
Infomercial said: Griffin have some super-trick ways of ensuring turbulent flow in their high performance rads.
Infomercial said: Here are Griffin's "10 Commandments for Maximum Cooling".
Infomercial said: Should cooling problems persist, it may be time for a new performance radiator from Griffin. Call the Griffin Customer Service Department at 1-800-722-3723 for assistance in selecting the correct radiator for your requirements.
Infomercial said: Fortunately, this is something Griffin Thermal Products are very, very good at.
Infomercial said: So I chopped off the whole front of the truck and built a new front end specifically around my Griffin rad.
Infomercial said: In their latest high-performance products Griffin employ a patented ported Micro Extrusion tube construction technique using a 3000 series aluminum alloy for durability and enhanced fluid turbulation.
Infomercial said: The best bet is to choose or spec a radiator using the other criteria for which there are firm guidelines (aluminum, largest area possible, etc.) and then leave the other design elements, such as the number of rows, to a trusted expert such as Griffin.
Infomercial said: Griffin understands this and, unlike some others, will not just sell you the product that sounds best on paper (highest fin density). Rather, they will take the time to understand your application and will either design a custom product for you or sell you an off-the-shelf product best suited to your actual needs.
Infomercial said: The best advice I can offer is: before considering a dual-pass or triple-pass radiator for your vehicle be sure to consult cooling system professionals like those at Griffin Thermal Products.
Infomercial said: The first thing you need to know is that Griffin is a true manufacturer. Almost anyone can buy components and assemble a radiator, and the truth is that a lot of so-called "manufacturers" do just that. Griffin is an integrated manufacturer. They make the tubes, fins, headers, side bands, mounting brackets and tanks. By controlling every step of the manufacturing process, they produce a radiator with components that are performance matched for optimum cooling capability. A Griffin is more than some off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all, cookie cutter product. It is a performance radiator made to meet the customer's specific application. The other thing you need to know is that Griffin manufacture a huge range of radiators to suit many needs and applications - from budget replacement models to custom race radiators like the one I'm about to show you. As such, after reading and digesting this article, the first thing you need to do is call and speak to the appropriate expert about your needs and application. To talk off-road applications and about the KOH rad, call Vice President Tom Beebe and / or Off-Road Sales Tech Benji Durham who are both reachable at 1-800-RACERAD and 1-864-845-5000. Tell them I sent you and they will take care of your questions and needs.
Infomercial said: First, Griffin’s core is always welded to the tank. Griffin does not use any glue in the manufacturing process. Second, at Griffin, epoxy is a secondary process applied to some radiators to increase durability. All Griffin radiators are vacuum brazed with a magnesium based cladding. The purpose of the epoxy is to relieve the shear stress on the tube-to-header braze joint to ensure a long leak free life for radiators used in extreme conditions. The common misconception is that epoxy is used to “glue” radiators together. Some manufacturer's may do this, but Griffin does not.
Infomercial said: As an example of why it pays to deal with the experts at Griffin, and why when they say they build to suit your application it isn't just some marketing drivel, is the fact that I originally asked for larger fans that were rated at even higher CFM.
Infomercial said: HIGHEST quality radiator on the market - which for off-road trucks, buggies, Jeeps, and 4x4's (or any other vehicle) means a high-tech extruded aluminum radiator from Griffin Thermal Products.
While it definitely provides a lot of valuable technical information, it's also strikingly similar to a more in-depth technical version of most typical American car shows...Which are thinly veiled infomercials from supposedly indpendent sources.
FTFY:
The Cooling Bible: Paid For By Griffin Thermal Products
iceracer wrote: Can't say as I agree with them about too much flow being bad. Obviously they never dealt with a flathead ford.
They might be referring to the issue of the water flowing too fast through the radiator. If the water isn't in there long enough to shed the heat, you're going to have a problem. I've been reading up on this on a Mustang forum where racers were talking about removing the thermostat (to prevent a stuck thermostat from ending badly) and to prevent this very issue (of too much flow), you are supposed to "gut" the valve part of the thermostat and installing what's left as sort of a flow restrictor....just something to think about.
Flowing too fast is almost never going to cause a cooling problem. It's an old wives tale. Yes, the temperature differential across the rad will go down with faster flow, but the temp differential across the engine will too. Total heat transfer will be the same or better.
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