Rear radiator plumbing. ?s

[zukijames]

Seems like most run exhaust tubing for strait parts and regular radiator hose for other sections( to radiator from strait piece)

been reading about people using clear braided vinyl from hardware store .. Only stuff I find is only rate for 150 degrees F

also read about adding an inline fill at the highest point of the system to help with bleeding out air


Anyone got any personal preferences on how this should be done and what should be used

 

[Jinx]

We used tubing for the main lengths and actual radiator hose for "flexible" sections. You probably won't find a radiator hose long enough for the cross over, (if you need one) so we used tubing as a splice and welded a bead around it so the clamps would hold...

To beat air bubble we use to put the rear of the buggy in the air so it was the highest point then cracked the inlet hose at the thermostat, fill the radiator until it started to weep at the thermostat and your full.

Good luck.

 

[zukijames]

Sweet thanks for the info

 

[ChestonScout]

I used 1.5" exhaust tubing for most of mine. Even put it in the tubing bender and had great results!

Trip to Napa to find radiator hoses the right shape for the rest.


One thing I did was add petcocks mid line to help with draining. I did the same thermostat trick to beat the air out of it. My motor hasnt been over 190 since!

 

[Bart]

Not sure what tube the Ranger has but it works well and has the needed bends in it. It also has the inline fill at the highest point to burp the system, and it is needed if you want to check it on level ground.

 

[AaronPaige]

I used the clear braided line, but it was about 7 bucks a foot and turns to jello when it's warm I'm planing on changing it out for steel

 

[zukijames]

The non braided clear is rated for higher temp its kinda weird

 

[zukijames]

Looks like I will go and buy some steel tube I was hoping to save some weight

 

[reddman]

Aluminum is your best bet if you are running a radiator of the same material, for reasons of corrosion. I typically use 1.25" x .062" wall 6061 aluminum, but any reasonable size is available. You can weld AN bungs to it, or just use short lengths of silicone tubing, bends, and adapters. Mount it securely, as long as it isn't flexing (water is heavy and offroad is rough, so over mount it), it shouldn't ever crack.

It can be bent without a mandrel bender if the CLR is big enough, my JD2 M3 dies all work on similar material.

You can buy it from Aircraft Spruce, or possibly somewhere like Affiliated Metals.

Oh, and design it smart so that the high points can be bled of air bubbles, or you will fight cooling gremlins from hell.

One other random thought: Ron Davis specifically asks in the paperwork that comes with his fancy radiators, to avoid using brass and or copper components anywhere in the system, for galvanic corrosion reasons that I don't want to get into. So I would always make an effort towards that.

 

[UFAB]

AL tubing is your best bet, clamp it with t- bolt clamps for mounting. Use a small bead roller for the ends.

Seen galvanize conduit used before.

Use a vacuum fill regulator tool at radiator cap when filling, does not matter what high spots you have in lines.

Good luck

 

[mgrove1983]

I used 1 1/4" emt electrical conduit for mine. One suggestion is to keep everything as straight as possible. Too many bends will slow down the coolant and cause your water pump to cavitate, and also make more areas for air to remain trapped.

As for the bends, I used flexible hoses you can get from napa. They have them in many different sizes and lengths, and also have an internal spring to keep them from collapsing.

 

[zukijames]

AL tubing is your best bet, clamp it with t- bolt clamps for mounting. Use a small bead roller for the ends.

Seen galvanize conduit used before.

Use a vacuum fill regulator tool at radiator cap when filling, does not matter what high spots you have in lines.

Good luck

I started to pm you awhile ago to mount and plumb it but decided to check my bank account first.... Then decided I will do it my self

 

[reddman]

I would avoid the rubber lines with the spring inside. I'm not 100% sure how it happens, but I've pulled those springs out of radiator tanks before, sometimes they seem to get pushed through the system by the water. Besides, if the rubber line is pinching and needs a spring to keep it's shape in a pressurized system, you have other problems at play.

I like the vacuum fill idea UFAB, it would probably work spectacularly when the tools are available. I've done some cooling system surgery out in the Vegas desert during races where I was glad bleeders were mounted at the high spots in the system. We would have been in trouble without a means of bleeding air in the field.

 

[zukijames]

If the cap is the highest point In the system does that work I bleed it ?

 

[reddman]

Any place at all where a bubble could sit in a line, it's trouble. If you design it as smart as you can to eliminate those kinds of spots, and put a bleeder where you just can't design around it, I think you're sittin' pretty. You've got to be able to do it in the field though, coolant leaks happen on the trail sometimes, and motors don't like running with air pockets in the cooling lines.