Gwagensteve wrote:I don't want to sound negative, and Adsport, if it does the job for you all the better, but I'm not sure this is the best radiator for the job.
Yes, it's vastly thick, and it is cross flow, but there's no way the way that radiator is mounted is ideal. It's going to see masses of vibration in that application the mounts weren't intended for.
The radiator doesn't have much more surface area, but the added depth is going to make it a nightmare to clean mud out of.
Additionally, the thermo is only pulling through a small amount of the radiator. You'll note that in OEM applications, the fans are nearly always shrouded to pull air though the whole core, not just in front of the blades.
Like I said, if it works for you Adsport, that's great, but IMHO, I wouldn't be racing out to find one. The ftment looks too compromised for me.
PS as an aside, I've just rear mounted a camry radiator and thermos, along with Bosch EWP's behind my cab and it's working very well. Pick-A-Part here in Vic charge about $80 for a radiator with warranty, and about $30 each for Thermo fans.
Even a vitara radiator isn't that hard to fit in a sierra.
Steve.
cheers for the constructive addition gwagensteve . i just figured i that i may awsell share the work ive done and support it with as many facts as i can provide, and i do see your points they are very valid. i have seen your posts before and i must admit i am a fan of your logic. the internet often makes people assume that everyone who replies in a straightforward way is a self absorbed egotistical wanker who thinks he knows everything . i realise this because i get it myself so i try my best to analyze people's comments before thinking they are just smashing their keyboard .
the standard radiator is not rubber mounted? do you think that the way its mounted from factory may absorb some or more or enough vibration so that its not damaged?
the thermo fan is 10" and flows 430cfm, on the advice of the radiator shop owner and the lack of room i have to work with i wasnt able to use the shroud that i actually did make for it. the fan would cover at least 70% of the core. i have no doubt that with a sierra setup an engine drive fan would clear the space and you could fit a shroud. the absolute front of my motor is only 70mm away from the rad core, so i dont have a lot of room to work with. the motor is set there to avoid severely modifying my drivetrain to get the 4A in.
Gwagensteve wrote:Here I go again behaving like a hater, but we've had one member with a non suzuki motor in a car drive for 5 minutes in the sand in 4L, the car gained 20deg of coolant temperature, and there's a few people all excited about trying one?
Like I said, this is no reflection on Adsport at all, but I don't think that's stellar cooling performance. With adsports setup, it's impossible to tell how that would translate as an upgrade into a sierra motor ( or any other motor) in a sierra with a mechanical fan, so we're really not talking science here- There's no way Adsports findings either support or condemn using this radiator in a sierra as a useful upgrade.
And as both Love_Mud and my information has indicated, for a radiator that's a bit of a hacky fit, it's not a cheap upgrade.
Again, plase take this the right way, esp Adsport, but I think more information would be required before I was convinced this was a great swap.
Steve.
well it usually runs at 80-85deg, most thermostat's are 81-84deg opening so in reality its only a 10deg jump on anything else. i was absolutely flat piss belting the shit out of it though i must say.... i have no mercy for the 4AC AT ALL somewhat because i have 3 spares, and i have a mostly assembled 7AG that i will be putting in. this motor also had cooling issues from the get go so that could also be a contributing factor in the performance as it stands.
the engine also is set to run very lean, and has had a lot of heat problems in the past due to this. im not using the correct (larger) secondary jet because of overfuelling when crawling on rocks.
a friends patrol (safari) often peaks at 110-120 when doing less work on the same beach, and i have had to stop for him to let his cooling system recover. remember that the boiling point of coolant is significantly higher than straight water aswell, and it is under pressure so this lifts it more thus the car is far from boiling over or cooking itself.
it may look or seem a bit hacky but all of my pictures are usually taken mid job and dont really reflect the end product in all its dimensions. i have had a few people comment on how neat it has turned out.
I could have really just posted the dimensions and mounting procedure in its basic form but i thought i would give a bit extra and throw out all the information i could provide. that said, if anybody wants any further particulars then ask away.
Hybrid wrote:I know where your coming from Steve but unless someone with an engine driven fan and a suitable shroud tries it nobody will ever know (the thermo and lack of shroud being the main thing that could be causing the 20 degree change in my opinion).
yeah this is true, but as noted up previously although i do have a low opening thermostat it doesnt necessarily dictate my running temp. if left on , the fan will often pull the temp down to 60 on its own under road driving. and before anyone asks why its manual , its so i can turn it off when doing water crossings so my fan doesnt smash itself to bits like my stock suzi one did lol.
'89 WT Sierra.......... 4AC + lawnmower radiator !
