radiator needs replacing

[gumtree]

i have wt sierra with 1.6 efi vitara engine and i need to replace the radiator. atm there is the standard 1.3 radiator. what is best, to get the same or get a 1.6 radiator and how hard are the mounts to change to suit?

thanks in advance...

[ofr57]

i run a 1.6 radiator in mine with a 1.3 it in there some bent flat bar (it was in it when i brought the car)

but i believe its a easy swap some angle iron some nuts and bolts and a afternoon to spare ... you will have it done

[crackatinny]

if u can wait till tonite, ill put up pics and instructions!, im doing the vit rad in me suzy today.

its a tight fit tho.

[gumtree]

mate that would be much appreciated. my main concern is that will it fit in the existing brackets as i dont have the tools to make all new mounts but i prob could modify them a little bit. tight fit sounds perfect.

[crackatinny]

well were to start??

what i did-

in the pursuit to keep my engine cooler (due to future mods planned for the engine) i decided on a vitara 1600 radiator. i chose it because it is aluminium which gives about 30% better cooling that copper, and the size.

to fit it in, i knew i had to modify the brackets to mount it from the stock location, but the new radiator mounts in a completly different way.

tools i used-

-mig welder (can use arc if thats all u have)
-cut off saw (anything will do really)
-drill press, need to drill a hole just over 1 inch!
-hand drill
-angle grinder
-die grander
-spanners
-big hammer
-large vice or anvil

materials-

-approx 1M 50 X 3 flat bar
-stock rad mounts
-various small bolts
-2X spacers (about 35mm, to clear steering box)
-paint

basicaly i made 2 big 'L' shaped brackets, with a large hole in the bottom (the lower mount is just a round piece of rubber). and a small hole at the top. on the drivers side i used the top mount, but on the passenger side i had to turn the bracket 90 deg, and use the shroud mount hole to allow it to fit between the chassis rails.
on the drivers side i have 2 35mm (i think) spacers to get past the steering box, and longer bolts.
then it is simply a matter of cutting the stock mounts to get the right shape, bending the passenger side mount and welding them both in place.

not a huge difference in size


driver side mount, with spacers (does touch steering box, will modify further)


passenger side. standard bracket was trimmed to the same shape as other side, then bent to make it easier to weld. *note the lack of room at the chassis rail


both brackets ready for rad, and the sic paint job


rad in!




you may notice there is no overflow bottle, or thermo fan. these will go in later this week, there will be more pics to come.

i have not finnished this as yet, i will be rounding the corners, cutting out the unneccary weight, painting it nicley. so dont think i have no pride in my work!

**if you have no bodylift you will need to trim some bracing under the bonnet, its stuff all, but my bonnet only closes with 1 click (had to drive home with some rope around the bullbar!)

feel free to ask any questions

have fun
Jake

[bodelafela]

dam, this is exactly what i need done to mine,
my lil radiator out of th 1.3 just couldnt keep the 1.6 vit engine cool
when i took the zook out this arvo

[GRPABT1]

Lowrange offer a drop in alloy radiator for the sierra and a shroud to suit for those who CBF doing the extra work

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/samengine.htm

it's about half way down the page.

[droopypete]

If your engine is running hot the radiator may be only part of the problem
I beleive that the standard 1.3 radiator (in good condition) is up to the job.
Keep it standard.
Also I would not recomend the type on the lowrange web site if you do any mud at all.
Peter.

[GRPABT1]

Why is that pete? Whats wrong with it and mud?

[droopypete]

In my experience, rads with dense fins clog up super easy, OK if you are not into mud, but even muddy water will dramatically reuse the efficiency of this style of radiator. the standard rad has lots of space between the fins which help keep the air flow up even when full of mud.
Stick with the standard one, they are not that expensive new and check the rest of your cooling system.
Peter.

[Gutless]

In my experience, rads with dense fins clog up super easy, OK if you are not into mud, but even muddy water will dramatically reuse the efficiency of this style of radiator. the standard rad has lots of space between the fins which help keep the air flow up even when full of mud.
Stick with the standard one, they are not that expensive new and check the rest of your cooling system.
Peter.

How about one of these rear mounted?




Its the dense fin arrangement, but should be farely well protected behind the cab

[Gwagensteve]

Should be fine behind the cab

Aluminium fins also don't like pressure washing at all - the fins get smashed very easily.

Steve.

[droopypete]

Over the last 20 odd years I have wasted a lot of money on radiators/ water pumps (mechanical and electric) and thermo fans, when at the end of the day a stock rad in good nic with a properly fitted cowel and viscous fan works just as good/better than all the wank you can get out of a catalogue,
one of the biggest problems we have modding 4x4's is that all the "go fast" stuff comes from the track or the street , something that is the ducks guts on the track/street may be a total disaster out in the bush, and that can apply to advice from "experts" as well, radiators, carbys and ignition leads are 3 that spring to mind but the list is endless.
Peter.

[gumtree]

spoke to the boys at suzisport about what they usually do and they recomended i stick to the 1.3 stock as its good enough and mine still ok. im sticking to that as i saw one of the turbo'd swifts they had there and it had a stock radiator. they do the job well it both situations they said and they never had any problems. im just going to get it leaned and flushed 1st and it should be fine. alot less work and only $90. if at the end of the day its no good i can always upgrade to a bigger one. thanks for all the advice everyone as im sure there are a few ppl who will find this info usefull.

[crackatinny]

i understand what you are saying about the standard one being good enuff, even the gti has a smaller one than than the sierra. but my biggest issue is that i am aiming for about 180 to 200 hp, so about 4 times what the stock engine (and rad) was designed for. and cooling is where a large piece of that power will come from. (i know that dosant make scence, but i will not be sharing any of my engine building plans/ideas. )

[gumtree]

some of the gtis they did up ran 180hp and they used stock and was fine so thats why im thinking with my 1.6 being 65/70hp at the wheels it will be ok but if i was aiming for the 200hp mark then yes i would definatly mod a vitara radiator in there.

[Hybrid]

I just got red devil to get me a new rad (stock 1.3L) to put in front of my G16a. Looking at the logs from my EFI computer it never gets above 90 degrees around town or on the freeway (4000 rpm = 100km/h). Obviously it would get a bit hotter in the sand/idling over rocks but I'm pretty confident that it will handle it. The only thing I'm worried about is the drop off in flow from the viscous fan during slow speed crawling.

[crackatinny]

i guess the main difference is, a 180hp gti goes f*cking fast so there is lots of air movment.

a 180hp sierra, pushing its way through soft sand, high load / low speed, there is only so much a thermo can do. even 5 deg hotter will only ask for detonation

[PlATiuM]

I'm with Hybrid on this, my sierra with a g16a MPI (haltech powered) never has been pasted 91-92deg with stock 1.3 radiator, that was without the shroud. Installed the shroud and it stays below 87deg now. Just remember with a modified motor to let it have a break, a standard motor will overheat if pushed to.

[suzimad]

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