Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I'm constantly have troubles with my hilux overheating offroad.
It has a VN series1 engine with a diesel hilux radiator and a 14" thermo.

I'm considering changing to a commodore radiator and twin 10" thermos.

Does the standard radiator have the ability to keep the car cool offroad?
I've noticed that the majority of people don't use the standard commodore radiator, why is this?

Cheers Joel

You may find it won't fit too well. I used to have a commo radiator in my Hilux, but when I fitted the IFS steering box, it didn't fit back in, so I went back to a Hilux radiator. The commo radiator is wider, but not as tall, so it sits on top of the chassis rails.

I don't have any problems keeping the car cool with the Hilux radiator. I used to have a 16" thermo, but that died, so I grafted some AU thermos on that I had sitting under the house. The fan nevers comes on unless I'm stuck in traffic, or offroad.

One thing to keep in mind, commo motors run hot. The standard thermostat doesn't fully open until 102 degrees, and the fan doesn't come on until 107 degrees (I think). They run a 135 kPa radiator cap which lets them run a bit hotter than the Hilux normally would.

If you have a VN1 motor, and a normal type radiator, you need a header tank mounted higher than the engine, to fill it from, with a pressurised screw on cap on it.

yeah s1 vn pos need the header tank that allways splits and leaks. if not some other sort rad thats bigger and can use ther pos header tank

the tanks last about 10 - 15 years, from new. We carry them in stock. I'm sure he won't still have the 4x4 in that guise by then.

Can you use a old style rad with a series motor like out of a v8 torana or 6cylinder holden

duncan wrote:Can you use a old style rad with a series motor like out of a v8 torana or 6cylinder holden

as long as the radiator is higher than the engine, it would work (i doubt the rad is higher than the engine) i guess... but you will have problems with the coolant circuitry, with bypass and steam hoses etc.

CRUSHU wrote:

duncan wrote:Can you use a old style rad with a series motor like out of a v8 torana or 6cylinder holden

as long as the radiator is higher than the engine, it would work (i doubt the rad is higher than the engine) i guess... but you will have problems with the coolant circuitry, with bypass and steam hoses etc.

i will end up using the commodore radiator and the series one top up bottle which i'll mount as high as possible.

Thank you guys for all your input.
Cheers Joel

STUMPY wrote:I'm constantly have troubles with my hilux overheating offroad.
It has a VN series1 engine with a diesel hilux radiator and a 14" thermo.

I'm considering changing to a commodore radiator and twin 10" thermos.

Does the standard radiator have the ability to keep the car cool offroad?
I've noticed that the majority of people don't use the standard commodore radiator, why is this?

Cheers Joel

In all the conversions I do I use the LN106 Hilux diesel radiator
The reason is simple it bolts in without modifing and it holds more water than a commonwhore radiator
If a customer wants to use a series 1 motor we retro fit the series 2 inlet manifold this brings the thermostat to the front for a neater and tidier conversion
I do not use thermo fans because they dont displace sufficent air
1 x 16" thermo fan moves more air tha 2 x 10" fans
The absolute best after market thermo fan can displace about 2500 cfm
I only use a engine driven 11 blade viscouse coupled fan that displaces about 20,000 cfm
You would have to fit 8 16" thermo fans to equal the same air flow
The engine driven fan is also blowing hot air out of the engine bay before it has a chance to cook the engine from the out side
The Commodore has a 92 degree thermostat in it, Boiling point is 100 celcius ,So why in a 4WD that works in extreme conditions WOULD YOU WANT A THERMO FAN

Adrian
www.chevtorque.com.au