Big, bad, massive heat exchanger

[Dubstep Shep]

With my move to the RR-Spec I have a need for a serious heat exchanger. I'm removing the A/C and moving the bumper a little further out. That should provide me enough real estate to get something gigantic up there.

Obviously there are no bolt on HEs for my application, but I had some questions about a custom one...

Basically I was thinking about grabbing a few OEM radiators and stripping off the plastic sides, then having custom sides welded on to make a two or three core thick HE. It would certainly be a bit cheaper, and the dimensions would be pretty darn close to perfect. Not sure if I should run the cores in series or parallel, but that's going to depend on what pump setup I end up going with.

Thoughts?

 

[Department Of Boost]

I think you are making this too hard on yourself. Call Benji at Griffin and have him make you a custom one. You can pretty much have it any size you want, any fittings you want, duel or single pass, etc. I think I only paid $450ish for my HUGE one.

 

[drive_55_not]

From my observations the 'little' AFCO and C&R HX's do a very good job at removing heat.

Unless you're open tracking your car then their big problem becomes coolant capacity.

A couple months back I was at the track a guy had a Camaro with a Maggie with a trunk mounted dry ice cooler setup. Looked very much like this .. Must've been working for hom cause for a Camaro, that car was crazy fast.

 

[Department Of Boost]

He's open tracking his car.

 

[Dubstep Shep]

I think you are making this too hard on yourself. Call Benji at Griffin and have him make you a custom one. You can pretty much have it any size you want, any fittings you want, duel or single pass, etc. I think I only paid $450ish for my HUGE one.

Shit I didn't know you could get a custom one that cheap...

I got a quote from a local place and it was over a grand for what I wanted... All their stuff is overpriced though.

 

[Mystickeith50]

If I can get a custom one that big for that price I will throw my Afco with fans in the trash lol.

 

[eighty6gt]

Surprise!

 

[Department Of Boost]

If I can get a custom one that big for that price I will throw my Afco with fans in the trash lol.

The problem with HUGE HE's is that you need somewhere to put them. Unless you tear the front of the car up you can't get anything bigger than the Afco in there.

For example, mine. Note how much is modded on the front of the car.

A/C condenser.....GONE! Bumper......GONE! Power Steering cooler......MOVED. And all custom mounting/fencing. That was a shit-ton of work.

 

[Dubstep Shep]

Even yours looks like there's additional room... correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like it's really sitting out much more than the factory HE area...

I was thinking about one that isn't completely flat, but is thicker down where the factory HE goes. That way it would sit flush with the grill up top and be thicker down below

 

[Department Of Boost]

Even yours looks like there's additional room... correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like it's really sitting out much more than the factory HE area...

I was thinking about one that isn't completely flat, but is thicker down where the factory HE goes. That way it would sit flush with the grill up top and be thicker down below

The fan is touching the inside of my bumper cover/grill.

You could in theory have one where the bottom half of the core is thicker. The problem is it will get to the point of being too thick. That sucker is already 4" thick. Then you put a 3" radiator on the back of it. It's already hard to get air thought it. That pusher fan works, but not as good as you would think. You can actually feel the air "bounce" off the face of the HE.

If it weren't for the fencing it wouldn't work at all.

EDIT: I just went and measured. I could stuff another HE that is 13" tall and 3" thick in the front of the car. I wouldn't be able to run a fan though. And I really don't think you are going to move any air through 10" of coolers!

 

[Dubstep Shep]

The fan is touching the inside of my bumper cover/grill.

You could in theory have one where the bottom half of the core is thicker. The problem is it will get to the point of being too thick. That sucker is already 4" thick. Then you put a 3" radiator on the back of it. It's already hard to get air thought it. That pusher fan works, but not as good as you would think. You can actually feel the air "bounce" off the face of the HE.

If it weren't for the fencing it wouldn't work at all.

EDIT: I just went and measured. I could stuff another HE that is 13" tall and 3" thick in the front of the car. I wouldn't be able to run a fan though. And I really don't think you are going to move any air through 10" of coolers!

Yea I figured there was a little more room...

Are you running a fan on the radiator as well What fan is it? Are your upper an lower grill sealed to the HE and the HE is sealed to the radiator?

With all that including two big fans I imagine you could move some air...

The other option is stacking a couple slim fans behind the radiator or even one in between the HE and radiator.

 

[Department Of Boost]

Are you running a fan on the radiator as well What fan is it?

Yes, the OEM one.

Are your upper an lower grill sealed to the HE and the HE is sealed to the radiator?

Yes

With all that including two big fans I imagine you could move some air...

Not as much as you would think.

The other option is stacking a couple slim fans behind the radiator or even one in between the HE and radiator.

There is already one behind the rad.

The HE and radiator are touching. No room.

 

[Dubstep Shep]

What if you were to stack fans behind the radiator?

I know there are some aftermarket options that are slimmer or that move more air than the OEM unit.

What other options are there? Running a setup like yours with a rear mounted HE? I'm not opposed to that, I just wanted to see if I could fit it all up front.

BTW, you need to hurry up and finish all your mad scientist cooling experiments so we'll know what I'm gonna need to run hahaha.

 

[rebus]

Would like to know what effect the extra liquid, and HE weight hanging out in front of the axle would have on handling? At 8.34 lbs per gallon seems like this could add up.

 

[Department Of Boost]

Would like to know what effect the extra liquid, and HE weight hanging out in front of the axle would have on handling? At 8.34 lbs per gallon seems like this could add up.

It won't make nearly the difference that loosing 100hp will when your IAT's are too high.

And there isn't as much water in there as you would think.

 

[Department Of Boost]

What if you were to stack fans behind the radiator?

Then you will start hurting cooling at higher car speeds. In theory you want no fan on the cooler when your moving.

The hot setup on racebikes is to remove the fans completely. They run about 10deg cooler.

What other options are there? Running a setup like yours with a rear mounted HE?

I can't think of anything reasonable.

BTW, you need to hurry up and finish all your mad scientist cooling experiments so we'll know what I'm gonna need to run hahaha.

You can't rush mad science!

 

[Dubstep Shep]

Hmmm...

How about stacking some radiators in the passenger seat? Hahahaha

In all seriousness, let us all know what you can come up with when the time comes. I'm not opposed to custom setups or whatever it takes at this stage

 

[Department Of Boost]

Hmmm...

How about stacking some radiators in the passenger seat? Hahahaha

In all seriousness, let us all know what you can come up with when the time comes. I'm not opposed to custom setups or whatever it takes at this stage

If I thought of something better I would have done it.

How about you come up with something really cool and I copy you?

 

[Dubstep Shep]

If I thought of something better I would have done it.

How about you come up with something really cool and I copy you?

Hahaha toushe.

I'll ask around and see if I can find a thermo-fluids system guy at work. I doubt there are any in my group, but maybe.

That, and when I get the chance to tear mine completely apart something may come to me.

 

[Kenaizer]

*tooshie.



Lol!