low mounted radiator
Turbo Mini Forums

i am considering mounting the radiator really low, the output from the radiator would endup about 8-10 inches below the water pump and the inlet about an inch or so below the pump
do you guys think that would cause a problem?
i have 2 conflicting thoughts on it

for argument sake imagine the rad between the front subframe teardrop mounts + the base roughly inline with the sump

whats your thoughts?

cheers

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

2 things spring to mind :

Dedicated filling point

Hot spot in the circuit not in the rad hence head staying hot longer after stop.

Edited by Advantage on 22nd Aug, 2010.

Rusty by nature

If you look at mine it's quite low - not as low as you are suggesting - but still well below the thermostat housing.

There is nothing wrong with forcing the hot water out of the thermostat housing down to the top of the radiator, lots of modern cars do it.... The key issue IMO is to have an expansion tank, where the vapour at the top of the thermostat housing has to go, HIGHER than the thermostat housing.

Or more to the point, the water level in the expansion tank should mathematically be above the top of the thermostat housing.

This ensures any vapour (steam bubbles) in the thermostat housing can RISE and be condensed.

So long as the vapour can escape upwards and be condensed, the pumped hot water will flow downwards with no problem.

As I've mentioned in my own build, getting that ideal situation with the expansion tank is not easy.

Others have made it work with a lower expansion tank but IMHO the only way to guarantee it will work is to have the expansion tank water level higher than the thermostat housing.

In all my testing over the last few days I have had no problem even though I haven't yet got a fan on the radiator and I've been up to 110 degrees with the coolant still flowing before I stopped the testing and waited for it to cool down.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

yeah thats a good way at looking at it Rod, i think im going to have a slow read over your build thread as i remember you put alot of thought into it,

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

The rad on my Sabre Sprint is even lower than you are planning. There is a header tank from a Metro mounted on the equivalent of the top of the crossmember on the bulkhead (if that makes sense).

I'm not sure what the rad is, but it has inlet and outlet on the same end and I guess it's a Mk1 Metro one.

The car keeps perfectly cool, even in France at 30+ air temps it stayed in the middle of the gauge.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

The top of the water system will be little different regardless of where the bottom of the rad is. Therefore the pump will see more or less the same head of water so no pumping issues.

An expansion tank can help, but having them in the circuit is better then just a feeder tube.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.