Front mounted rads - gimmick or must have?
Turbo Mini Forums

I've seen a lot of peeps using front mounted rads and often compromising intercooling as a result.

I've also seen that a few of the 200hp+ guys are still running the side mounted rads.

Now I think that they are a waste of time and effort. I think that people are fitting them because they can rather then because they need them.

I would rather use the cool air for intercooling and send the hot air out the wheel arch through the side rad.

I'm talking road cars rather than semi racers.

So what do you think, Must have or Gimmick?

Must have	15 Votes - 0%
Gimmick	5 Votes - 0%

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

its both

your car will never get too hot with a front mounted rad BUT the room at the front could be used for the intercooler.

if its a race car, you never sit in traffic so dont need a front mounted rad.

Damn good question...TBH fitting a front rad in mine almost doubled the water capacity, and gave alot more room to run intercooler hoses down the side of the engine.

Im going sandwhich route with the intercooler up front, rad behind and see how that goes (if there's room)!!

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1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

I have a problem with overheating when stationary or moving slowly.

I'm going to try an elecrtic fan so at least the fan can be at full speed on idle.

Keep the front as clear as possible for now

in my opinion it depends what you want to use the car for

optimum power then put the inter cooler at the front

but for keeping the car cool, particularly on long journeys then your not going to beat a front mounted rad. Mine struggles on a motorway if your giving it beans all the way, but i know similar cars that could do it for ages with a front mounted rad

(you could always run the front mount and try ducting the intercooler)

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1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

I think a lot of people fit them as it's the easiest way of getting an efficient radiator cheaply.

An ali side mounted rad is big money, a modern small front mount is a couple of quid from the breakers or less than £100 brand spaning new.

My 1380 runs a super 2 core side mount and never has a problem (lecy fan there too). My old turbo ran front mounted Polo rad with IC along side and never over heated either but I would have been concerned with the side mount when you get that .... fast motorway to total stand still .... thing happening.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

thats what the fans for though roger??

My build thread..

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Hi,
More water volume the longer/more heat it takes to change the temperature.
If you can find the space I'd always go for front mounted...
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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My Mini build diary

I tried every side mounted option going(apart from ali) on mine and none of them would stop the temp hitting 115-120 when stopping after a long blast down the motorway, even with an extra electric fan on the inner wing. I suspect a simple lack of radiator area was the culprit, it just couldn't shift the heat fast enough. I got concerned for my nearside wing paintwork a few times too when it got too hot to touch!! Went front mounted and it's never got over 95 under the same conditions.
Personally on a road car I'd go front mounted and sacrifice a bit of IC efficiency but that's just me.

Does it make any difference if you still have a side mounted rad, but an electric water pumpm since the water is circulated according to engine revs. Just thinking that the faster the water is getting to the rad the more it can get cooled. Am I being stupid??

Remember though that if you push the water through the radiator too quickly it will not get chance to cool down......

The limits are the thermal coefficients of both the coolant (water is actually fairly average on it's own ..... needs something to break down it's surface tension), the radiator material (ali much better than steel / cooper / brass) and surace area of the radiator. You do need to keep the air moving too as there is only so much heat a given volume of air can absorb over an specific period. Move too little air and it will become thermally saturated, too little and you will not be usign it at it's maximum efficiency.

That is why an engine driven fan is unhelpful in the long blast / sudden stop heat soak situation.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

so it all depends on the surface area and heat coefficients - thank you roger and tom, i thought there would be an optimum at some point for a side mounted rad

tried a metty front mount - took LOADS of room even on my clubby, now have an MPi setup, LOADS smaller and hope it'll still keep it cool. Still leaves bags of room for the IC too.