boxing in the radiator

[Fast99Snake]

does anyone on here have any pictures of a boxed in radiator?

i was also wondering what kind of material is most commonly used to do this?
sheetmetal? hard plastic?

thanks for the input

 

[dtheo]

I think sheet metal is the most common, its flexible and easy to work with. I'd like to box it and have it vented out my hood. Got any ideas? It can be done though, the hardcore corner carvers do it.


Dave

 

[99COBRA2881]

Take the front bumper cover off and start a mock up with cardboard, it's very easy to cut and get to the shape you need then it's easily transferred over to sheetmetal. Just besure to include provisions on your mock up cardboard for attachment points on the sheetmetal.

 

[SCT2003]

My radiator is about 80% boxed in. I used aluminum sheet metal with SS hardware. Since it's attached to the air dam in multiple places, I was able to use thin aluminum to save weight.

I will post pics soon...

My other cooling mods are:

Engine:

Drilled T-stat
Additional Hood Vents
Tweaked Fan Settings
"40-Below" Additive
80/20 mix of distilled water/coolant
New Overflow Tank Cap

Intercooler:

PFAB I/C Tank
Affco Dual Pass H/E
Same Additive and mix as above

The last time I saw temps over 200* on the street was on a 115* day. Normal operating temps on the street are between 180-195. If the outside temps are below 45*, the car will hover around 170-180*.

I have not opened tracked it yet but I'm very happy with the cooling on the street.

:beer:

Later...Dave

 

[David Hester]

I've even seen quick foam used to fill in spaces to direct air....
had some extra material for seats, and it did work but really nasty looking after it soak up some dirt and oil.
Moving on. You can buy plywood sized .030 Exterior Aluminum pretty cheap, thin, easy to cut and form. (and doesn't soak up oil..)
As far as hood vents. Been hashed many times, but just because you can buy one, doesn't mean it works. Watch your low pressure areas (where air is moving quickly over the hood-(like the front 1/3) and high pressures (right in front of the windshield, you know where all the cowl INTAKE hoods are vented). There is a reason NASCAR uses the Cowl to duct air to the carbs ALL SEALED, BTW.
The '03-'04 Cobra is a good example of what does work.

 

[AnaheimE]

3.8 Mustang Message Board - View Single Post - Greensteeda's V6 Road Race Car Build (update post 130)

good quick info and a few decent pics. Diller is a good guy on 3.8.

 

[SCT2003]

I've even seen quick foam used to fill in spaces to direct air....
had some extra material for seats, and it did work but really nasty looking after it soak up some dirt and oil.
Moving on. You can buy plywood sized .030 Exterior Aluminum pretty cheap, thin, easy to cut and form. (and doesn't soak up oil..)
As far as hood vents. Been hashed many times, but just because you can buy one, doesn't mean it works. Watch your low pressure areas (where air is moving quickly over the hood-(like the front 1/3) and high pressures (right in front of the windshield, you know where all the cowl INTAKE hoods are vented). There is a reason NASCAR uses the Cowl to duct air to the carbs ALL SEALED, BTW.
The '03-'04 Cobra is a good example of what does work.

I didn't buy a hood or vents. Made them myself one lazy Saturday after a great deal of planning and research.

I made my custom vents out of aluminum and placed them near the original heat extractors. I also made water channels underneath the vents to allow water to flow to the front of the heads, not all over the rest of the engine compartment. The water channels also act as underhood scoops to direct the hot air going through the radiator out of the engine compartment.

Sitting at idle with the car running, you can see the heat rise from these vents. Put your hand behind the vents on the outside of the hood, you can actually feel the air rush out of the engine compartment when the fans kick in.

These scoops were inspired by Racebronco2 after seeing his car at a meet early last year. I thought up of the water channels because I've heard so many horror stories of rusty COP's that failed because of water getting in there on DD Cobras. Ford SVT also took a stab at something just like it during the Terminator R&D sessions in 2002 but did not put it into production. From what I understand, it worked but they didn't have the time or money to go ahead and implement it on the 2003 Cobra.

http://www.ironfistleadfoot.com/images/galleries/windtunnel/windtunnel05.jpg

http://www.ironfistleadfoot.com/images/galleries/windtunnel/windtunnel06.jpg

Basically racebronco2 has his FG molded hood vents located in the same spot and he has performed some string and data comparison tests to confirm the benefit and air flow. Also from what he has said, opening up his hood was the single best cooling mod he has made to his open track Cobra.

My car started running consistantly 10* or so cooler after opening up the hood some more. This combined with my other cooling mods have made my Cobra quite enjoyable to drive even during hot wheather after a year of chasing cooling issues. I couldn't be happier with it's current operating temperatures!!!

I'm well aware of the high-pressure cowl area. I've been around many carb equipped race cars that utilized custom aluminum air boxes to draw air from the high pressure cowl area. I've also previously owned a 1975 Camaro (350,4 bbl, 4 spd) that utilized a custom cowl hood that fed the carb plenty of fresh air.

I agree that the 03-04 heat extractors are quite functional. The only negative I can see with the OEM vents is the size, hence the reason I made larger vents and placed them directly behind the stock ones.

More and more performance cars are adding vents just after the radiator to extract heat. The aftermarket has also taken notice and many of their new hood designs are placing bigger and better functional vents towards the front of the hood.

The new pictures of the 2010 GT 500 shows a quite large(single) heat extractor vent in place of the two smaller ones on the previous model.

:beer:

Later...Dave

 

[SCT2003]

Take the front bumper cover off and start a mock up with cardboard, it's very easy to cut and get to the shape you need then it's easily transferred over to sheetmetal. Just besure to include provisions on your mock up cardboard for attachment points on the sheetmetal.

I did this but kept the bumper cover on.

I drove it up on ramps just high enough so that I could easily work on it from below. I measured, cut and taped cardboard up to the front spoiler and then transfered it all to thin sheet metal. Although it was thin aluminum sheet metal, I made sure it utilized many of the factory attachment points for good strength. I also made additional attachment points as needed with SS hardware.

Like I said earliar, it's 80% done...I'm just waiting to finish it up once I change the location of the PS cooler!!!

BTW, this is another project I took on after seeing it on racebronco2's Cobra first...he showed me his boxed in radiator as well as all his other cooling/aero-mods early last year at a car meet. I have to give him credit for inspiring me!!!

:beer:

Later...Dave

 

[brkntrxn]

You will find much more complete jobs of boxing in a radiator by some of the posters on here. Racebronco and several others come to mind as mentioned above.

Last weekend after removing my AC condenser, I also quickly identified the huge gaps on either side of the radiator (like the guy with the green V6 in the link). Here is the "elementary" boxing in I did, not nearly as elaborate as the ductwork by the accomplished fabricators. However, since going back "au natural" and adding an 03 hood with removed vents, I haven't had any heating issues (granted, it was this Fall). I used thin sheet metal from Lowe's as well as foam tape to fill the gaps on the top and bottom. I bent and cut the sheet metal to fit and used the mounting points for the headlight panel for my attachment tabs. Basically, the screws for the headlight panel go through my sheetmetal. See the pics below.

Here is my next question for the experts: Now that my nice pretty LFP radiator is exposed to the elements, what are you guys using to protect it? Some kind of metal screen? With the amount of small rocks and debris I shook out of the AC condenser, I am worried what a hard piece of rubber or a rock thrown from someone's rear tire will do to my radiator when flying down the track at Mach 4.

Before (you can see the gaps on either side of the radiator):

After:

 

[SCT2003]

You will find much more complete jobs of boxing in a radiator by some of the posters on here. Racebronco and several others come to mind as mentioned above.

Last weekend after removing my AC condenser, I also quickly identified the huge gaps on either side of the radiator (like the guy with the green V6 in the link). Here is the "elementary" boxing in I did, not nearly as elaborate as the ductwork by the accomplished fabricators. However, since going back "au natural" and adding an 03 hood with removed vents, I haven't had any heating issues (granted, it was this Fall). I used thin sheet metal from Lowe's as well as foam tape to fill the gaps on the top and bottom. I bent and cut the sheet metal to fit and used the mounting points for the headlight panel for my attachment tabs. Basically, the screws for the headlight panel go through my sheetmetal. See the pics below.

Here is my next question for the experts: Now that my nice pretty LFP radiator is exposed to the elements, what are you guys using to protect it? Some kind of metal screen? With the amount of small rocks and debris I shook out of the AC condenser, I am worried what a hard piece of rubber or a rock thrown from someone's rear tire will do to my radiator when flying down the track at Mach 4.

Before (you can see the gaps on either side of the radiator):

After:

Racebronco is the member I got my "hood mod" and "radiator boxing-in" ideas from.

I did the same thing as you in regards to blocking off the sides of the radiator. It only made sense.

As far as protection from rocks, stones and what not...I decided to buy a quality lower "Grillecraft" rock guard. Yep, I could have fabricated my own but Summit had a "clearance" on it so I got it for half price. Looks sweet.

It has done it's job and my Afco Dual Pass heat exchanger still looks brand new after a year or so. My old OEM heat exchanger still worked but rocks had taken their ugly toll on it cosmetically...I'm surprised it never sprung a leak???

I have nothing in the top opening...

:beer:

Later...Dave

 

[brkntrxn]

Thanks, Dave. The GrillCraft piece looks interesting, but I am not sure I like how it sits flush to the front side of the bumper cover. I like the depth of openings of the stock bumper cover (I guess). I will keep that in mind though.


Anyone else? What are you doing to prevent rocks and rubber marbles from damaging your exposed radiator after you removed your AC condenser?

 

[SCT2003]

Thanks, Dave. The GrillCraft piece looks interesting, but I am not sure I like how it sits flush to the front side of the bumper cover. I like the depth of openings of the stock bumper cover (I guess). I will keep that in mind though.


Anyone else? What are you doing to prevent rocks and rubber marbles from damaging your exposed radiator after you removed your AC condenser?

I actually thought it would look "ricey" but everyone likes it...myself included!!!

:beer:

Later...Dave

 

[racebronco2]

The grill on dave's car looks really good. Another thing to do for cooling is to extend the lower air dam (the one under the radiator support) to the bumper cover.

 

[20psirabbit]

so carlos in the same regard that boxing in the radiator is beneficial, would boxing the heat exchanger also work as well? i'm interested in this stuff, cheap effective cooling mods ftw :banana:

 

[mu22stang]

so carlos in the same regard that boxing in the radiator is beneficial, would boxing the heat exchanger also work as well? i'm interested in this stuff, cheap effective cooling mods ftw :banana:

I've been thinking of this, too. Maybe extending the lines of the HE opening to the surface of the HE with ABS or something similar.

 

[20psirabbit]

yeah exactly, i wish i could play with cf, just mold it up the way you need it.

 

[racebronco2]

so carlos in the same regard that boxing in the radiator is beneficial, would boxing the heat exchanger also work as well? i'm interested in this stuff, cheap effective cooling mods ftw :banana:

When boxing the radiator you are actually sealing the radiator and the h/e to the bumper cover. I used thin aluminum to seal the sides.

I've been thinking of this, too. Maybe extending the lines of the HE opening to the surface of the HE with ABS or something similar.

The only thing needed for the h/e is to close up the opening below the h/e to the radiator support.

 

[20psirabbit]

When boxing the radiator you are actually sealing the radiator and the h/e to the bumper cover. I used thin aluminum to seal the sides.


The only thing needed for the h/e is to close up the opening below the h/e to the radiator support.

gotcha, that makes sense now :beer:

 

[brkntrxn]

Since this thread is alive again, here is how I protected my radiator. It is the small steel mesh you can buy at Lowe's. BBQ grill is what it is called, LOL. But it works! It comes in a natural gray color, I sprayed it with some rattle can semi-gloss and zip tied it in place.

 

[drudis]

I used aluminum .030"(?) sheetmetal, and boxed it from radiator, all the way to the front bumper cover.