Heat Exchanger Musings (and what not)

[kent1]

A slight deviation from the core subject, I know, so I'll correlate it to the "and what not" portion from this thread's title. That being, now is the perfect time for some kind of front tow hook. Plus, I was asked.:idea: So deviate I shall!



It was less than a year ago when I sold my complete set of 2010 coupe wheels/tires to fellow SVTP member mblgjr (Matt). I had just picked up a fresh set of '11 PP wheels/tires so I made the switch one afternoon. There was a light dusting of snow falling onto the ground when I rolled the now removed '10 set from my shop to my home garage for clean up prior to boxing and shipping. Man I miss those wheels...

Anyhoo, I had pulled my car out of the barn with its new rolling stock and parked it on the frozen tundra just off to the side of the barn. There was less than an inch of light powder. Didn't matter. I knew I was stuck the moment I stopped moving.

The car would do nothing but slide - zero traction. What was really frustrating was there was no real spot to use for an attachment point for a tow strap. Not in the front or in the rear. I made a mental note at that point to do something. So I started collecting information I could find on the web on tow points on an S197 chassis car.

I noticed that FRPP offered a bumper that had a fabricated attachment point for a hook.

Ford Racing Performance Parts

No longer available as well as requiring the front bumper to be cut for fitment. Cross that one off the list. But it brought to my attention the hook or "loop" that FRPP offered.

Ford Racing Performance Parts

The loop seemed like a nice enough part. The issue would be how to attach. Then I found a few threads I had passed over either at TS or here. There was a gentleman selling a fabricated bracket that allowed using FRPP's loop and you didn't have to slash through the front bumper to use it. He had a drop bracket fabbed up that would go through the lower grille.

Looked to be fairly robust, as seen on this non-GT500

Here's the bracket being added to a GT500

I'm not exactly big on the single shear attachment bolt-in method, the fact that a side load may cause it to rotate, nor having to trim the lower grille.

I do like the fact that you can simply remove the loop bolt to take the actual loop off w/o having to partially disassemble the front clip to get at it.

I'm considering incorporating a removeable threaded forged eyebolt that could easily thread into a nut that would be flush with the grille and not require cutting it.

If all goes as planned, I'll fire up the plasma cutter at work and whip something up. That is why I'm not finishing the H/E install just yet.

Thanks a million. Your are the man. Now I have a chance of getting this feat done. Thanks again for the picture and detail information and I understand it...

 

[Robertt305]

I knew tob would go the tow hook route

 

[Tob]

Good to hear the above will help you, Kent.

I knew Tob would go the tow hook route

I have given much thought to the subject. Too much, and I still wasn't satisfied with what seemed to be the most viable solution. I didn't want to open up the lower grille similar to what was done in the above photos. I'm not a fan of the way the above bracket was bolted in either, as a side load (when vehicle is in tow) could force the bracket to rotate - taking out the lower grill and maybe damaging the lower fascia as well. Bolting as well as a couple of tack welds could probably mitigate that potential issue, but then the bracket wouldn't be as easy to remove (if that would even matter once you've gone that far with the mod).

So I set out to do it differently. I like the idea of a hook that is anchored at two points versus one, again, as above. I also wanted to go through the lower grille, which implies a relatively small diameter "protrusion" be implemented. So I started by slipping the entire front fascia back on once I had removed the factory heat exchanger. This is the void you are left with...

The bumper beam has an off-level lower flat that doesn't help any...

After mulling over a few different ideas, I settled on one. Twin anchor receivers, located up high on the lower grille. Threaded couplings would have worked, spaced down from the bottom face of the bumper with a piece of 2" x 2" square tubing. Wanting to be as light as possible, I opted to weld up some nut assemblies that would utilize a threaded nut on each end of some black iron tubing. So I set everything in place in order to come up with the best order of operations. Laying on my back and looking up...

The welded tubes were held in place with a couple of bolts through the grille. Above the tubes sits a 3-1/2" length of the aforementioned dimensional square tubing...

You can't really tell by the next shot, but the bumper slants upward as it goes forward (the bottom flat, that is). That would mean welding the rear of the square tubing up tight to the bumper, but keeping the front of the tubing almost 1/4" down. Nothing a built up pass with the mig couldn't handle, along with a varying hand motion.

I measured and marked what I thought would work. I then removed the "assembly" and welded everything up on some planked sawhorses.

Visions of the square tube "rolling" under tension, I cut and welded some plate inside each end, thus closing the tubing off.

I then tacked the assembly to the bumper where it should be in alignment with the pair of triangular openings that my loop anchors would need to pass through.

Not wanting an errant mig spark/flying booger to melt something on the car, I decided I'd pull the bumper. I forgot that it didn't simply unbolt (as it might appear it would - at first) as there were supposed to be three spot welds to the "frame tubes" that would need to be addressed on each side. CHE illustrated the welds pretty good in this set of instructions for one of their offerings.

Armed with a cordless drill, a 1/8" (pilot) and a 1/4" drill bit, I set about drilling the six spot welds out. Once drilled, I still had to drive a small, narrow chisel, between bumper plates in order to fracture the entire weld. With all 8 (err, only 7 on mine and others' cars) bolts removed as well as the 6 (err, make that only 5 on mine) spot welds, the bumper comes right off...

Driver side, top two and lower right corner spot welds through drilled

Passenger side, only a top and bottom left spot weld. Seriously Ford...is the same guy that leaves bumper bolts out also spot welding the bumper assemblies on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Or are your robots doing their best UAW line worker at "3:15 on a Friday" imitation as well? Really odd.

Here is the bumper/bracket fused together. Excuse the spatter. I was out of Argon so I used flux cored wire and it spits a bit. I had to set my Mig to the lightest setting. Wire feed rate and amperage were adjusted for 18ga sheetmetal, as anything more burned right through the bent bumper sheetmetal. I did burn through two or three times and had to carefully close the holes back up. Note the different planes of the bumper flat versus the square tubing...

I welded the tubing to the bumper 360* around the base...

I cleaned up the bumper plates where the spot welds were broken through, primed, laid some anti-seize in the fastener holes for the bumper (to ease any future removal), and bolted the bumper back where it was...

No interference with the rigid foam bumper pad either...

I now have an anchor point for a hook/loop. It isn't the perfect solution but I feel it to be the best of any available "compromises" given the parameters I limited it to. Now I can get on with the heat exchanger install. After that's done I'll come up with a hook/loop that I can install/remove/keep in the glovebox that should be beefy enough when called upon.

Sorry to any of you guys if I gave you the idea that I'd be doing something easy enough to replicate. I now see why FRPP decided to offer the welded loop bracket/bumper beam assembly as opposed to a drill/bolt on bracket - this mod is a pain in the ass. Yet as always, challenge accepted!

Tob

 

[Steve@TF]

Good to hear the above will help you, Kent.



I have given much thought to the subject. Too much, and I still wasn't satisfied with what seemed to be the most viable solution. I didn't want to open up the lower grille similar to what was done in the above photos. I'm not a fan of the way the above bracket was bolted in either, as a side load (when vehicle is in tow) could force the bracket to rotate - taking out the lower grill and maybe damaging the lower fascia as well. Bolting as well as a couple of tack welds could probably mitigate that potential issue, but then the bracket wouldn't be as easy to remove (if that would even matter once you've gone that far with the mod).

So I set out to do it differently. I like the idea of a hook that is anchored at two points versus one, again, as above. I also wanted to go through the lower grille, which implies a relatively small diameter "protrusion" be implemented. So I started by slipping the entire front fascia back on once I had removed the factory heat exchanger. This is the void you are left with...

The bumper beam has an off-level lower flat that doesn't help any...

After mulling over a few different ideas, I settled on one. Twin anchor receivers, located up high on the lower grille. Threaded couplings would have worked, spaced down from the bottom face of the bumper with a piece of 2" x 2" square tubing. Wanting to be as light as possible, I opted to weld up some nut assemblies that would utilize a threaded nut on each end of some black iron tubing. So I set everything in place in order to come up with the best order of operations. Laying on my back and looking up...

The welded tubes were held in place with a couple of bolts through the grille. Above the tubes sits a 3-1/2" length of the aforementioned dimensional square tubing...

You can't really tell by the next shot, but the bumper slants upward as it goes forward (the bottom flat, that is). That would mean welding the rear of the square tubing up tight to the bumper, but keeping the front of the tubing almost 1/4" down. Nothing a built up pass with the mig couldn't handle, along with a varying hand motion.

I measured and marked what I thought would work. I then removed the "assembly" and welded everything up on some planked sawhorses.

Visions of the square tube "rolling" under tension, I cut and welded some plate inside each end, thus closing the tubing off.

I then tacked the assembly to the bumper where it should be in alignment with the pair of triangular openings that my loop anchors would need to pass through.

Not wanting an errant mig spark/flying booger to melt something on the car, I decided I'd pull the bumper. I forgot that it didn't simply unbolt (as it might appear it would - at first) as there were supposed to be three spot welds to the "frame tubes" that would need to be addressed on each side. CHE illustrated the welds pretty good in this set of instructions for one of their offerings.

Armed with a cordless drill, a 1/8" (pilot) and a 1/4" drill bit, I set about drilling the six spot welds out. Once drilled, I still had to drive a small, narrow chisel, between bumper plates in order to fracture the entire weld. With all 8 (err, only 7 on mine and others' cars) bolts removed as well as the 6 (err, make that only 5 on mine) spot welds, the bumper comes right off...

Driver side, top two and lower right corner spot welds through drilled

Passenger side, only a top and bottom left spot weld. Seriously Ford...is the same guy that leaves bumper bolts out also spot welding the bumper assemblies on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Or are your robots doing their best UAW line worker at "3:15 on a Friday" imitation as well? Really odd.

Here is the bumper/bracket fused together. Excuse the spatter. I was out of Argon so I used flux cored wire and it spits a bit. I had to set my Mig to the lightest setting. Wire feed rate and amperage were adjusted for 18ga sheetmetal, as anything more burned right through the bent bumper sheetmetal. I did burn through two or three times and had to carefully close the holes back up. Note the different planes of the bumper flat versus the square tubing...

I welded the tubing to the bumper 360* around the base...

I cleaned up the bumper plates where the spot welds were broken through, primed, laid some anti-seize in the fastener holes for the bumper (to ease any future removal), and bolted the bumper back where it was...

No interference with the rigid foam bumper pad either...

I now have an anchor point for a hook/loop. It isn't the perfect solution but I feel it to be the best of any available "compromises" given the parameters I limited it to. Now I can get on with the heat exchanger install. After that's done I'll come up with a hook/loop that I can install/remove/keep in the glovebox that should be beefy enough when called upon.

Sorry to any of you guys if I gave you the idea that I'd be doing something easy enough to replicate. I now see why FRPP decided to offer the welded loop bracket/bumper beam assembly as opposed to a drill/bolt on bracket - this mod is a pain in the ass. Yet as always, challenge accepted!

Tob

wow. im impressed! looks awesome. id be scared to try all that myself lol. and then trying to make sure it lines up just right when its welded...

any plans on selling these for people wanting to give it a go? not sure id be down, but im sure others would be.

and ive got just the thing for your stock style reservoirs. TF 100% billet cap covers. comes in various finishes including satin black :thumbsup:

 

[Tob]

Thanks, Steve. I just wanted a solid anchoring point that allows for temporary fitment of a tow hook/loop. Ford didn't make things easy here. Without welding, I'd say that the bracket I showed previous to starting fabrication of my own would suffice as much as it isn't my favorite (design). This mod really is all about compromise.

As to your chiseled aluminum offerings, a big thanks for ever making the hood vents a reality. They put a smile on my face every time I wash the car. You do a fantastic job Steve. Keep up the good work!

Tob

 

[Tob]

Seems life can sometimes get in the way of good intentions. I got the chance to pick away at this thing again, so here goes...

First off. Most here are familiar with the size difference between the Afco/C&R versus the factory Garrett heat exchanger

The Garrett H/E is an extremely robust piece. I like the fact that the bracketry that supports it is isolated from the core/tanks and serves to cradle it as well. I bet Garrett could come up with a heck of an OEM heat exchanger if Ford demanded a higher performing unit.

I started today off by adding sections of hose from the larger reservoir tank, just as Justin shows in his install videos ([nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3bDSQAsrEI"]AFCO Dual Fan Heat Exchanger Installation (Part 1) - YouTube[/nomedia] [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7YnUEzpSLg&feature=related"]AFCO Dual Fan Heat Exchanger Installation (Part 2) - YouTube[/nomedia]. Justin did a heck of a job illustrating this install with a number of tips that really save time and effort (such as adding the IC pump after you've bolted the core into place). What I wasn't comfortable with was using a straight length of hose (he shows it at the start of Part 2) to wind through and around some tight turns on its way to the heat exchanger. I mirrored Justin's efforts here but didn't like what I saw/felt.

No matter how I routed the straight length of hose, it tended to kink just after the connection to the straight downspout coming out of the larger reservoir tank. It wanted to kink slightly at the other bends as well. While I could have left it, I quickly reminded myself that this whole mod was about maximum flow and minimal restriction. Why choke off the larger tank by restricting the hose diameter?

I then remembered a writeup at TS from "TX STIG" where he reused one of the factory hoses simply by cutting it where necessary and installing a splice kit (his tank writeup is here).

So I headed off to NAPA for some fittings that would allow me to do that or something else if I so desired.

I picked up the longer hose that came from the original, smaller, reservoir tank and studied it for awhile. I decided to mock up fitting it to the larger tank. What I wanted was a bend in place after the downward spout and I didn't want to clamp it like TX did because the hoses in that area are really tight. In other words, I didn't want the sharp edge of either one of the splice clamps to ever get the opportunity to cut another hose. So I fit the smaller bent end and worked it through and to the front. Look closely (sorry for the poor focus work) and you can see it fits

The hose is too short to mate up with the relocated IC pump but it gets you past some pretty tight quarters. Here, I cut it at the last bend, slipped in a 90* barbed hose fitting, and laid the cutoff portion atop the H/E...

This worked well. All I would need to add would be a straight piece from the elbow to the pump. So I pulled the piece back out and added the original protective sheathing. The hose ended up looking as such

Of note - the clamps supplied from Afco. While they looked fine, they all ratcheted like something was wrong. I did not trust them enough to be forgotten about. So I used clamps that I found in the plumbing department from Home Depot ($7 for the whole bag)

Hose complete...

Finally, I was here...

And yeah, my little towing fixture blocks all the damn bling...

Whatever. I was finally able to add water/coolant now that I had all the plumbing connections tightened up...

I then moved onto to the new harness portion of the install. I read through the instructions as supplied by Afco, as well as suggestions that others have made when they deviated from Afco's recommendations. I ended up installing each relay utilizing a PCM bolt for one and the PCM bracket bolt for the other...

I mounted each fuse holder by sandwiching them between the auxiliary fuse box and the strut tower...

With the grounds hooked up, the fans plugged in, orange trigger wire soldered onto a spliced white/red IC pump trigger wire, power leads attached at the main fuse box power lead, I pulled relay #10 and jumped pin #3 and pin #5. Pump and fans kicked on immediately and started to circulate coolant.

Phew.

I think I only added approximately 1 gallon of liquid (half distilled water and half anti freeze). I'm wondering, since I didn't purge the entire system, is this about right? I essentially only needed enough to fill the new reservoir and new H/E.

I ran the car with the jumper in place for ten or so minutes. I couldn't believe how cool the H/E remained. To the touch it felt as cool as a refrigerator. I pulled out my infared digital pyrometer and shot some numbers from various locations. It was interesting to see how hot everything got - except the H/E. As for suckage...

VIDEO0016.mp4 video by Tobphotobucket - Photobucket

 

[NuclearPower]

Fantastic post Tob. :beer:

I have yet to do this install, and I hope that it is easier on 2010+ models (but i doubt it).

 

[DaFreak]

I think I only added approximately 1 gallon of liquid (half distilled water and half anti freeze). I'm wondering, since I didn't purge the entire system, is this about right? I essentially only needed enough to fill the new reservoir and new H/E.

Hi Tob,

Not sure if you got this answered or not but I guess it seems about right (maybe Van will chime in). I'm always leery though cause mine gets an air bubble every time I mess with it. You mentioned you saw the coolant circulating, was the flow fairly turbulent? If so, you should be good.

Cheers,

 

[NuclearPower]

Hey Tob, would you mind giving me a side shot of your home made ramps. I am wanting to build some also and rather than invent the wheel I would like to just improve on yours:beer:

 

[Van@RevanRacing]

Hi Tob,

Not sure if you got this answered or not but I guess it seems about right (maybe Van will chime in). I'm always leery though cause mine gets an air bubble every time I mess with it. You mentioned you saw the coolant circulating, was the flow fairly turbulent? If so, you should be good.

Cheers,

Remove the cap and let I circulate. You can also get a pressure tester and pressurize the system.

Hey Tob, would you mind giving me a side shot of your home made ramps. I am wanting to build some also and rather than invent the wheel I would like to just improve on yours:beer:

Oh no you didn't! Those are Tob ramps and you're going to improve on them?
He designed those ramps in CAD and then ran them through 3 different engineering schools and had them validated.

I'm sure Tob will sell a copyrighted copy of the plans though. :thumbsup:

 

[Tob]

John, those are just left over pieces of plank with a rip of Delrin at the top. I didn't assemble it to drive on as much as I added a plank to get me to the top. I put them together to do an alignment and I have two similar plank "stacks" for the rear wheels (that I'm not using here) to get me up and level across four wheels. The Delrin was to make caster adjustments easier as the surface is slippery and makes turning the wheel very easy.

I see a lot of guys do it this way. Seems to work well and may be more in line with what you're looking for.

Jeff, I can pop the cap and see the water circulating in the larger reservoir. It really doesn't seem that violent though. Where do you see the air bubble? Or are you pulling it out with the vacuum tube tool you bought?

And Jeff, while I've got you...I cannot remember, and I know you've datalogged the cooling system before. I forget at what intake air temps the IC pump is turning on at (stock tune). Oddly enough, my fans are running any time the car is running - hot or cold. I'm wondering if the FRPP tune I'm using with their Whipple kit was changed to keep the IC pump on all the time. I'm going to try to get through to the gentlemen that handled the calibration work at FRPP to find out what they did...

ON EDIT...Van! Any reason my fans would run all the time (beyond FRPP altering the tune so that it would be that way?)? I verified that all the wiring was correct. Upon startup, cold, the fans are already running. Ambient temps here in Upstate NY are high fiftir=es to low sixties right now so something isn't right. Any ideas? I'm going to see if I can get through to Dev somehow...

 

[DaFreak]

Jeff, I can pop the cap and see the water circulating in the larger reservoir. It really doesn't seem that violent though. Where do you see the air bubble? Or are you pulling it out with the vacuum tube tool you bought?

You can't really see the air bubble/lock in the system. You can sometimes see small bubbles (inside the reservoir) bubbling up from the top/inlet hose connector. You can also squeeze on this hose too and sometimes force some of the air/bubbles out. Either way the sight of bubbles is a bad sign (in my experience).

You should seriously consider getting this [ame="http://www.amazon.com/UView-550000-Airlift-Cooling-Checker/dp/B0002SRH5G/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1317697100&sr=1-1"]tool[/ame] too. I have had the situation where after a fill the flow was pretty weak (I think there's a pill for that now ;-)) then I fired up the Airlift and I was amazed at how far the coolant level dropped in the reservoir (from removing all the air) and how much more flow I then had.

And Jeff, while I've got you...I cannot remember, and I know you've datalogged the cooling system before. I forget at what intake air temps the IC pump is turning on at (stock tune). Oddly enough, my fans are running any time the car is running - hot or cold.

Mine (AFCO) has done the same thing since day 1. I am running a tune from Justin though (and have been) so I'm not sure if this is part of it. I've always had the same question.

 

[Tob]

You can sometimes see small bubbles (inside the reservoir) bubbling up from the top/inlet hose connector

That's exactly what I've noticed - lots of very small bubbles, and "mild" turbulence. I'll consider that tool.

I've always had the same question.

I just got off the phone with Van. He mentioned some tunes that Jon Lund uses have the fans kicking in at around 50*. I feel quite a bit more comfortable after talking with him about it, as well as hearing that yours runs all the time as well.

 

[UnleashedBeast]

Tob,

Mine run all the time as well. It did so with Justin's and Jon's tune. The trigger wire for the relays is the IC pump hot wire. Since it's setup in the tune to come on instantly...the fans run whenever the car is running. I don't mind it at all living in Florida.

 

[VegasMichael]

I read with interest since I just purchased this product from VMP and plan to attempt the install myself. Should receive it next week if UPS tracking is accurate. I can't see photos from my work computer but what brand/type of protectant did you use for the aluminum?

And do you also have the 170 degree thermostat?

On edit: Now that I'm on a "real" computer, and not a work-related one, I can see the brand.

 

[Tob]

Sorry for the late reply Michael. I have the stock thermostat in place.

 

[Grunnsetning]

I did the h/e, radiator and 170 degree thermostat. It's amazing.

Sent using Tapatalk from my Galaxy S3.

 

[VegasMichael]

Tob:

I unpacked my Afco today and the directions stated to remove the two front wheels. I noticed that you did not and neither did the gentleman performing the install on the VMP video.

If you had to do it over would you remove the wheels or is that step just plain unnecessary?

 

[01stallion]

I would remove to make getting the inner fenders easier, thats what i did

 

[fullboogie]

Tob:

I unpacked my Afco today and the directions stated to remove the two front wheels. I noticed that you did not and neither did the gentleman performing the install on the VMP video.

If you had to do it over would you remove the wheels or is that step just plain unnecessary?

I sure didn't, but I had a lift. If the front end is off the ground, you just have to turn the wheel from one lock to the other while removing the screws.