Post
by vee12eman » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:38 am
Hi Dave,
The first question to ask is do you think you need better cooling? If not, how serious is the problem?
I had no radiator with the car when I bought it, dismantled and needing restoration. The car was automatic and should have had the auto radiator with the built in transmission cooler. Obviously, I had to buy a new radiator, but with a proposal to convert to manual, I waited until I was sure which way I was going with the transmission. Eventually I got a 5-speed manual and the decision was made to buy a radiator without the oil cooler.
Because I had no exchange radiator, I faced the extra expense of having to pay a surcharge and this made the price of an alloy radiator viable - the price of outright purchase was not much different between a new original spec and the alloy alternative, especially as I was able to get a bargain at one of the Stoneleigh shows. It may be similar for you if the auto transmission spec radiator you have is not considered a viable exchange for a manual spec item, something to consider.
Having fitted an alloy rad, I also fitted an aluminium cowl (the original cowl, fans and motors were also missing from the car when bought), fitted with two modern fans. This came from V12S in the US, and is a very nice piece of kit, although having been an aircraft engineer in the past, I realised I could have made one myself more cheaply, perhaps not making quite such a nice job of it, import taxes to the UK were very high (around 30%). I also uprated the system with a modern thermostatic switch in a specially made "T" union, also from US, I think from Coolcat, replacing the otter switch. This allows the use of a range of thermostatic switches, I am using a fairly cool 75 degree switch, but there are several other choices. I used modern relays, one for each fan, after a replacement Lucas style relay proved not to be up to the job. I had to make my own wiring loom to go with this - very satisfying. This setup was tested recently in 38 degrees heat and proved very satisfactory.
It seems likely that the manual radiator will provide extra cooling and possibly mean you need the fans less, the questions are, do the fans cut in frequently now, do you think you will drive the car often in hot temperatures, do you end up in traffic jams often, especially after long runs, or, does the cooling system seem deficient in any other way? If so, then consider the change, if not, why bother? In fact, some of the modifications I carried out might help and be somewhat more cost effective. I hope this helps you consider all the alternatives.
Regards,
Simon
Regards,
Simon
Series III FHC
