Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for all your great videos. I never grew up around people who could teach me much about cars so I've learned a great amount from all your videos. Keep up the good work!
Thicker radiators won't be dissipating much heat once the air is warmed up, and still passing through the radiator, hence, having it as thin as possible is best (assuming it takes up a large area, which is not ideal).
Depends, it can certainly go both ways, and many times it is done from top to bottom so that as it cools it naturally moves downward. Different cars do it differently.
Hmm, good question, it really shouldn't change it too much. It may have a small effect, but ultimately both fans would be blowing the same flow rate (or the more powerful fan would do most of the work, if they were different). Increasing airflow would have a much greater effect.
I like how there are positives and negatives in EVERY aspect of cars almost. Anything that has positives only is already implemented in most cars. Just goes to show how race cars are different to road cars. Thanks for the video!
One thing to touch / comment on is #5 (Material Selection). There is a common misconception in the automotive world which I see quite often when it related to material selection for a Radiator. This misconception is that what people often call a "Copper" radiator (which is really a copper/brass radiator) and it being better for cooling is not true at all. This is false because while Copper is a better conductor of heat energy, the only part that is copper in them is the fins. Everything else is brass (I.e., the tubes, headers, tanks, etc...) Brass has a lower thermal conductivity rate then aluminum to start with. So the heat transfer out of the water (coolant) is slower in since it has to conduct through the brass tube. The next issue is the "copper" fins are soldered to the brass tubes. The Solder also has an even lower thermal conductivity rate then the brass tubes. Essentially, the solder acts as an insulator between the brass tubes and the copper fins. With an aluminum core, the construction of the core is essentially 100% aluminum (Aluminum Tubes and fins with an aluminum based braze cladding) so the thermal conductivity rate is virtually the same throughout all components (which is higher then the brass for the tubes and the solder of a C/B (Copper/Brass) Radiator). It was a Manufacturing cost issue as to why for the longest time, the automotive manufacturing industry used C/B radiators. It was viewed as, "while overall, the aluminum unit will truly cool better, the C/B worked "good enough" and it was much cheaper to manufacture (much cheaper to stamp tanks and components and solder them then to fabricate and weld aluminum tanks". Plus aluminum brazing clad sheets (whats used to bond the fins to the tube) was not really perfected until the late 70's / early 80's. With technology advancements in Thermal Plastics and copper material cost rise in more recent years (last 20 years), it became more cost effective to go over to Aluminum cores which is why virtually every car sold new in the last 20+ years has come with either Aluminum core / Plastic tank and in some rare cases, 100% aluminum units (i.e., welded Aluminum tanks). Also, another thing to point out is that #8 (Temp Differential) is one of the few things (like #6) which explains why #1 is as stated ("better to have more frontal area then thickness) is desirable. As the cooling air enters the grill side of the core, it starts to absorb heat from the fins and tubes. This air gains heat on its way though the cores thickness (obviously)... This heat gained by the air means that the temperature differential between the air and the rear side (engine side) tube(s) is now lower so less transfer occurs from the tubes and fins to the air moving across it as Thermodynamics shows us that a higher ΔT (Delta T) means that heat is transferred (ΔQ) at a fast/higher rate between the two media's. Basically the first law of Thermodynamics tells us that an increase in in ΔT = an increase in ΔQ.... So the air entering the grill side of the core will be at ambient but the air in the middle of the core will be hotter and the air exiting the core will be even hotter then what it was in the middle. An easy way to say it will be that the ΔQ will drop as the air pass through the core's thickness.
There's always visible evidence of blow through during aluminum welding an experienced welder should be able to see this I can aluminum is one of my favorites
Informative and adds to my understanding of cooling systems and build a car with an emphasis on cool temperatures. Enjoyed and the basic understanding leads to practical and better designed radiators for our cars. Thanks
Great Job covering the radiator you did leave a pro and con out that I could see right off the stock plastic rounded tanks get better velocity than the square one because of the shape (nearly impossible to find round tank aluminum radiators not cost effective to make) although on older cars you can often get rounded copper tanks.
These are really interesting videos man, one thing to consider is to make sure you measure everything when setting this stuff up, my mate set up a water to air intercooler and found that by decreasing water pump speed it was working more efficiently, this is because when the pump was at max rpm it was causing cavitation and so the water flow was less than at a lower voltage. Plenty of head pressure to the pump fixes this though
To be honest, I'm not sure. But apparently it's capable of pulling more air through, where as pushing may cause the air to push out to the sides of the fan.
Often overlooked yet very important especially on some cars like my E46 M3, I have fitted 3 different types before I found the best setup using a pro alloy part, it has a 35 per cent greater efficiency and allows a bigger intercooler to be fitted for the supercharger. A better oilcooler fits into the front now too so everything is much better than it was. Even power went up to 557bhp cos the fmi is reducing the charge temperature more
what temp thermostat are you using? i am running about the same hp as you and parts store told me to use a 160 degree but i have always used a 195 in the past. i have an over heating problem. going to go all aluminum 3 row and need to know about thermostat to use.
In your explanation you mentioned that this is a top-down flowing radiator but I believe on Honda's the flow direction is opposite (bottom-up). The bottom radiator hose is connected to the thermostat housing where hot coolant is released going to the bottom radiator reservoir them moving up through the cores to the top reservoir before being pushed back into the engine via the head.
I would assume you can get a higher energy dissipation via pulling because the mean velocity of the air is greater. This is because once the heat is dissipated, the air is still being accelerated in by the fan, whereas with a pushfan once the heat is dissipated it creates a small amount of backpressure as it is already decelerating.
i came here because I want to make my water cooling fan colder, bcz in iraq its really hot, i loved the way you explain the concepts you gave me very good insights, thanks a lot
The internet, haha, there's not a one stop shop that teaches you everything, so I'm working on making it! I have a more detailed answer on my FAQ, link's on my About page.
Sir if you don't mind I will like to ask you a question on radiator , radiator is made up of brass and copper , how can I separate ?, I mean separating brass from copper.
For more passes, you get more pressure, which means a higher boiling point, which means (hopefully) less spontaneous air bubbles in the coolant line (if your engine operates close to tolerances like that). Plus, basically, you're compensating for the massive differential of specific heat between air and water when you increase the dwelling time, resulting in more effective overall cooling rates and ultimate cooling results.
The video was totally informative and there was so much of knowledge to be gained out of it. I have an important question, you said its important to maintain higher temperature differential of coolant. But that's gonna demand more power or energy isn't it? Eg. Let's take two temperature differentials of delta X and delta Y, where del X is greater than del Y. Obviously, the former case needs more power to undergo cooling than later, which means the fan has to rotate at a higher speed to meet the objective. I think it's more simpler to have lower temp. diff than higher. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Cheers!!
Thanks for making these vids! Three questions: 1) Is it possible to have a push pull configuration for a radiator? If clearance is not an issue It would be cool to take a que from computers and have a push-pull fan setup for a radiator. 2) how would a multiple radiator setup work? Again I'm taking ques from computer building. 3) How does radiators behave or how do people get around debris issues in their radiators when doing thing like deep fording; I see vids of cars fording through flooded streeta for instance and of course I see tanks fording rivers, is there some sort of close-able flap and or a fan shut switch to permit fording? Keep up the good work!!
In stationary applications like liquid cooling on pc, pulling or pushing makes no difference in efficiency. Pulling is preferable though, because any dirt would be stuck primarily on the other side of the radiator which is very easily cleaned. If you were pushing air, dirt would be stuck between the fan and the radiator and it would accumulate over time. I believe that this is the reason car engineers select pull, also a pulling config may increase airflow due to the car's speed.
On my 1995 300ZX turbo,i modified my front headlights cleaning sprays to fix them directly facing on the intercooler,when needed,in traffic,it brings the temp down incredibly,and when rolling too,easy,i put a bigger tank and pump for fresh cold water only,when driving to Vegas,I add chunks of dry ice,because it has a tendency to overheat when stuck in Tfc.working on a ventilated hood with fans.
I think they are more efficient because the fan inevitably warms up the air its pushing. And if the fans are in front, the air that hits the radiators are warmer and hence less temperature differential than if the fans were mounted in the back. Also I think when the pulling fan creates lower pressure, air from all over the front is sucked it, while on the other hand, the air follows closely the geometry of the fan, meaning the air will be about the diameter of the fan, hence reducing area.
It depends on the resistance of the radiator, you could put a larger radiator on and if it has lower resistance it would put less strain on your water pump. It is similar to electrical resistance: More parallel tubes = lower resistance, thinner tubes = higher resistance, longer path = more resistance
Hi, I'm a PC enthousiast and with pc watercooling there's always the discussion about push vs. pull when it comes to single fan on a radiator. In this video you said pull is around % better. Could you please do a video on why pull is better than pull? Is this just a car thing because you already have airspeed from the vehicle moving? Thanks
+Unicorn Reviews The pull fan will suck air from the whole radiator area,but a push fan can only push air directly in front of it. The fans here are surrounded with a cover, so all the air they suck goes through the radiator. If you imagine the same for a push fan, they would only push air from their own area and only some of it will be directed through the radiator fins. In a push fan radiator, the corners will have little moving air to take away heat, but in a pull fan model, the air is sucked more efficiently through the while radiator, no matter what shape it is really. If you blow with your mouth, you cannot blow in all directions, but if you suck instead, air comes in from all directions.
I think the fact the rad is moving and the rad is so much bigger and shrouded is what makes it better, in a pc without proper shrouding the air pulls from around the rad instead of through, so in that instance push is better but using proper fan rad seating minimal difference like .2%
for PCs it doesn't matter as much. for cars, there's a few things that change. the main one is that ideally you want the fan to pull air through the entire surface of the radiator so most puller fans use a shroud. without the shroud, you're only moving the air over the square inches of the fan itself leaving large portions of the radiator with no airflow. with the shroud you move air over more surface of the radiator increasing efficiency. well you can really only use a shroud behind the radiator because if you use a pusher fan with a shroud in front of a radiator you're blocking the natural airflow through the radiator while you're driving. Therefore you almost never use a shroud with a pusher fan so you end up with less surface of air flow which reduces cooling efficiency. none of this applies to PC cooling so you're going to have similar cooling with push or pull. The only difference then would be the fan blade design. most blades are designed to be pushers or pullers and will only work best in one direction. so while you may be able to reverse the fan by switching the + and - it might not move as much air. there's an easy way to tell if you want me to elaborate.
Thanks love your videos. It’s like having a virtual library full of encyclopedias. Do you determine what videos you put out based on other information videos you see that have been posted?
Wanted to give some love to the older videos. Obviously your increased access to resources has made the videos flashy, but the whiteboard approach is lovable. I'd love a deeper dive specifically on the multi-pass design. You said multi-pass would cool more and I believe you, but the mechanism you describe ("increasing the amount of time that the coolant is going to be in this radiator") is false. For a given area and flow rate, residence time within the radiator is fixed (closed system). Thus the achievable heat transfer (i.e. temperature drop, for a given coolant mass flow rate) seems to be hard to modify with this intervention. The multi-pass design would seem to have: 1. Higher linear velocity of coolant flow (constant effective area - reduced effective cross-section, higher effective length). 2. As a result: reduced temperature gradient in the horizontal direction (for the horizontal flow you diagrammed). However: paid for with increased temperature gradient in the vertical dimension. 3. If the number of passes is even: the opportunity to have inlet and outlet on the same side - possibly useful for packaging. You diagrammed three passes, so no benefit there. Other than perhaps interactions with vehicle aerodynamics (say, upper and lower intake ducts with differing flow potential, and/or a vertical temperature gradient in intake air), only (1) above - higher linear velocity - seems to be a plausible mechanism of action. Do you know of a scaling rule for liquid-side linear flow velocity (or reynolds number)? I know you usually aim for a lower Nerd Factor than this, but perhaps you could be coaxed a bit? Thanks for all your hard work and great content!
i can understand that if it would be able to retain the same amount of fluid as an oversized radiator. But form my experience, thinner radiators have never out performed my aftermarket ones on my cars and even dirt bike. With my thicker radiators im able to maintain a cooler running temperature compared to what i would with stock. I guess im just having a hard time understanding how a radiator that does not hold as much coolant as a thick radiator would offer better cooling.
I noticed that the inlet and outlet necks of the radiator in the video are in line with one another. Usually on a downflow radiator, the necks are in opposite corners of the radiator so that the coolant has to flow through the entire core. I'm wondering if your radiator has some kind of internal baffles that route the coolant through the core? Can you see any baffles if you look inside the top or bottom tank?
In my opinion a thicker radiator is better. Reason being is the fact that if its thicker you can retain more coolant compared to a thin rad. Therefor you will be able to maintain a more stable temp
E85 is alcohol fuel (Ethanol). Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops, such as corn. In other words, is the juices from rotting crops, mixed with some chemicals to produce fuel. But, here's the kicker; if 1 gallon of E85 was burned in an engine with a set af/r, and the same amount of petroleum (gasoline) as burned in the same engine with the same af/r, the E85 would produce significantly more power. E85 usually gets 25-30% less MPG, but is cheaper to buy.
So I have a offroad truck with an LS3 in it. It had a stock water pump and a 2 row radiator. It was getting hot when in high demand. I switched to a high flow water pump and it no longer got hot but it still got warm. I switched to a thicker 3 row radiator and it stays cool now. Your information is the opposite of everything that has worked for me over the years
What about reliability, Jerson? Does the aluminum radiator cracks? Besides how much more coolant does the aluminum radiator holds more than the stock radiator? Does the aluminum radiator make your engine last longer (all things being equal) compared to the stock radiator?
great video.. I have a motorbike and i live in Greece witch means tha i have no problems at all with freezing. In the winter it might go to 2-5 degrees celsium. Shall i pour some antifreeze along with destilled water or just water is fine?
Hmm, if it never goes below freezing it's probably no big deal, but anti-freeze also typically has a higher boiling point, so you benefit on both ends of the spectrum.
Hi! Thank for you the great explaining :) If you have the time to make a video on how common rail diesel engines work, it`d be great! I`ve heard some feedbacks that that system is less reliable (fails more than a regular TDI or DI) - do you think that is correct? Thanks!
Than you for the great video, can you tell me please what is the ideal radiator temperature? is 102 degree C after 1 hour driving on the highway OK or do i need to change the old radiator in my car?
Could you, please, make a video on various coolant types, and coolant compatibility with various materials ( iron, copper/brass, aluminum, plastic gaskets, etc. ). Dexcool vs G05? There are just too many choices...
Only benefit from an aluminum radiator is better cooling if your stock radiator is clogged and is causing overheating issues. If you do get an aluminum one get the one with the biggest tubes you can, tube size is more important than row count. Too many rows and you get turbulence inbetween the rows which decreases your cooling capacity. You won't gain any hp or anything just by putting a new radiator in so if you're looking at getting more power then invest your money into a cold air intake or something like that. Most new cars have plastic tanked radiators so you may not even be saving weight.
chevelle19721 thanks for the input, man, but the only reason why I'm considering an aluminum radiator is because my car runs at just a tic passed the halfway point on the temperature gauge. I put a new, lower degree thermostat in there to no avail. It runs like a champ, but it has me extremely paranoid and scouring through the forums has got me nowhere. A couple of mechanics say it's no worry while a couple of others say it is. What do you think?
if its still pretty close to the middle of the gauge i'd say its fine! I'd be worried if it was more closer to the upper limit of the gauge like 1/2 way between the middle mark and the upper mark under normal driving conditions. If you can get a real reading of the coolant temp that would tell you for sure if you're ok or not. The gauge on my car is like 20 degrees off but I know the coolant is at the proper temp because i verified it with my obd2 reader so i could see what temp the engines coolant sensor was saying and the engine coolant is right where it should be even though my gauge says the engine is 20 degrees colder! So it could be your gauge or sending unit as they could get less accurate as time goes on. For now i would just keep driving it!
Tommy Cruz -- if your was built within the past ten years, that temperature gauge is probably lying to you. If it's driven by the ECU, you have no idea what the actual coolant temp is. Car makers have gotten tired of ignorant owners complaining that needles move around and their car is overheating when it is in fact operating normally. They make the ECU show normal temp until the car is actually overheating. You'll need an ODB scanner plugged into the OBD2 port to get the actual temperature, or you'll need to install a real gauge using the temp sensor as the input.
Hello from Dominican Repuplic! I really like your videos! Very informative! I'm currently buildind a Dakar Race Car with my FJ Cruiser, so can I add multiple radiators to cool down the engine on extreme temperature enviroments? If so, how can I connect them ? can I use multiple raditors to cool down my transmission too??
JM You could install additional radiators but one good one, with the proper fans and engine and transmission oil coolers, can be sufficient. See what other competitors have done. You might want to look into water-to-oil coolers. Those can be installed out of harm's way to prevent damage from rocks and stuff. Again, use fans and thermostats. Remember: Thermostats, gauges, warning lights and proper pumps for the transmission (if manual) and differential are always the best prevention.
How great is the temperature difference between the coolant once it is cooled? Lets say the coolant comes in at 200 F, what temp does it have once it leaves the radiator back into the engine? I'm just curious on how big that difference is.
Need to ask.. some aluminum radiator show a sign of expend internally or bloom/bloated and its new.., my question is why? since we have a radiator cap which have controlled the internal pressure of radiator.. is it because of material defect or not very good radiator construction?... i seen this usually in drag race car..
I don't get it how is the radiator put in the car? Are the fans facing the front so that air goes through them and through the radiator easily or is it the other way around, making the fans blow through the air that is coming? Silly question but I'd like to be sure
hey mate i really appreciate your efforts. .I'm doing a research on performance enhancement of a car radiator. and these days I'm looking for resources and references. . do you recommend me any! !
Do radiator manufacturers in certain hotter countries factor in where country drivers put fly screen or mesh in front of radiators or grilles to try to keep bugs and debris from clogging the fins or holing it. I try to get a large hole size that will still allow air to flow through mesh like say 3 - 4mm squares. I have seen some put 1mm square mesh and wonder how the air is getting through trying to push through.
Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for all your great videos. I never grew up around people who could teach me much about cars so I've learned a great amount from all your videos. Keep up the good work!
Thicker radiators won't be dissipating much heat once the air is warmed up, and still passing through the radiator, hence, having it as thin as possible is best (assuming it takes up a large area, which is not ideal).
But what if I have plenty of room in the engine bay?
I like how you cover everything in your videos and continue to go beyond what others would deem necessary. Thanks for everything you do :D
Awesome, best of luck! I hope to rebuild the Integra engine at some point.
For all the Gear Heads out there, your videos are awesome and you explain everything in detail. Peace
We shall see, that'd be awesome!
To learn, my friend!
Water and aluminum work pretty well together for transferring heat. Water is super cheap as well, and safe.
Depends of course, on all of the factors I've described in the video, and many more. That said, it could easily be 50 degrees or more.
Just wanna say you've taught me the most about cars. "With that being said" , im about to start my first restoration!
Really enjoy your videos. You are great at simplifying concepts without condescending.
Depends, it can certainly go both ways, and many times it is done from top to bottom so that as it cools it naturally moves downward. Different cars do it differently.
Very good explanation on turbine engines, I give you two wrenches up!!!
Thanks!
Hmm, good question, it really shouldn't change it too much. It may have a small effect, but ultimately both fans would be blowing the same flow rate (or the more powerful fan would do most of the work, if they were different). Increasing airflow would have a much greater effect.
I like how there are positives and negatives in EVERY aspect of cars almost. Anything that has positives only is already implemented in most cars. Just goes to show how race cars are different to road cars. Thanks for the video!
Cheers!
One thing to touch / comment on is #5 (Material Selection). There is a common misconception in the automotive world which I see quite often when it related to material selection for a Radiator. This misconception is that what people often call a "Copper" radiator (which is really a copper/brass radiator) and it being better for cooling is not true at all.
This is false because while Copper is a better conductor of heat energy, the only part that is copper in them is the fins. Everything else is brass (I.e., the tubes, headers, tanks, etc...) Brass has a lower thermal conductivity rate then aluminum to start with. So the heat transfer out of the water (coolant) is slower in since it has to conduct through the brass tube. The next issue is the "copper" fins are soldered to the brass tubes. The Solder also has an even lower thermal conductivity rate then the brass tubes. Essentially, the solder acts as an insulator between the brass tubes and the copper fins.
With an aluminum core, the construction of the core is essentially 100% aluminum (Aluminum Tubes and fins with an aluminum based braze cladding) so the thermal conductivity rate is virtually the same throughout all components (which is higher then the brass for the tubes and the solder of a C/B (Copper/Brass) Radiator).
It was a Manufacturing cost issue as to why for the longest time, the automotive manufacturing industry used C/B radiators. It was viewed as, "while overall, the aluminum unit will truly cool better, the C/B worked "good enough" and it was much cheaper to manufacture (much cheaper to stamp tanks and components and solder them then to fabricate and weld aluminum tanks". Plus aluminum brazing clad sheets (whats used to bond the fins to the tube) was not really perfected until the late 70's / early 80's.
With technology advancements in Thermal Plastics and copper material cost rise in more recent years (last 20 years), it became more cost effective to go over to Aluminum cores which is why virtually every car sold new in the last 20+ years has come with either Aluminum core / Plastic tank and in some rare cases, 100% aluminum units (i.e., welded Aluminum tanks).
Also, another thing to point out is that #8 (Temp Differential) is one of the few things (like #6) which explains why #1 is as stated ("better to have more frontal area then thickness) is desirable. As the cooling air enters the grill side of the core, it starts to absorb heat from the fins and tubes. This air gains heat on its way though the cores thickness (obviously)... This heat gained by the air means that the temperature differential between the air and the rear side (engine side) tube(s) is now lower so less transfer occurs from the tubes and fins to the air moving across it as Thermodynamics shows us that a higher ΔT (Delta T) means that heat is transferred (ΔQ) at a fast/higher rate between the two media's. Basically the first law of Thermodynamics tells us that an increase in in ΔT = an increase in ΔQ.... So the air entering the grill side of the core will be at ambient but the air in the middle of the core will be hotter and the air exiting the core will be even hotter then what it was in the middle. An easy way to say it will be that the ΔQ will drop as the air pass through the core's thickness.
Chris P you missed a big thing, aluminium is lighter while offering "close enough" performance to copper, i thought that should be the main point
Chris P dammm bro. Bible long ass comment. Ain't nobody got time for that.
I appreciate your informative addition.
You are physics guy😀
You said some parts are copper and some are brass... brass is a copper alloy...
Thanks!
Hmm, I'm not really sure. It may be designed that way, perhaps to fit within a certain area, or improve cooling.
omg those outlets welds ... looks crappy inside that outlet tube 1:01
i thought i was the only one that saw that ha ha ha ah
"Friday!
Thought the same thing LOL
There's always visible evidence of blow through during aluminum welding an experienced welder should be able to see this I can aluminum is one of my favorites
Probably mishimoto
Yep
Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago. Keep up the awesome tutorials
Yes it would, i'd love to see it. The Integra platform and chassis is more than capable.
Informative and adds to my understanding of cooling systems and build a car with an emphasis on cool temperatures. Enjoyed and the basic understanding leads to practical and better designed radiators for our cars. Thanks
Great Job covering the radiator you did leave a pro and con out that I could see right off the stock plastic rounded tanks get better velocity than the square one because of the shape (nearly impossible to find round tank aluminum radiators not cost effective to make) although on older cars you can often get rounded copper tanks.
These are really interesting videos man, one thing to consider is to make sure you measure everything when setting this stuff up, my mate set up a water to air intercooler and found that by decreasing water pump speed it was working more efficiently, this is because when the pump was at max rpm it was causing cavitation and so the water flow was less than at a lower voltage. Plenty of head pressure to the pump fixes this though
Very well explained. Thanks for including ample detail in your videos. I also like the whiteboard illustrations, when available. 👍
To be honest, I'm not sure. But apparently it's capable of pulling more air through, where as pushing may cause the air to push out to the sides of the fan.
Often overlooked yet very important especially on some cars like my E46 M3, I have fitted 3 different types before I found the best setup using a pro alloy part, it has a 35 per cent greater efficiency and allows a bigger intercooler to be fitted for the supercharger. A better oilcooler fits into the front now too so everything is much better than it was. Even power went up to 557bhp cos the fmi is reducing the charge temperature more
what temp thermostat are you using? i am running about the same hp as you and parts store told me to use a 160 degree but i have always used a 195 in the past. i have an over heating problem. going to go all aluminum 3 row and need to know about thermostat to use.
And what's brand -model ?.
i love the way you hold these mechanic parts
Bravo! This guide is far the best video on topic I have found. Thank you evry much!
In your explanation you mentioned that this is a top-down flowing radiator but I believe on Honda's the flow direction is opposite (bottom-up). The bottom radiator hose is connected to the thermostat housing where hot coolant is released going to the bottom radiator reservoir them moving up through the cores to the top reservoir before being pushed back into the engine via the head.
5:40 I think another big thing the aluminum radiators have going for them is that they don't cause as many corrosion issues as the copper radiator.
great video man
I would assume you can get a higher energy dissipation via pulling because the mean velocity of the air is greater. This is because once the heat is dissipated, the air is still being accelerated in by the fan, whereas with a pushfan once the heat is dissipated it creates a small amount of backpressure as it is already decelerating.
I don't care what anyone says - those aren't rows they're columns
i came here because I want to make my water cooling fan colder, bcz in iraq its really hot, i loved the way you explain the concepts you gave me very good insights, thanks a lot
3:00 You also bite your nails?!!! im with you bru
The internet, haha, there's not a one stop shop that teaches you everything, so I'm working on making it! I have a more detailed answer on my FAQ, link's on my About page.
i like all these video's cuz he explains everything in full detail.thanks for making these video's.
Sir if you don't mind I will like to ask you a question on radiator , radiator is made up of brass and copper , how can I separate ?, I mean separating brass from copper.
Which substantial chemical can be used to separate each other?
Your video's are very educational and spot on! thanks for posting!!
For more passes, you get more pressure, which means a higher boiling point, which means (hopefully) less spontaneous air bubbles in the coolant line (if your engine operates close to tolerances like that). Plus, basically, you're compensating for the massive differential of specific heat between air and water when you increase the dwelling time, resulting in more effective overall cooling rates and ultimate cooling results.
great vid with very clear explanations
The video was totally informative and there was so much of knowledge to be gained out of it. I have an important question, you said its important to maintain higher temperature differential of coolant. But that's gonna demand more power or energy isn't it?
Eg. Let's take two temperature differentials of delta X and delta Y, where del X is greater than del Y. Obviously, the former case needs more power to undergo cooling than later, which means the fan has to rotate at a higher speed to meet the objective. I think it's more simpler to have lower temp. diff than higher. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers!!
You want a high temperature differential between the outside air and the engine coolant, so that you can take a significant amount of heat out of it.
Thanks for making these vids! Three questions: 1) Is it possible to have a push pull configuration for a radiator? If clearance is not an issue It would be cool to take a que from computers and have a push-pull fan setup for a radiator. 2) how would a multiple radiator setup work? Again I'm taking ques from computer building. 3) How does radiators behave or how do people get around debris issues in their radiators when doing thing like deep fording; I see vids of cars fording through flooded streeta for instance and of course I see tanks fording rivers, is there some sort of close-able flap and or a fan shut switch to permit fording? Keep up the good work!!
In stationary applications like liquid cooling on pc, pulling or pushing makes no difference in efficiency. Pulling is preferable though, because any dirt would be stuck primarily on the other side of the radiator which is very easily cleaned. If you were pushing air, dirt would be stuck between the fan and the radiator and it would accumulate over time. I believe that this is the reason car engineers select pull, also a pulling config may increase airflow due to the car's speed.
On my 1995 300ZX turbo,i modified my front headlights cleaning sprays to fix them directly facing on the intercooler,when needed,in traffic,it brings the temp down incredibly,and when rolling too,easy,i put a bigger tank and pump for fresh cold water only,when driving to Vegas,I add chunks of dry ice,because it has a tendency to overheat when stuck in Tfc.working on a ventilated hood with fans.
Man that's a great idea, easier than installing a bigger radiator.
I think they are more efficient because the fan inevitably warms up the air its pushing. And if the fans are in front, the air that hits the radiators are warmer and hence less temperature differential than if the fans were mounted in the back. Also I think when the pulling fan creates lower pressure, air from all over the front is sucked it, while on the other hand, the air follows closely the geometry of the fan, meaning the air will be about the diameter of the fan, hence reducing area.
Very well explained 👍
Nice presentation of the subject .. well done
Thanks!
Would installing a bigger radiator like this negatively affect system pressure or put excess strain on the water pump?
yes
It depends on the resistance of the radiator, you could put a larger radiator on and if it has lower resistance it would put less strain on your water pump. It is similar to electrical resistance: More parallel tubes = lower resistance, thinner tubes = higher resistance, longer path = more resistance
no- the engine will soak it up, it will cost hp
Ha, anything can be bought.
Hi, I'm a PC enthousiast and with pc watercooling there's always the discussion about push vs. pull when it comes to single fan on a radiator. In this video you said pull is around % better. Could you please do a video on why pull is better than pull? Is this just a car thing because you already have airspeed from the vehicle moving? Thanks
I agree my Peugeot radiator works really well n it has a push fan design, mayb u can do a comparison video
+Unicorn Reviews The pull fan will suck air from the whole radiator area,but a push fan can only push air directly in front of it.
The fans here are surrounded with a cover, so all the air they suck goes through the radiator. If you imagine the same for a push fan, they would only push air from their own area and only some of it will be directed through the radiator fins. In a push fan radiator, the corners will have little moving air to take away heat, but in a pull fan model, the air is sucked more efficiently through the while radiator, no matter what shape it is really.
If you blow with your mouth, you cannot blow in all directions, but if you suck instead, air comes in from all directions.
I think the fact the rad is moving and the rad is so much bigger and shrouded is what makes it better, in a pc without proper shrouding the air pulls from around the rad instead of through, so in that instance push is better but using proper fan rad seating minimal difference like .2%
On pc pull is done so the rad will not keep dust in between.
for PCs it doesn't matter as much. for cars, there's a few things that change. the main one is that ideally you want the fan to pull air through the entire surface of the radiator so most puller fans use a shroud. without the shroud, you're only moving the air over the square inches of the fan itself leaving large portions of the radiator with no airflow. with the shroud you move air over more surface of the radiator increasing efficiency. well you can really only use a shroud behind the radiator because if you use a pusher fan with a shroud in front of a radiator you're blocking the natural airflow through the radiator while you're driving. Therefore you almost never use a shroud with a pusher fan so you end up with less surface of air flow which reduces cooling efficiency. none of this applies to PC cooling so you're going to have similar cooling with push or pull. The only difference then would be the fan blade design. most blades are designed to be pushers or pullers and will only work best in one direction. so while you may be able to reverse the fan by switching the + and - it might not move as much air. there's an easy way to tell if you want me to elaborate.
Very well explained, I learnt heaps from this and your other vids
Well explained and informative. Loved the video. Thanks
As always your videos are top notch..
@Engineering Explained you should do one on flat fan shrouds
Thanks love your videos. It’s like having a virtual library full of encyclopedias. Do you determine what videos you put out based on other information videos you see that have been posted?
Wanted to give some love to the older videos. Obviously your increased access to resources has made the videos flashy, but the whiteboard approach is lovable.
I'd love a deeper dive specifically on the multi-pass design.
You said multi-pass would cool more and I believe you, but the mechanism you describe ("increasing the amount of time that the coolant is going to be in this radiator") is false.
For a given area and flow rate, residence time within the radiator is fixed (closed system).
Thus the achievable heat transfer (i.e. temperature drop, for a given coolant mass flow rate) seems to be hard to modify with this intervention.
The multi-pass design would seem to have:
1. Higher linear velocity of coolant flow (constant effective area - reduced effective cross-section, higher effective length).
2. As a result: reduced temperature gradient in the horizontal direction (for the horizontal flow you diagrammed). However: paid for with increased temperature gradient in the vertical dimension.
3. If the number of passes is even: the opportunity to have inlet and outlet on the same side - possibly useful for packaging. You diagrammed three passes, so no benefit there.
Other than perhaps interactions with vehicle aerodynamics (say, upper and lower intake ducts with differing flow potential, and/or a vertical temperature gradient in intake air), only (1) above - higher linear velocity - seems to be a plausible mechanism of action.
Do you know of a scaling rule for liquid-side linear flow velocity (or reynolds number)? I know you usually aim for a lower Nerd Factor than this, but perhaps you could be coaxed a bit?
Thanks for all your hard work and great content!
Should do how does biturbo works...it would be awesome!
i can understand that if it would be able to retain the same amount of fluid as an oversized radiator. But form my experience, thinner radiators have never out performed my aftermarket ones on my cars and even dirt bike. With my thicker radiators im able to maintain a cooler running temperature compared to what i would with stock. I guess im just having a hard time understanding how a radiator that does not hold as much coolant as a thick radiator would offer better cooling.
I noticed that the inlet and outlet necks of the radiator in the video are in line with one another. Usually on a downflow radiator, the necks are in opposite corners of the radiator so that the coolant has to flow through the entire core. I'm wondering if your radiator has some kind of internal baffles that route the coolant through the core? Can you see any baffles if you look inside the top or bottom tank?
Great job buddy leant ALOT
thanks man good and detailed
explanation
now there are brushless radiator fans, it will be cool if you make a video on them..
first off, youre a total bad ass. question though; do you get to keep all of the stuff they give you?
I think the only thing extra you could have mentioned was about the ducting (?) holding the fans in place and how that is better for the cooling
Yes, indeed, mine are electric from the start.
nice one Very Helpful video. Thanks
In my opinion a thicker radiator is better. Reason being is the fact that if its thicker you can retain more coolant compared to a thin rad. Therefor you will be able to maintain a more stable temp
E85 is alcohol fuel (Ethanol). Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops, such as corn. In other words, is the juices from rotting crops, mixed with some chemicals to produce fuel. But, here's the kicker; if 1 gallon of E85 was burned in an engine with a set af/r, and the same amount of petroleum (gasoline) as burned in the same engine with the same af/r, the E85 would produce significantly more power. E85 usually gets 25-30% less MPG, but is cheaper to buy.
So I have a offroad truck with an LS3 in it. It had a stock water pump and a 2 row radiator. It was getting hot when in high demand. I switched to a high flow water pump and it no longer got hot but it still got warm. I switched to a thicker 3 row radiator and it stays cool now. Your information is the opposite of everything that has worked for me over the years
Great channel... keep it up.. bro..
Nice haircut, and thanks for these videos!!
Very Helpful video. Thanks
What about reliability, Jerson? Does the aluminum radiator cracks? Besides how much more coolant does the aluminum radiator holds more than the stock radiator? Does the aluminum radiator make your engine last longer (all things being equal) compared to the stock radiator?
I'm a bit confused. If all this is true then why is my thick 4 core rad working better then my thin 2 core?
The fans suck air through the radiator, it's more efficient this way.
great video.. I have a motorbike and i live in Greece witch means tha i have no problems at all with freezing. In the winter it might go to 2-5 degrees celsium. Shall i pour some antifreeze along with destilled water or just water is fine?
Hmm, if it never goes below freezing it's probably no big deal, but anti-freeze also typically has a higher boiling point, so you benefit on both ends of the spectrum.
Oh. SO i guess i'll do the mixed thing. Half and half. Thanks mate. You should do a playlist of the installation's on the integra.. Nice stuff.
Hi! Thank for you the great explaining :)
If you have the time to make a video on how common rail diesel engines work, it`d be great! I`ve heard some feedbacks that that system is less reliable (fails more than a regular TDI or DI) - do you think that is correct? Thanks!
Than you for the great video, can you tell me please what is the ideal radiator temperature?
is 102 degree C after 1 hour driving on the highway OK or do i need to change the old radiator in my car?
Could you, please, make a video on various coolant types, and coolant compatibility with various materials ( iron, copper/brass, aluminum, plastic gaskets, etc. ). Dexcool vs G05? There are just too many choices...
Hey dude! Will you do a performance air filter video? Like K&N? I know you did the cold air intake, that's why I'm asking!
is an all aluminum radiator a good upgrade on a stock motor? Or unnecessary overkill?
Only benefit from an aluminum radiator is better cooling if your stock radiator is clogged and is causing overheating issues. If you do get an aluminum one get the one with the biggest tubes you can, tube size is more important than row count. Too many rows and you get turbulence inbetween the rows which decreases your cooling capacity. You won't gain any hp or anything just by putting a new radiator in so if you're looking at getting more power then invest your money into a cold air intake or something like that. Most new cars have plastic tanked radiators so you may not even be saving weight.
chevelle19721 thanks for the input, man, but the only reason why I'm considering an aluminum radiator is because my car runs at just a tic passed the halfway point on the temperature gauge. I put a new, lower degree thermostat in there to no avail. It runs like a champ, but it has me extremely paranoid and scouring through the forums has got me nowhere.
A couple of mechanics say it's no worry while a couple of others say it is. What do you think?
if its still pretty close to the middle of the gauge i'd say its fine! I'd be worried if it was more closer to the upper limit of the gauge like 1/2 way between the middle mark and the upper mark under normal driving conditions. If you can get a real reading of the coolant temp that would tell you for sure if you're ok or not. The gauge on my car is like 20 degrees off but I know the coolant is at the proper temp because i verified it with my obd2 reader so i could see what temp the engines coolant sensor was saying and the engine coolant is right where it should be even though my gauge says the engine is 20 degrees colder! So it could be your gauge or sending unit as they could get less accurate as time goes on. For now i would just keep driving it!
Tommy Cruz -- if your was built within the past ten years, that temperature gauge is probably lying to you. If it's driven by the ECU, you have no idea what the actual coolant temp is. Car makers have gotten tired of ignorant owners complaining that needles move around and their car is overheating when it is in fact operating normally. They make the ECU show normal temp until the car is actually overheating. You'll need an ODB scanner plugged into the OBD2 port to get the actual temperature, or you'll need to install a real gauge using the temp sensor as the input.
does yonaka hook you up all the time? your car must perform really well lol rad
Hello from Dominican Repuplic! I really like your videos! Very informative!
I'm currently buildind a Dakar Race Car with my FJ Cruiser, so can I add multiple radiators to cool down the engine on extreme temperature enviroments? If so, how can I connect them ? can I use multiple raditors to cool down my transmission too??
Josemanuel Hernandez I think it'd be best to use a single radiator that's properly sized, and multiple fans, but yeah anything's possible.
JM
You could install additional radiators but one good one, with the proper fans and engine and transmission oil coolers, can be sufficient. See what other competitors have done. You might want to look into water-to-oil coolers. Those can be installed out of harm's way to prevent damage from rocks and stuff. Again, use fans and thermostats. Remember: Thermostats, gauges, warning lights and proper pumps for the transmission (if manual) and differential are always the best prevention.
How great is the temperature difference between the coolant once it is cooled? Lets say the coolant comes in at 200 F, what temp does it have once it leaves the radiator back into the engine? I'm just curious on how big that difference is.
Thank you, it's clear for me now,!
What do you think of Evans Waterless Coolant? Jay Leno advocates it. Are there any drawbacks or is it really that good?
Need to ask.. some aluminum radiator show a sign of expend internally or bloom/bloated and its new.., my question is why? since we have a radiator cap which have controlled the internal pressure of radiator.. is it because of material defect or not very good radiator construction?... i seen this usually in drag race car..
Could you please make a video on how to calculate the size of the intake manifold. Like ideal runners length and diameter etc.
No
I don't get it how is the radiator put in the car? Are the fans facing the front so that air goes through them and through the radiator easily or is it the other way around, making the fans blow through the air that is coming?
Silly question but I'd like to be sure
hey mate i really appreciate your efforts. .I'm doing a research on performance enhancement of a car radiator. and these days I'm looking for resources and references. . do you recommend me any! !
I hope after few years, you transform your integra to a fully capable racing car :D
this video can be also applied for pc with a water cooling system ;) very racing stuff!
Great video! How would I connect this radiator to a computer PSU? Please help!
GREAT STUFF.
Damn dude, they send you soo much stuff! thats sweet!
Do radiator manufacturers in certain hotter countries factor in where country drivers put fly screen or mesh in front of radiators or grilles to try to keep bugs and debris from clogging the fins or holing it. I try to get a large hole size that will still allow air to flow through mesh like say 3 - 4mm squares. I have seen some put 1mm square mesh and wonder how the air is getting through trying to push through.