How do you decide if a radiator is big enough for an application? Like I have a 11" by 10.5" by 1.5" radiator and I need to cool a Suzuki GSX-R 600 engine. Will this be a big enough radiator?
How do you decide if a radiator is big enough for an application? Like I have a 11" by 10.5" by 1.5" radiator and I need to cool a Suzuki GSX-R 600 engine. Will this be a big enough radiator?
We need more info. Will it face the air at the front of the car? Is it going in a car? Will there be a radiator fan, and if so, how strong will it be? Will you have the air ducted in and out of the radiator? How hot is the hottest day that this will run, or to be more exact, what is the highest expected density-altitude? Is this a two row or a three row unit? What temperature will the engine operate at? What coolant do you plan to run? Blah blah blah...
It will be in a sidepod with air ducted in. There will be a radiator fan (I am assuming you mean how many CFMs for the strength which I don't know. It is just a random fan we have laying around. Is there a way to tell that?) I would say 100 degrees in Alabama. And I figure at 1.5" thick it is a two row.
You can take a guess at the fan strength by running it and measuring the amperage. Then, compare the measured amperage to the current draw for similar fans found online. It's a rough guess, but good enough for starters.
The sidepod with ducting helps a lot here, assuming the duct inlet air is not diverted, obstructed, or terribly turbulent. If the duct sees free air, then all is well.
If you can look into the tank end (by removing the cap if there is one), then you can count the rows. Otherwise, sometimes you can look very carefully between the fins with a flashlight and count rows.
My gut feeling is that the radiator is either right on, or a bit too small. It really depends on how fast the car will be driven. For autocross, it's good enough for a run, but perhaps a bit small for a string of three runs back-to-back. For the track, it may be sufficient.
Not all radiators are created equal, but if you compare your radiator to the heat exchanger(s) (radiators) on a GSX-R 600 of the same vintage as your engine, you should plan to have at least the same cooling area. Similar or greater frontal area for the same number of rows, for instance.
Two radiators this size would be enough, certainly, probably even for a larger engine.
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