Crossflow Radiator

[XCRN]

Does anyone know of a crossflow radiator that has the auto trans cooler provisions and puts the coolant inlets and outlets in roughly the same spot as a factory radiator? This is specifically for a GM engine swap, and I have had great success with maintaining temps with an LS swap specific crossflow radiators with the cammed LS and I keep hearing about issues of people using factory style downflow rads having issues. I want to use what I know works, but the twist on this swap is I want to be able to swap in a factory style radiator from the local parts store in case I am far away from home and the main radiator leaks (which has happened twice now on the LS swap rad, so this is not some theoretical worry). I have found one source for a rad that is cross flow and has the ports close enough that appears to be for Ford V8 swaps, but it does not have the trans cooler provisions which I will probably run an aux cooler, I just like the idea of being able to use the one in the radiator as well to warm the trans up to temp quicker during the cold season.

Anyone know of a radiator that matches these requirements?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1636387728...pid=5337789113&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

 

[Abendage]

What fan are you running? I’m using the stock mechanical fan from the LQ4 and the stock TJ radiator and the pair keeps it plenty cool.

 

[XCRN]

What fan are you running? I’m using the stock mechanical fan from the LQ4 and the stock TJ radiator and the pair keeps it plenty cool.

On the LS TJ I am using a Flex-A-Lite and it has worked great for me. I plan on using the same for the next swap.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I don't know enough about the specific radiators in question but the direction of flow, in itself, should not have any impact on the radiator performance. Are they thicker or have more tubes or something like that?

 

[XCRN]

I don't know enough about the specific radiators in question but the direction of flow, in itself, should not have any impact on the radiator performance. Are they thicker or have more tubes or something like that?

Crossflow goes from side to side and flows I believe flows a little slower giving the coolant better chance to be cooled and allows the overflow bottle to go on the low pressure side/cooled side so a lower pressure rad cap can be used. With the factory TJ style down flow, hot side/higher pressure side is up and flows down. It might be a small amount of cooling difference but with as small of an area the TJ has for a radiator anything helps when pushing 300+hp.

 

[KennethS]

flows a little slower giving the coolant better chance to be cooled

That's not how it works.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Crossflow goes from side to side and flows I believe flows a little slower giving the coolant better chance to be cooled

How would it flow slower?

and allows the overflow bottle to go on the low pressure side/cooled side so a lower pressure rad cap can be used.

What benefit does a lower pressure cap offer?

With the factory TJ style down flow, hot side/higher pressure side is up and flows down. It might be a small amount of cooling difference but with as small of an area the TJ has for a radiator anything helps when pushing 300+hp.

If there is a difference in cooling, it's from something else and completely unrelated to the flow direction or the pressure.

 

[XCRN]

How would it flow slower?



What benefit does a lower pressure cap offer?



If there is a difference in cooling, it's from something else and completely unrelated to the flow direction or the pressure.

I do not know the exact science behind the 2 different designs. I just know I have had no issues keeping my engine cool with a crossflow rad and others do with similar engine setups and similar sized down flow radiators that were not LS swap specific. My understanding is using a lower pressure cap is it helps prevent over pressure situations, bursts and leaks. I am probably wrong in that assumption.

https://help.summitracing.com/knowledgebase/article/SR-05278/en-us

 

[NashvilleTJ]

I do not know the exact science behind the 2 different designs. I just know I have had no issues keeping my engine cool with a crossflow rad and others do with similar engine setups and similar sized down flow radiators that were not LS swap specific. My understanding is using a lower pressure cap is it helps prevent over pressure situations, bursts and leaks. I am probably wrong in that assumption.

https://help.summitracing.com/knowledgebase/article/SR-05278/en-us

A lower pressure cap lowers the boiling point, so not a good thing.

I run a cross-flow in the Hemi, cooling 500+ - which is quite the task. I'm not aware of any specific benefits of the cross flow design, I think it's more around packaging - but I have no actual idea. With all my generated heat, it's always been about getting enough airflow - which has taken some work and three e-fan setups.

 

[XCRN]

A lower pressure cap lowers the boiling point, so not a good thing.

I run a cross-flow in the Hemi, cooling 500+ - which is quite the task. I'm not aware of any specific benefits of the cross flow design, I think it's more around packaging - but I have no actual idea. With all my generated heat, it's always been about getting enough airflow - which has taken some work and three e-fan setups.

I knew the higher pressure the higher boiling point, I just don't seem to need the higher boiling point for some reason.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

I don't know enough about the specific radiators in question but the direction of flow, in itself, should not have any impact on the radiator performance. Are they thicker or have more tubes or something like that?

Crossflow radiators have the advantage of the pressure cap being on the low pressure cooler side allowing the overall system to run at a higher pressure which supports more efficient heat transfer in the engine. At the same time the cap on the lower pressure cool side helps catch and burp any gasses trapped in the system into the overflow tank a bit better than down flows. The TJ radiator fin section is reasonably square so flow rates should be comparable through the designs, but with the tanks running vertically on the sides cooler fluids will "fall" down before entering the heat exchanging portion and higher temp fluids can linger and cool a little further on the the top of the return side before falling to the outlet. On most vehicles the radiator is much longer on the horizontal axis providing more time crossing the exchange section to shed heat.

I'd go for a crossflow if there is a high quality option for the TJ.

 

[lBasket]

I thought an LS used an expansion tank design do people not use that when they do a swap?

 

[GoldenGorilla]

I thought an LS used an expansion tank design do people not use that when they do a swap?

An expansion/overflow tank is common on all modern engines along with the 2-way cap. Your really looking at 60s to 70s systems and earlier that don't include the overflow tank and even then, it's preferable to add one if feasible.

 

[Abendage]

I thought an LS used an expansion tank design do people not use that when they do a swap?

I didn’t, I used the stock TJ radiator, cap and overflow.

 

[lBasket]

An expansion/overflow tank is common on all modern engines along with the 2-way cap. Your really looking at 60s to 70s systems and earlier that don't include the overflow tank and even then, it's preferable to add one if feasible.

An expansion tank is different than an overflow tank, no cap on radiator, the pressure cap is on the tank and the tank is pressurized

 

[MikeE024]

Crossflow goes from side to side and flows I believe flows a little slower giving the coolant better chance to be cooled and allows the overflow bottle to go on the low pressure side/cooled side so a lower pressure rad cap can be used. With the factory TJ style down flow, hot side/higher pressure side is up and flows down.

I don't understand how the cooling system has a high-side or low-side since the fluid is common.

Why wouldn’t the pressure be the same throughout the system?

 

[mrblaine]

I don't understand how the cooling system has a high-side or low-side since the fluid is common.

Why wouldn’t the pressure be the same throughout the system?

Or put another way, how does the path of fluid through the core get around adhering to Pascal's Principle?

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I don't understand how the cooling system has a high-side or low-side since the fluid is common.

Why wouldn’t the pressure be the same throughout the system?

A pump does generate a pressure rise and flow through anything will create a pressure drop but the pressure drop through the radiator will be small. But the pressure has nothing whatsoever to do with the heat transfer so it's completely irrelevant anyway.

Or put another way, how does the path of fluid through the core get around adhering to Pascal's Principle?

How about Pascals wager?

 

[mrblaine]

A pump does generate a pressure rise and flow through anything will create a pressure drop but the pressure drop through the radiator will be small. But the pressure has nothing whatsoever to do with the heat transfer so it's completely irrelevant anyway.



How about Pascals wager?

I'm still trying to figure out how the flow direction makes it possible to run a lower PSI radiator cap.

 

[Abendage]

I'm still trying to figure out how the flow direction makes it possible to run a lower PSI radiator cap.

The Schwartz