February 3, 200719 yr So I was thinking (yes, I know, it can be dangerous) that on my next off road build I would like to do a wagon again. The hatch is fun and all but not very "utilitarian". However I would like to reuse the bumper I built. The down side is I lost alot of approach angle. So, I was thinking, why not mount the radiator horizontaly on or just under the hood. That way I can pull the bumper and winch back to an almost stock position. With the lift I should have plenty of space, and I'd continue to use aftermarket fans to draw in air, through a rectangle hole cut into the bonnet. What say ye off roaders???? Later, Tim here's for reference.....
February 3, 200719 yr Matt put his radiator on top of the engine with no hood for a while but it got in the way, plus it would probably get annoying lifting that weight with the hood. What about mounting it into a radiator sized hole in the roof and having 2 fans on top or below that? You'd have one hell of a heater in the winter.
February 3, 200719 yr There was a blue EA82 wagon at WCSS7 running an ER27. There was no room for a radiator in front of the engine, so they had it attached to the hood much like your are suggesting. It seemed to work fine. Whose car was that?
February 3, 200719 yr the one Im refering to,they mounted the radiator to a support separate from the hood.Then they can tilt the radiator with the hood open..
February 3, 200719 yr ThreeEyedBandit, he's not on here that often. It's an 84 wagon with an ER27 and a Jeep Cherokee rad - was on the engine, now in the cargo area with fans.
February 3, 200719 yr Subarubrat.com has a tilting radiator on top of the engine-EZ33 I think...Don't mean to pick holes at you, just want you to know the right info.There is an EZ30, and an EG33. Also subarubrat has an ER27. See, I can do my part at spreading "true" information too.
February 3, 200719 yr Maybe Ian can take more pics for you before he sells his hatch... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=10854&cat=500&ppuser=600 GD
February 3, 200719 yr Don't mean to pick holes at you, just want you to know the right info.There is an EZ30, and an EG33. Also subarubrat has an ER27. See, I can do my part at spreading "true" information too. oops sorry All I knew was it was a 6 sorry...wait isnt er27 a EA82 with two more holes?I thought he had the H6 from an outback? confuzled.
February 3, 200719 yr oops sorry All I knew was it was a 6 sorry...wait isnt er27 a EA82 with two more holes?I thought he had the H6 from an outback? confuzled. yep, it's an XT6 motor. his is built to about 250 hp....but still an ER27.
February 3, 200719 yr yep, it's an XT6 motor. his is built to about 250 hp....but still an ER27. Heluva engine, but I doubt that rig has ever turned a wheel in anger, a pity too... One of the nicest lifted soobs I've ever seen.
February 3, 200719 yr Author I like that set-up. I was thinking in the front, but there's no reason why a guy couldn't move it back and use up some of that wasted space. Later, Tim Maybe Ian can take more pics for you before he sells his hatch... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=10854&cat=500&ppuser=600 GD
February 13, 200719 yr Author Okay, now I've been thinking again, "How am I going to fill the thing and keep it full"???? So my thought was to make the radiator able to tip up at an angle, fill it then lay it back down. The one thing that does worry me is being at the highest point in the cooling system it will be the first to go dry if I do lose coolant (does that make sense???) The other thought I had was to have the fill neck reworked so that it is at a 90º angle, pop in a funnel and fill it up. Any ideas or thoughts welcomed, Tim
February 13, 200719 yr Hey Tim, do you remember seeing the horizontal radiator in my red Hatch way back when? I used a radiator and presure tank out of a Porsche 924. Not only is it a nice rad with powerful fans, but the way that system was designed, the radiator cap isn't on the radiator, but rather the cap is on the pressure tank. The pressure tank (reservoir) is mounted higher than the radiator and you fill it through the cap on the tank. I works great that way, the only thing I'd do different, is hinge the radiator so it's easier to access the clutch adjustment, and I'd exhaust the heat up and out the rear of the hood, perhaps with a cowl type hood vent like Qman has (had?) on his Brat.
February 13, 200719 yr Just have a radiator shop solder a new filler neck to the front of the tank. So that it's pointing up when it's laying flat on it's side. Should be pretty trivial for them really - they are used to making solder repairs on tanks, etc. Friend of mine works for a radiator shop and can build pretty much any radiator you could want. GD
February 14, 200719 yr Author That's pretty much what I was thinking but reworking the neck. I guess cutting a hole in the front and soldering on a new filler would be good too. I'm now thinking this might get a start on my hatch and not wait to build a wagon to do it. Good stuff, thanks. Tim Just have a radiator shop solder a new filler neck to the front of the tank. So that it's pointing up when it's laying flat on it's side. Should be pretty trivial for them really - they are used to making solder repairs on tanks, etc. Friend of mine works for a radiator shop and can build pretty much any radiator you could want. GD
February 15, 200719 yr Another thing that might be helpful, is that you can swap and rotate the thermostat housing to make hose routing less funky. Old RX7s had a radiator cap on the t-stat housing and it swaps onto EA engines. For hoses, most auto part stores will let you go through their stock to find the hose you need. Have fun...
February 16, 200719 yr Author Good call on the thermo housing. I think once I lay it all out prior to mounting I'll "see" alot of possibilities. I called the radiator shop and he seemed willing to do what he could. Even had a few words of wisdom for me. Thanks again guys, I'm looking forward to some temps in at least the double digits (above 0) so I can start on this thing. Later, Tim
February 19, 200719 yr Author I test fit an EA series radiator and it seems a littel wide. I could make it work but I spent about an hour on the "internets" looking for other radiators. Vehicles like Chevettes, Geos, and a couple of others were looking in the size range I was looking at. Price was right on most of them to. Next may be a trip to the wrecking yard just to look at fillers, inlet, and out lets. Later, Tim
March 26, 200719 yr Author It has begain. I pulled the radiator and bumper today, I'm going to refit the bumper first then start to work on the radiator. :banana:
April 12, 200718 yr hope it all works out im doing the same thing for my filler i just cut the one off my stock soob rad and clamped a hose on it the took the cap end and clamped it to the other end keeps it flexable and filler friendly lol im just mounting it at an angle in the spare tire area and mounting the dule fans in the hood but idk if i want to run them both pushing in to the rad pulling out or one going each way to circulate what u think ???? Tha:burnout: nks (ps sorry if i hijacked) Rob
April 12, 200718 yr Author I'm going to have my fans on the underside so they pull air in from out side. I'll be building a "hood scoop" to cover the hole in the hood so snow and junk doesn't pile up on the radiator. I'm still looking at how to mount the radiator, but I'm thinking a rectangle cradle out of angle iron and mounting brackets bolted to the strut top bolts. Share some pics as you get started and I'll do the same. Later, Tim
April 16, 200718 yr hey i did it its all good ill post pics today i have ot buy batterys for the camera uhhhh i hate when hey go dead (((SUCSESS))) ah ha Rob
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now