[deegs88]

Does though aluminium radiators work better with engine cooling.

[deegs88]

Im thinking of buying a aluminium radiator just wondering if they are any good

[royce]

Copper is a much better conductor of heat than aluminium

But the material used is probably the last thing to think about, surface area, number of tubes, number of fins are all more important

[Shansh]

not to mention the light fingers brigade pinching your car for the copper radiator!!!

[BlueSuzy]

What kind of aluminium radiator?

Plastic tank or full alloy?

Full aluminium are good if you can find one to suit, But if anything happens like getting a tree branch through it, they can get expensive to replace.

[deegs88]

are they better then the standard radiator that already got in them for cooling the engine

[deegs88]

its full aluminium

[deegs88]

i just wanna get a radiator that bolts straight in which cools the engine better

[buzbox]

If your cooling system is in perfect working order, you shouldn't need to cool it any more.

[skyman]

Stock does fine,i would just buy an OEM replacement unless you are running something bigger than a 1.6

[Hybrid]

The stock rad in good condition easily cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

[Dale]

I have a ford fiesta radiator in mine, its aluminium with plastic to/bottom. Works a treat.

[Fatzook]

Hybrid wrote:

The stock rad in good condition JUST cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

Fixed. There is a reason that suzuki fitted a larger radiator to the vitara. Because it NEEDS it.

I do however agree hat there could be an underlying problem.

[Hybrid]

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

The stock rad in good condition JUST cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

Fixed. There is a reason that suzuki fitted a larger radiator to the vitara. Because it NEEDS it.

I do however agree hat there could be an underlying problem.

Fair enough. I've never had any hint of strain on a new 1.3 rad, running a shroud and vit fan in front of a 1.6. Not going slow, not in the sand, never. I did have dramas with and old choked stocker rad though. What you say makes sense though with regard to suzi throwing a bigger one in the vit. I was just speaking from experience that the 1.3 rad seems to cover it for me and at least a couple of guys I know.

[Fatzook]

Hybrid wrote:

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

The stock rad in good condition JUST cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

Fixed. There is a reason that suzuki fitted a larger radiator to the vitara. Because it NEEDS it.

I do however agree hat there could be an underlying problem.

Fair enough. I've never had any hint of strain on a new 1.3 rad, running a shroud and vit fan in front of a 1.6. Not going slow, not in the sand, never. I did have dramas with and old choked stocker rad though. What you say makes sense though with regard to suzi throwing a bigger one in the vit. I was just speaking from experience that the 1.3 rad seems to cover it for me and at least a couple of guys I know.

I do agree with you, but the idea of having the larger radiator is that it allows for conditions other than ideal.

So you have to do some mud plugging on your way to the cape...... The sierra radiator is smaller than the vit, so it is close to its maximum cooling capabilities when it is clean. But when its packed with unavoidable mud, you have no built in redundancy.

I hate to see people cut corners on cooling systems. Afterall it is directly responsible for the longevity of your motor.

[deegs88]

do the vitara radiators bolt straight into the serrias.

[Jackson]

Fatzook wrote:

I hate to see people cut corners on cooling systems. Afterall it is directly responsible for the longevity of your motor.

x183895959294956.

Been there done that.

Whatever engine you got just bung the right radiator infront of it. I spent months trying to sort out my cooling system, shoulda just put the right radiator in in the first place, without the stress I would have lived to 100 and I could have done more 4bying!!!

And how to mount a vit radiator in a sierra. http://auszookers.com/index.php?name=Ne ... cle&sid=31

[deegs88]

its a 1.3l.what radiator would you recommened for better cooling

[Mrhb2u]

I've just gone through the process myself... I had my standrad 1.3l radiator increased to a 3 row, added the 1.3l shroud with the vitara clutch fan, put in a new thermostat and tucked in a 14inch thermo fan at the front bottom right corner of the radiator activated using a manual switch (already came with the car). The thermo is tucked into the spot where not a lot of air is seen by the radiator due to the wider bumper bar, really its there to only help if required nothing more. I am also going to build in the sides of the raditor to the support panel to force more air through rather than out the sides. With regards to an alloy radiator, all of the radiator shops I spoke to steered me away from them due to expense of fixing if anything went wrong. The 3 row is a tightish fight but does work well... so far!

[Mrhb2u]

I also spent money on a good coolant... Tectaloy Xtra Cool Gold

[deegs88]

thanks for ya help mate

[SuziBlu]

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

The stock rad in good condition JUST cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

Fixed. There is a reason that suzuki fitted a larger radiator to the vitara. Because it NEEDS it.

I do however agree hat there could be an underlying problem.

Fair enough. I've never had any hint of strain on a new 1.3 rad, running a shroud and vit fan in front of a 1.6. Not going slow, not in the sand, never. I did have dramas with and old choked stocker rad though. What you say makes sense though with regard to suzi throwing a bigger one in the vit. I was just speaking from experience that the 1.3 rad seems to cover it for me and at least a couple of guys I know.

I do agree with you, but the idea of having the larger radiator is that it allows for conditions other than ideal.

So you have to do some mud plugging on your way to the cape...... The sierra radiator is smaller than the vit, so it is close to its maximum cooling capabilities when it is clean. But when its packed with unavoidable mud, you have no built in redundancy.

I hate to see people cut corners on cooling systems. Afterall it is directly responsible for the longevity of your motor.

Im working with this guy, custom built, guarantied to cool or send back, full ally.

Just have some plumbing details to finalize as he does not like inlet and outlet on the same side, me either, so its going to be in top right out bottom left.

Best is, told him I was gathering parts for the build, so no urgency, he said, sweet, no matter when you buy it, tell me when you put it all together, thats when the warranty starts, I recon as that is pretty good.

[Fatzook]

SuziBlu wrote:

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

Fatzook wrote:

Hybrid wrote:

The stock rad in good condition JUST cools the 1.6L conversions so buying a bigger rad would be just a bandaid for whatever your current problem is. Have you got the radiator shroud on, is your fan ok, is timing within range etc? You'll probably find your stock radiator is shot.

Fixed. There is a reason that suzuki fitted a larger radiator to the vitara. Because it NEEDS it.

I do however agree hat there could be an underlying problem.

Fair enough. I've never had any hint of strain on a new 1.3 rad, running a shroud and vit fan in front of a 1.6. Not going slow, not in the sand, never. I did have dramas with and old choked stocker rad though. What you say makes sense though with regard to suzi throwing a bigger one in the vit. I was just speaking from experience that the 1.3 rad seems to cover it for me and at least a couple of guys I know.

I do agree with you, but the idea of having the larger radiator is that it allows for conditions other than ideal.

So you have to do some mud plugging on your way to the cape...... The sierra radiator is smaller than the vit, so it is close to its maximum cooling capabilities when it is clean. But when its packed with unavoidable mud, you have no built in redundancy.

I hate to see people cut corners on cooling systems. Afterall it is directly responsible for the longevity of your motor.

Im working with this guy, custom built, guarantied to cool or send back, full ally.

Just have some plumbing details to finalize as he does not like inlet and outlet on the same side, me either, so its going to be in top right out bottom left.

Best is, told him I was gathering parts for the build, so no urgency, he said, sweet, no matter when you buy it, tell me when you put it all together, thats when the warranty starts, I recon as that is pretty good.

Why?

The sierra radiator is easily tall enough to run side tanks and have it set up as a twin pass. (ie. water enters top right, moves to the left tank and drops, then passes to the right tank to exit at the bottom.

[SuziBlu]

Dunno mate, he builds radiators, I do not know radiators well, I do know heat exchangers on marine motors is all.

On a marine set up, if 5% of the cooling structure is blocked, then expect an overheating problem, so, imo, go as large as possible, take up all the available space.

I just think that in and out on the same side will not utilize the whole of the fin/cooling structure as one that has an inlet and outlet on opposite sides.

I have been known to be wrong but.

I may be reading it wrong, but what you are describing is somewhat the same as he says, inlet one side, outlet the other. ?

[JrZook]

Fatzook wrote:

So you have to do some mud plugging on your way to the cape...... The sierra radiator is smaller than the vit, so it is close to its maximum cooling capabilities when it is clean. But when its packed with unavoidable mud, you have no built in redundancy.

I hate to see people cut corners on cooling systems. Afterall it is directly responsible for the longevity of your motor.

Had that up north at home. Mud plowing for 8hrs straight and low speed high revs stuff. That vit viscous fan mounted within the 1.3 radiator shroud had no issues keeping a new copper stock sized 1.3 radiator on the 1.6 cool.

Also gave it a massive workout up at woodgate beach near bundy in the soft sand and sand hill climbs. Once again no issues at all! Tho those BFGs really like to try and tunnel to china in the soft sand

That fan moves some serious air compared to the stock 1.3 one!

[Bennyzarb]

Can you put that viscous fan on a 1.3 engine

[BlueSuzy]

Yes, unsure about shroud and space though.

[royce]

SuziBlu wrote:

Im working with this guy, custom built, guarantied to cool or send back, full ally.

Just have some plumbing details to finalize as he does not like inlet and outlet on the same side, me either, so its going to be in top right out bottom left.

Best is, told him I was gathering parts for the build, so no urgency, he said, sweet, no matter when you buy it, tell me when you put it all together, thats when the warranty starts, I recon as that is pretty good.

Lol is that a Sierra radiator I see, with the outlets on the same side

also note that thicker cores like that might be great for greater coolant capacity but it only delays overheating, the thicker core also make it harder to pass air through to cool it all well

[SuziBlu]

royce wrote:

SuziBlu wrote:

Im working with this guy, custom built, guarantied to cool or send back, full ally.

Just have some plumbing details to finalize as he does not like inlet and outlet on the same side, me either, so its going to be in top right out bottom left.

Best is, told him I was gathering parts for the build, so no urgency, he said, sweet, no matter when you buy it, tell me when you put it all together, thats when the warranty starts, I recon as that is pretty good.

Lol is that a Sierra radiator I see, with the outlets on the same side

also note that thicker cores like that might be great for greater coolant capacity but it only delays overheating, the thicker core also make it harder to pass air through to cool it all well

Royce, yes that is a stock replacement, I am going taller, wider and having the ports on opposite sides.

This will be coupled to a SPAL 3,000cfm 16" thermo fan.