Cooling add or replace ?

N

Neil T

Active Member
Hello everyone, I’ve been reading some old posts about adding an extra cooling radiator from a motorbike. At the moment I’m running a standard system with the cooling water flowing through the heater Matrix constantly but I never open the flap to allow air through it because I don’t want hot air inside, bear in mind I won’t be using the van in cold weather either so my questions are am I right thinking I’m not getting much or any cooling benefit for the engine keeping the heater matrix flap closed and do I need to keep the heater matrix piped in if I put a motorbike rad on with good airflow through it or will it be ok on its own ??
 
I've got mine plumbed into the return pipe (always open) from the heater so if I ever do need heat and open the flaps then I'll still get the benefit of the heater. I know Jimberlake has fitted a diverter valve so the flow goes either through the heater or the extra bike rad.
 
I plumbed mine in between the heater matrix input and output pipes (in parallel) with a control valve. As mines a later Dodge I also have a slide control on the dash for the heater matrix itself. It means I can either have the heater matrix on/off or the extra rad on/off or both.
Saying that the bike rad isn’t plumbed in atm as I mounted it too low and ripped a hole in it on a kerb. The van doesn’t over heat but would prefer the electric fan to come on less in hot weather.
I’ve another bike rad to fit but this time fabricated mounts on the front bumper (oil cooler style) - I just need to make a reasonable looking grill cover for it this winter and connect it all up again.
 
Thanks for your reply’s, I think I’m going to try it with just the new bike rad, disconnect the original heater hoses but leave them in and run two new hoses to the bike rad then if it doesn’t work out I can T into the heater hoses like you have. another thing does the water pump cope with the extra hoses and radiator ??
 
We both run Davies Craig electric pumps but the mechanical one won't have a problem.
 
Have a search for truck heater matrix. They are larger than most bike radiators and fit really nicely under the passenger footwell
 
Just fitted the bike rad today didn’t have time to get out in it so test drive tomorrow , have you fitted a truck heater then ?, any pictures would be interested in seeing what you have done ?
 
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