Dual Radiators: series or parallel?

[Procharmo]

I will be running a gear drive twin F1C Procharged SBC 406 street car. I have two 12 x12x2 aluminium radiators with 11" fans.
They have -12AN fittings, there is also a CSR electric water pump with heater outlet.
Which will be more efficient, the radiators connected one after the other in series. Or using a pair of Magnafuel -12AN y-blocks feeding them in parallel?



I need to be able to idle in central London traffic, burnout, then idle again, for hours on end in summer heat!!!!

[jocko124]

Parallel?

[LSx_88_Ciera]

*Curious*
Why are you running two quite small radiators?

[tonykim]

it depends on how much coolant flow you have and how much inlet restriction the water pump can take. series radiators increases the tube velocity because the flow path is a lot smaller. this will increase heat transfer but at the cost of higher cooling system pressure drop. I'd try it both ways and see how it performs.

[novaderrik]

those two radiators combined are smaller than the radiator in my 97 Cavalier daily driver- and i don't think i'd even try cooling a stock small block with it..

[Procharmo]

*Curious*
Why are you running two quite small radiators?

So that I can fit the Prochargers where the original Be Cool monster radiator was. One to each side......

[Procharmo]

Parallel

Thanks, I guessed parallel due to the small pipe size but still wasn't sure.

[Procharmo]

those two radiators combined are smaller than the radiator in my 97 Cavalier daily driver- and i don't think i'd even try cooling a stock small block with it..

True. I was hoping that two smaller radiators would cool more than one larger of twice the size... I may be able to go larger but at greater cost. I also have location and air flow efficiency to take into account. I have installed a separate transmission cooler and additional oil cooler to further reduce the work the radiators will perform.

Here are some solutions others have come up with......



As you can see the Olds is quite a wide car and he has plenty of room. But remember it is a single gear drive. (It's a Big block).

This Camaro has had the chassis chanelled to allow deeper radiator in an optimum air flow location.




My car is a 2nd Gen. With more length and less height, however I do not wish to cut the chassis and would like to preserve its cornering abilities hence smaller radiators...

I could go for a third above the blowers. Below is an example of the room I will have to play with.......

This car has a single 22 x 13 radiator on a 660 BBF but it's not a street car hence the in efficient air flow location.

This car has no radiator. I guess he is using his A/W reservoir as an engine cooler as I know he is not on meth...


This is where its got to go. I can fit 12 x12's, 10 x 22's maybe 12 x 22's at a stretch but they will be close to the front wheels and will collect road debris.

[Procharmo]

Well, thank you for the support. I finally got them in. I may need some additional ducting and or a third radiator but we'll see after the initial road tests....

[John Wright]

Will you be running the inner fender liners? I have to wonder if a rock would knock a hole in your radiator because it looks fairly close to the tire. I would fab up some sort of ducting and or shrouds to direct as much air as possible across those (tiny) radiators.

[Procharmo]

Will you be running the inner fender liners? I have to wonder if a rock would knock a hole in your radiator because it looks fairly close to the tire. I would fab up some sort of ducting and or shrouds to direct as much air as possible across those (tiny) radiators.

Thanks John. I will run fender liners. I'm looking at the VFN items. Regarding the ducts I may try to construct something similar to this scoop on Al Jiminez's F3 single Procharged '73 Camaro.



With two side vents to the radiators. The function should be similar to these Porsche items...





I have also found an OEM example of twin parallel radiators from a Lambo Murcie to confirm the efficiency..



I have started her up and idling she will sit forever at 160 degs. Pretty soon I'll know what happens when she's producing some heat and power. However I just read that Porsche 997's in hot climates have a third radiator retro fit...



So I'd like to know if you would think the third centre radiator should be plumbed in series to the two parallel radiators..or all three parallel using some thing like this....

[MonzaRacer]

WWW.EVANSCOOLING.COM
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