Rear mount radiators. ...Who has one?

[DHR Darren]

I am considering doing a rear mount radiator on the willys. Who has done it and how do you like it?

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Did it on the stomper years ago.

It SUCKED. It was not cool at all.

Now it has a nice reliable front mount rad again.

 

[DHR Darren]

Did it on the stomper years ago.

It SUCKED. It was not cool at all.

Now it has a nice reliable front mount rad again.

Thats what I was thinking, not to mention all the under rig plumbing.

 

[leadfoot067]

its easy,my buddy with a willys wagon like your did it...he used 1.75 exhaust pipe under the rig. connected to both ends with rad hoses..ran a dual elec fan setup. only glitch was when filling the system you had to park it nose down pretty steep to get it to burp..once that was done it works great..

 

[DHR Darren]

its easy,my buddy with a willys wagon like your did it...he used 1.75 exhaust pipe under the rig. connected to both ends with rad hoses..ran a dual elec fan setup. only glitch was when filling the system you had to park it nose down pretty steep to get it to burp..once that was done it works great..

How did it cool? Did it ever get too hot or have trouble pumping thru that long run of piping?

 

[crash2]

Secret squirrel has been perfect for years...

 

[nick c]

My 720 with a SBC had a rear mounted radiator. Les built the set up originally when he did the SBC swap.

I'm pretty sure it was the stock radiator from the Monte Carlo he pulled the motor from. mounted a Tarus fan to it. It worked fine for him, when I bought the truck back and started screwing with crap trying to make it better I made it worse.

Eventually though I got it under control and didn't have any over heating problems. I used 1.5" copper for the main lines, and had a flex line at each end for the connections.

 

[Fordzuki]

I used 1.5" exhaust tube on mine, made a couple of small bends with a pipe kinker, and all the bigger bends were sections of radiator hose. I just went to shucks and had them take me back to the radiator hoses so I could pick out a few with the most bends that were 1.5".
The only thing I don't like about mine is it's technically in the cab. It works great as a heater though. :redneck:
I had a hell of a time burping mine even with an air evac, but what worked for me was removing the t-stat and leaving the housing off till I started seeing green and replaced the housing minus t-stat.
I also had a hard time getting the radiator hoses to seal on the 1.5" exhaust tubing, so I smeared some ultra grey on the tubes before sliding the hoses over. Haven't had a leak since adding the ultra grey. It'd be better to just roll a bead on the tube, but I was just trying to get it done at the time.

All in all, if I could squeeze a radiator in up front, I probably would. But I don't have the space, so when I redo the cage I'm going to move it further back in the rig.
Some old pics...

 

[DHR Darren]

Thanks guys, I am wondering how well a small front mount radiator will cool in the willys on snow runs. I'd hate to see it running hot and say "damn, I wish I'd have done a large bed mount!!"

 

[hlb3]

My 720 with a SBC had a rear mounted radiator. Les built the set up originally when he did the SBC swap.

I'm pretty sure it was the stock radiator from the Monte Carlo he pulled the motor from. mounted a Tarus fan to it. It worked fine for him, when I bought the truck back and started screwing with crap trying to make it better I made it worse.

Eventually though I got it under control and didn't have any over heating problems. I used 1.5" copper for the main lines, and had a flex line at each end for the connections.

Yup, just a stock Monte Carlo radiator, some junk 1.5" pipe, and a bunch or random radiator hoses. It was super ghetto and it stayed nice and cool.

 

[ChrisStewart]

Thanks guys, I am wondering how well a small front mount radiator will cool in the willys on snow runs. I'd hate to see it running hot and say "damn, I wish I'd have done a large bed mount!!"

It will cool fine in the rear. Patience in burping it is key. Like leadfoot said, nose down ass up.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Therers nothing like being deaf because the of the LOUD ass electric fans too.

I didnt like,

The burping.
The filling.
The amount of ADDED rubber hoses to fail.
The added amount of coolant.
The Noise.
Working under a rig with hot exhaust pipes AND hot coolant pipes.
You fans will pick up mud/sand roost and spackle in into the core fins.

Those are just a few of the reasons I went back to a front radiator.


Ever see a BBC hotrod with a rear radiator? They have less room than your willys and they keepem cool up front.

 

[DHR Darren]

I am trying a front mount first. I'm not liking the plumbing of a rear mount or the added heat it will generate in cab.

 

[pokey]

I used 1.5" exhaust tube on mine, made a couple of small bends with a pipe kinker, and all the bigger bends were sections of radiator hose. I just went to shucks and had them take me back to the radiator hoses so I could pick out a few with the most bends that were 1.5".
The only thing I don't like about mine is it's technically in the cab. It works great as a heater though. :redneck:
I had a hell of a time burping mine even with an air evac, but what worked for me was removing the t-stat and leaving the housing off till I started seeing green and replaced the housing minus t-stat.
I also had a hard time getting the radiator hoses to seal on the 1.5" exhaust tubing, so I smeared some ultra grey on the tubes before sliding the hoses over. Haven't had a leak since adding the ultra grey. It'd be better to just roll a bead on the tube, but I was just trying to get it done at the time.

All in all, if I could squeeze a radiator in up front, I probably would. But I don't have the space, so when I redo the cage I'm going to move it further back in the rig.
Some old pics...

I know the pics don't show the completed project but I sure hope you put some kind of a shield between you and the radiator :eeek:

 

[TreeClimber]

Ever see a BBC hotrod with a rear radiator? They have less room than your willys and they keepem cool up front.

Poor analogy. Hotrods don't run heavy loads for long periods of time, like we do when pulling a long hill climb. And they do overheat, quite often actually. Yeah, some are well designed. But not all.

 

[hlb3]

It will cool fine in the rear. Patience in burping it is key. Like leadfoot said, nose down ass up.

I added one of those flush kits to the heater hose and used that to fill and bleed the air up front, worked perfectly.

 

[PORTER]

I am trying a front mount first. I'm not liking the plumbing of a rear mount or the added heat it will generate in cab.

This is what I recommended also, for obvious reasons.

 

[DHR Darren]

This is what I recommended also, for obvious reasons.

Gotta go with the old K.I.S.S. method on this one.....

 

[jeepmauler]

Gotta go with the old K.I.S.S. method on this one.....

There ya go....nothing good comes from a rear mounted rad.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Poor analogy. Hotrods don't run heavy loads for long periods of time, like we do when pulling a long hill climb. And they do overheat, quite often actually. Yeah, some are well designed. But not all.

I said hot rod, not rat rod. :redneck: