There are a few things I don't understand...
07-18-2010, 06:14 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
There are a few things I don't understand...
1.) Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
2.) Why anyone ever thought the derivative market was a good idea
...and last, but most importantly,
3.) Why in the hell GM didn't put access/cleanout panels on the radiator shrouds.
At times, I've been plagued with high coolant temps and it is nerve-racking racing with a car that requires backing off & short shifting to keep the coolant temps within tolerable levels to suit me.
A few weeks ago we took the radiator out and had it "boiled out' by a local radiator shop. It was full of debris, and sand up at the very top of the radiator where it meets the shroud and we can't reach it with a blow gun or other forms of cleaning it out.
Anyway, after the thing was "boiled out" and reinstalled, the coolant temps never exceeded 214* on a 104* day during 20 minute sessions. Needless to say, I was pleased, and figured if I kept it clean at the top, I could avoid these frustrations.
So, while sitting here at the palatial environs of the Big Pine Key Mobile Home & Adult Theme Park and drinking an adult beverage, I said, "Why the f*** don't I fix that. Hell, I made it though 8th grade shop class, it can't be that tough!"
After careful measuring, and checking, this is the solution I came up with, and should allow me to clean the top of the radiator cavity out easily and efficiently without removing the radiator.
Driver's side access panel:
Passenger side access panel:
2.) Why anyone ever thought the derivative market was a good idea
...and last, but most importantly,
3.) Why in the hell GM didn't put access/cleanout panels on the radiator shrouds.
At times, I've been plagued with high coolant temps and it is nerve-racking racing with a car that requires backing off & short shifting to keep the coolant temps within tolerable levels to suit me.
A few weeks ago we took the radiator out and had it "boiled out' by a local radiator shop. It was full of debris, and sand up at the very top of the radiator where it meets the shroud and we can't reach it with a blow gun or other forms of cleaning it out.
Anyway, after the thing was "boiled out" and reinstalled, the coolant temps never exceeded 214* on a 104* day during 20 minute sessions. Needless to say, I was pleased, and figured if I kept it clean at the top, I could avoid these frustrations.
So, while sitting here at the palatial environs of the Big Pine Key Mobile Home & Adult Theme Park and drinking an adult beverage, I said, "Why the f*** don't I fix that. Hell, I made it though 8th grade shop class, it can't be that tough!"
After careful measuring, and checking, this is the solution I came up with, and should allow me to clean the top of the radiator cavity out easily and efficiently without removing the radiator.
Driver's side access panel:
Passenger side access panel:
07-18-2010, 06:55 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
An easier solution would be to stay on track!!!! 
LOL!
Just kidding, I took mine out to get the engine out last week and I think I had most of the gravel in the parking lot at VIR in the radiator. Great idea Jody!!!
JD 
Note: that is the only complain I have about VIR! Those pits are a PIA!
LOL! Just kidding, I took mine out to get the engine out last week and I think I had most of the gravel in the parking lot at VIR in the radiator. Great idea Jody!!! JD Note: that is the only complain I have about VIR! Those pits are a PIA!
07-18-2010, 07:01 PM
#6
Race Director
I especially enjoy making parts like that on my car.
07-18-2010, 07:29 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Amazingly, as simple as these panels appear it was a relatively complicated to get it the way I wanted it.
The blank aluminium panel you see is attached through the shroud plastic (the shroud is sandwiched) into a piece of doubled sheet metal as a backing plate that has nuts welded to it so that the screws you see have a place to attach. Each of the screw holes are blind so we had to make sure the nuts would always be in the same place when the plates were reinstalled.
I thought of using dzu fasteners but they stick out pretty deep on the backside and I feared they might interfere/rub either the radiator or oil or transmission coolers. I erred to the side of safety.
It was also important to use a thick aluminium blank plate with stiff backing on the underside of the shroud so that no air could leak around the panels. We used a rubber gasket material on the aluminium plate to prevent air leakage.
This should accomplish all of those goals and be pretty easy to clean out with a garden hose or air.
This idea was one of the milder ones. You should have heard some of the crazy ones I had, but got talked out of. One involved a 5 gallon pressurized tank with a spray bar installed behind the shroud.
Thankfully, I've got a friend who is pretty smart and has a shop with a lot of tools and stuff, and he talked me out of that one, and helped me make this one.
The blank aluminium panel you see is attached through the shroud plastic (the shroud is sandwiched) into a piece of doubled sheet metal as a backing plate that has nuts welded to it so that the screws you see have a place to attach. Each of the screw holes are blind so we had to make sure the nuts would always be in the same place when the plates were reinstalled.
I thought of using dzu fasteners but they stick out pretty deep on the backside and I feared they might interfere/rub either the radiator or oil or transmission coolers. I erred to the side of safety.
It was also important to use a thick aluminium blank plate with stiff backing on the underside of the shroud so that no air could leak around the panels. We used a rubber gasket material on the aluminium plate to prevent air leakage.
This should accomplish all of those goals and be pretty easy to clean out with a garden hose or air.
This idea was one of the milder ones. You should have heard some of the crazy ones I had, but got talked out of. One involved a 5 gallon pressurized tank with a spray bar installed behind the shroud.
Thankfully, I've got a friend who is pretty smart and has a shop with a lot of tools and stuff, and he talked me out of that one, and helped me make this one.
07-18-2010, 07:33 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
An easier solution would be to stay on track!!!! LOL!
Just kidding, I took mine out to get the engine out last week and I think I had most of the gravel in the parking lot at VIR in the radiator. Great idea Jody!!! JD
Note: that is the only complain I have about VIR! Those pits are a PIA!
LOL! Just kidding, I took mine out to get the engine out last week and I think I had most of the gravel in the parking lot at VIR in the radiator. Great idea Jody!!! JD Note: that is the only complain I have about VIR! Those pits are a PIA!
If you think VIR is bad, try CMP! The sand from that paddock was the main culprit of plugging up the fins on the radiator.
C5 XTC
07-18-2010, 10:59 PM
#13
Race Director
07-18-2010, 11:48 PM
#15
Racer
Member Since: Sep 2008
Location: Houston Texas
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Are you running the OEM radiator or something with more cooling capacity to get those temps?
I think I need to clean our my radiator also as my temps were much hotter on a stock C5Z at RA in June. I am also running staight water with some water wetter.
-Nasa SE DE3 guy that likes to watch the Falcon's vids!
I think I need to clean our my radiator also as my temps were much hotter on a stock C5Z at RA in June. I am also running staight water with some water wetter.
-Nasa SE DE3 guy that likes to watch the Falcon's vids!
07-19-2010, 09:19 AM
#16
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
07-19-2010, 09:37 AM
#17
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
:oI don't think we punctured anything but I'll find out at R/A in August!
07-19-2010, 10:26 AM
#18
Safety Car
Member Since: Nov 2000
Location: Shenandoah Valley Virginia
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Are you still running the AC condensor in front of the radiator or have you removed it ?? Could this design work for those of us that still use the cars as dual purpose street / track cars and still have the AC system ?? If you decide to market the design and templates, put me first in line. I swapped out my radiator to a DeWitts this last weekend. The amount of garbage, sand, etc. that was stuck in the AC condensor and old radiator was amazing. Even after a vacuum from the underside after the last event at VIR, I got at least two LARGE handfulls of garbage.
