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I'm using a basic aluminum cell from RCI. I also bought some fuel cell foam and stuffed the lower half of the tank with it.

Ken

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I'm using a basic aluminum cell from RCI. I also bought some fuel cell foam and stuffed the lower half of the tank with it.

Ken[/quote]

Thats the cell I'm thinking about using in the side pod. Hows the pickup with the foam stuffed in?

So.... I'm really considering running my radiator in my right side pod rather then in the front. If I create a side scoop feeding the tunnel and also draw air from the top of the side pod do you think I'll get enough cooling?

It would be great to offset the weight of my fuel cell with the weight of the radiator. I think I've seen a few guys do this with the Ultima GTR, i'm scared i'm going to run into issues. I've noticed the LS6/LS1 is a pretty easy motor to cool. If I can make it work the payoff will be huge with my aerodynamics of the car.

Yo Kyle-
All the following is IMHO, see disclaimer:
First question is, is the sidepod big enough to house the radiator that fits the engine? I mean, the OEM stock rad that would have come with the car. If you downsize the rad, then all bets are off.

The airflow along the side of the sidepod can do a good job of pulling air out of the sidepod via chimney effect. With a scoop on top or on the side to push air into the rad, and a fan blowing air thru it, the opening on the side would extract air, making for good flow.

For a rough estimate, measure the grill openings of a Vette (or whatever car uses that same engine, right?) and figure you need at least that much area in your inlet scoop. (or more!) If you can do that, and provide suitable exit opening(s), it should work just fine.

A big NACA duct on top of the 'pod would look cool as all hell, too!

Standard disclaimer *I ain't no engineer!*

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

I'm using a basic aluminum cell from RCI. I also bought some fuel cell foam and stuffed the lower half of the tank with it.

Ken[/quote]

Thats the cell I'm thinking about using in the side pod. Hows the pickup with the foam stuffed in?[/quote]

The pickup is a straight piece of aluminum tubing that ends just above the floor of the tank. The foam is stuffed around it and doesn't seem to affect the pickup at all.

As for your radiator, when I had mine mounted in front the engine ran right on the thermostat. I originally was running without a t-stat and the engine would barely get to 150 F. Of course, I had a 3" thick radiator and it was perfectly vertical with no obstructions. Now I am running with the radiator mounted above the engine at a pretty good forward angle. I have a fan pulling air through the radiator. The engine now gets to about 250 F in turbocharged form. I think a side mounted radiator with a good fan and flow path will work just fine. I would recommend a separate oil cooler.

Ken

Good point, yes, an oil cooler would be a good idea!

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

If you run a radiator for an automatic you can use the (internal to the radiator) transmission oil cooler rather like Ford does with an oil cooler located in the lower radiator hose on the P71 Crown Vic.

And just for everyone, here's where I've bought a lot of "stuff" for various cars I've worked on over the years, the prices are fairly decent for sheetmetal, radiators, etc. http://www.levangroup.com/

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"There are times when a broken tool is better than a sound one, or a twisted personality more useful than a whole one.
For instance, a whole beer bottle isn't half the weapon that half a beer bottle is ..." Randall Garrett

Be careful about a NACA duct on top of a side-pod, if the duct is in the wake of the front wheel. If you go back to the original papers on NACA ducts you'll find a couple of things. The ducts were first developed for jet engine intakes, but then saw broader use. Some of their advantage lies in the opening shape, which generates separation and vortices that ensure that the boundary layer gets ingested into the inlet, followed by free-stream flow.

The lessons include realization that those neat-looking molded GRP NACA dusts are but styling execrises which are unlikely to generate clean separation and vortices from the inlet sides, and rely more on pressure differential than boundary layer management. The NACA openings in the side windows of NASCAR car are good examples of how a NACA duct opening should be 'cut' in a surface. The second lesson is that it is important what sort of flow you put a NACA duct in - if the sidepod is deep enough that there is clean flow off the front wheel, fine - but if there is separated flow off the front wheel then any opening on top of the sidepod will likely be next to useless unless the exit of the ducting is somehow extracting air, and so drawing it into the opening on top of the pod.

Regardless, NACA ducts do look really neat!

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

I've decided against running the radiator in the side pod... The Ron Davis I bought doesnt fit right. I'm going to stick with the front mount.

I need to get creative on how to box it and skin it while keeping the profile clean.

Hmmm.... It's kinda tall... Can you move it back further in the frame, where the bodywork will be taller as well? Or... Angle it downward, closer to flat... Or.... Lean it the other way, a lot, and duct the air into the front/top side and out the back/bottom side??? Did any of that make sense? No? Good, my work is done here...

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

haha yea i'm going to tilt it back further. I'm going to build a snout just like on the porsche 917/10. The snout on the 917 is around 6-8" tall and mine is 10". So yeah it needs to tilt back.

Just out of curiosity, are you drilling these holes in a press or by hand?

Even when you account for the tolerances of a drilled hole, a 1/4" drill bit shouldn't be so far off that a pip pin won't engage.

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-Andrew
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