Cooling system upgrade

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Da dan
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Cooling system upgrade

Post by Da dan »

On my way back from the peak district but my fan was on most of the journey. everything was fine and there is the correct amount of coolant in the engine and has been bled properly, new radiator and stainless pipes. I know is been super hot recently which doesn’t help our vans but I was wondering if an in line pump wold help to push the fluid around more? would that actually benefit? I understand that you would get a better flow rate of coolant as it will travel further and faster thus cool down quicker or is this me just over exaggerating the process and will just be more problem than what is necessary seeing as the van works but just gets a little too hot in this weather but I suppose that’s what the fan is for. help on my quandary would be nice if anyone has any other suggestions keep coolant temperature now interested to hear. Would this affect the water pump? Dg1.9 love machine


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937carrera
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by 937carrera »

Bigger / deeper rad will improve cooling through greater surface area

Adding an oil cooler will take load off the water cooling system

Contrary to what one would instinctively think, slowing the flow of water through the rad will allow more heat to be removed (which is also why bigger rads work) - this bit updated later in the thread

Double fan systems are fitted to the higher output versions of some cars, I'm sure VW have some.

Plenty of options there, my preferred is what CJH has done to his here http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... &start=289, though others have different views

Over to you :)
Last edited by 937carrera on 03 Jul 2018, 22:48, edited 1 time in total.
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300CE
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by 300CE »

I have the larger 44mm rad fitted in place of the original:

https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/radiator-t ... etrol.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by Da dan »

Thanks guys. So I’m thinking of oil cooler then as the rads been done. The oil cooler acts like an extra radiator then? It that right?


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937carrera
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by 937carrera »

Yep, radiating heat from the oil rather than the water, but before you go there what sort of condition is your radiator in. Could it be blocked and so not cooling as well as it should. From what you wrote earlier it seems as though you are on the edge of cooling capacity, yet you have already fitted a bigger rad ?

See what others say as well - 300CE ?

ps, just seen you have a new rad, so unlikely to be blocked, just see what others say
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by Da dan »

I don’t think it the over sized one I have but I will investigate. Can you make them work with out the oil just the water running through it?


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937carrera
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by 937carrera »

There's quite a bit of work / expense involved in adding an oil cooler circuit, rad alonse as a first step might be wise.

Where did you get your new rad from.... quality varies enormously ?
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Ian Hulley
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by Ian Hulley »

Da dan wrote: Dg1.9 love machine

You don't say what year (i.e. which cooling system) you have ... please add it to your signature.

Adding an oil cooler to a late system van isn't too difficult, you need to add a 2.1 thermostat housing, water pump and the associated pipework, longer oil filter spigot and the generic 1980's VW oil warmer/cooler as fitted to most VW injection models of the period. Everything is available on Brickwerks ... https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/t3-parts/e ... m.html?p=3 Page 3 and onwards.

Fitting an oil cooler to the early system has been done but not by me.

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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by CovKid »

I have TWO new 44mm rads in my lockup ;)
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937carrera
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by 937carrera »

CovKid wrote:I have TWO new 44mm rads in my lockup ;)

I bet that runs nice & cool :rofl
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by Da dan »

Sorry it’s an 85 dg. It’s got the bigger pipe work on the expansion tank if that helps? What would you want for the bigger rad? I will have to dig out the paper work to see and will go look at the van at the weekend as I may not be using it. Or I am so I won’t?!?! Thanks guys. Also has anyone heard about lpg vehicles not being allowed on ferries? Thinking of changing but no point if there is no where to fill it up or be able to go on ferries etc? Someone said it to me but it does sound a little daft but feasible. Thanks again


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Ian Hulley
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by Ian Hulley »

Da dan wrote: Also has anyone heard about lpg vehicles not being allowed on ferries? Thinking of changing but no point if there is no where to fill it up or be able to go on ferries etc? Someone said it to me but it does sound a little daft but feasible. Thanks again

LPG vehicles ARE allowed on ferries but not on Eurotunnel. They had to make a scapegoat following the Chunnel fire but couldn't ban lorries (it was a lorry trailer brakes that actually caused the fire) otherwise they would have gone bust SO they banned LPG fuelled vehicles instead.

We have run on LPG for about 11 years with no incidents at all ... saved a fortune. There are loads of places to fill up PLUS of course you still have a petrol tank.

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captain Byrne
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by captain Byrne »

I think if your fan is on most of the time even during hot weather this is not normal and you have an underlying problem. You should investigate your cooling system for possible blockages/restrictions before you think about an oil cooler. Get to the route of the problem first, then sort out a solution.
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CJH
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by CJH »

937carrera wrote:
Contrary to what one would instinctively think, slowing the flow of water through the rad will allow more heat to be removed (which is also why bigger rads work)

[pedant mode] :D
I'm not convinced that's right. Slowing down the flow will certainly lower the temperature of the returning water, but will it remove more heat energy from the cooling system? I don't think it will, because the rate of heat transfer, from a hot object to a cooler one, depends on the difference in temperature between them - bigger temperature difference means faster transfer. So if you imagine a cooling system with a fast rate of water flow, the returning water near the radiator outlet will be warmer than in the case of a slower flow, and therefore it is still transferring heat to the passing air at a faster rate than if it was cooler.

One way to think about this is to consider whether the air passing through the radiator emerges hotter or cooler in one scenario or the other. Whichever scenario leads to the hottest air, under equal airflow conditions, is the one that's removing most heat energy from the cooling system. That was my reasoning when thinking about whether it was a good idea to cover part of the water radiator with my oil cooler matrix.
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captain Byrne
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Re: Cooling system upgrade

Post by captain Byrne »

There will be an optimum flow rate. Too fast and the water won't cool down enough as it passes through the radiator, too slow and the cooler water already passed through the radiator takes too long to reach the engine.
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