"Radiator Saver"

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Rice Nuker

Let the Coal Roll!
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Seeing many radiators clogged by debris coming from an engine block and seeing the price of a ganofilter, I have improved on the basic concept of putting a screen over the upper radiator hose.

First pics of my basic stainless screen with a bit of cone shape stuck over the radiator inlet so it folds over the outside a bit and the radiator hose fits over the folded over mesh.

This 440 has about 26 or 27k original, has a professionally boiled out radiator and the engine has been flushed with citric acid for several days and tap water 3 more times.
After putting the motor on a test stand, it was filled with distilled water and prestone flush. I ran this this for probably 3 hours.
 

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So after that I decided to make a nicer one that was not so crappy and would flow better.
This design rather than lip over the outside of radiator inlnet simply bottoms out on the front inside wall of the radiator. It is longer for better surface area and since it protrudes into the radiator body, it allows flow outwards.
 

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From what I have read, anyone who runs something like this will forever be seeing trash trapped in it. The cooling system perpetually sheds crap and it all ends up trapped in the radiator unless you have a screen.

Anytime someone flushes the radiator or gets a new one, they should permanently run something like this. Lots of folks get a new radiator and shortly thereafter it just clogs back up with junk and goes to hell.
 
Good work.
If after a while you want to also filter the finer debris you could install the toe-piece of a stocking.
 
Thanks.

I'm afraid a finer inline filter will slow flow too much unless it's in a bypass setup like aftermarket on diesel cooling systems. Those things fill with mud substance in 6 months cause the system generates sediment and particulates. I am buying a bypass type kit for my Dakota as a test. I'll probably get one on this machine in
the future.

Here is what I am looking at for a bypass setup. Cheaper than the diesel kits by a long shot. Not as fancy.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSD29Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER"]Amazon.com: Wix 24070 Coolant Spin-On Filter, Pack of 1: Automotive[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSINYU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER"]Amazon.com: Wix 24019 Filter Mounting Base, Pack of 1: Automotive[/ame]
 
Man that's a great idea. Thanks for sharin.
 
Never knew they made something like that.

I'm currently battling a dirty engine with a lot of rust and crud inside. I've already backflushed the radiator once and some hefty chunks came out, but still it didn't take too long to clog up again with finer stuff.

My plan is to get a rustdisolver and run that through the engine for awhile as the next step. Then do some more flushing.
 
You need a screen in there.

If you are not running a screen, you are just going to clog the radiator again and again.



If it is long (deep) like my second one, it will keep the crap in it better than a shallow depth one.





Never knew they made something like that.

I'm currently battling a dirty engine with a lot of rust and crud inside. I've already backflushed the radiator once and some hefty chunks came out, but still it didn't take too long to clog up again with finer stuff.

My plan is to get a rustdisolver and run that through the engine for awhile as the next step. Then do some more flushing.
 
I run a similar design screen on my cars for the first few hundred miles. It's amazing what they catch!
 
Interesting I wonder if it's because the systems are using a water based coolant.
 
I bought one of these....
http://www.mako.com.au/
when we bought the Fairlane years ago. I wanted to be able to remove the filter for cleaning without having too pull the hose. Previous owner ran straight water in it for a while so the block is rusted badly. Pretty much pulled it out and cleaned it after every drive. Don't remember the details but when I had the radiator rebuilt I found a guy that had an old core that had a different type of fin on it, hate like hell to plug it up again....
 
That's a great idea.


How often do you have to check/clean the debris out of the screen?
 
I'd buy that.

Looks like they have a US site

http://www.tefba.com/

What'd you pay for it?

I bought one of these....
http://www.mako.com.au/
when we bought the Fairlane years ago. I wanted to be able to remove the filter for cleaning without having too pull the hose. Previous owner ran straight water in it for a while so the block is rusted badly. Pretty much pulled it out and cleaned it after every drive. Don't remember the details but when I had the radiator rebuilt I found a guy that had an old core that had a different type of fin on it, hate like hell to plug it up again....
 
Would a dual remote oil filter be up to the flow of a radiator? They are pretty cheap. Even in a bypass series setup they might work? Or would water just turn the paper element to pulp?
 
I am reasonably sure that the material has to be coolant filter rather than oil filter. Maybe you can get a coolant filter to spin onto the oil filter base.
Down side is the velocity thru those spin on coolant filters is unlikely to "stir" all the large particles up into there, where as an inline coarse filter coming out from engine is guaranteed in the primary flow location to catch all the medium and large "stirred up" debris.

The spin on filters are put in bypass mode like an offshoot of heater lines and deal with minimal pressure differential to slowly pass fluid to trap fine silt and similar over along period like 6 months or a year. They would not allow enough flow to accommodate direct inline of main radiator hose. You probably already know this stuff but I thought I'd ramble on for a bit.. :)




Would a dual remote oil filter be up to the flow of a radiator? They are pretty cheap. Even in a bypass series setup they might work? Or would water just turn the paper element to pulp?
 
The heavy duty industry has been using filters in diesel cooling systems for years. These units are inline filters that go in the outflow and can be serviced at regular service intervals. They are also inexpensive. Engine temp is critical in diesels, so I don't think the flow suffers, Tom
 
Really? Full flow from the engine goes thru the filter?

Do you have any links of how this system is designed?

Well the consumer truck diesel coolant filters, all I have seen, are bypass design where they take a couple percentage of the flow thru them. A full flow inline filter that could catch all the very fine particulate and stuff must be massive in size or surface area not to hinder volume.





The heavy duty industry has been using filters in diesel cooling systems for years. These units are inline filters that go in the outflow and can be serviced at regular service intervals. They are also inexpensive. Engine temp is critical in diesels, so I don't think the flow suffers, Tom
 
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