Where too mount 3 heat exchangers

[Kingspeedy2]

This is a 1/2 body shop 1/2 driveline post.
I am doing some rust repair and extra hole filling on my rad support.
I was thinking now is the time to plan cooling and the placement of the vintage air conditioning condensor and trans cooler and decide wether to enlarge the rad opening while I am at it.
The condensor is big so it will pretty much have to go in front of the rad.
And although i am not racing i will be doing a lot of stop and go traffic so am going to go with an auxillary trans cooler.
And because of the stop and go and the condensor being in front of the rad was thinking of putting in a bigger one.
At the very least a more efficient one.i am going electric fan so i think engine to rad clearance is a non issue.
I was thinking i could mount the trans cooler behind the grill to the side with of the rad with some slots neatly cut in the rad support to let air pass through..i could put it underneath to be in the airflow but its more subject to damage.
Since i am changing my front end i can put the trans cooler on the inner fender well with or without its own fan.
Of course now i am adding more heat to the engine compartment.
I would rather not clutter the engine compartment.
Where should i tuck all this stuff ?
And how well does a rad of that size cool with a condensor in front?
As always your thoughts are apreciated

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Condensor Coil SHOULD be in front of radiator.On setting up a 65 we used a trans cooler with its own fan and put it where the battery would go [tray was mostly gone from rust] with the fan pulling air out through the fender.Both of my 65s have radiators that just fit between the frame rails,same height as a stocker!! ROY.

[popscomet]

I have seen the cond on the fan side of the rad,,BUTBUT,it was a FORD street rod with a SBC under the hood,I ask the owner if it worked on that side ,he said it worked good,but this is coming from a man ,(and this is JMO) that will settle for 2nd or 3rd best,if he wasn't he'd have a ford under the hood,,so he most likely don't know if it's working properly or just gettin by...and he's tickled beyond words..... pop

[poboyjo65]

Pop that sounds like a chevy guy. They just ain't as cool as us! he's pulling heat off the rad thru his cond.,I want my condenser getting cool air . as cool as possible.

On some AC's made for house's,window units ,the fan splashes/sprays water/condensation on to the condenser to help cool even more. turn your car ac on in the rain sometime, it will freeze your ----- off, everbody but that one chevy guy

[Kingspeedy2]

since this is my first Mercury I wont beat up on the GM guy.I do poke fun at my wife over the fact her 2003 Pontiac Sunfire doesn't have air but my 65 will.
I don't think I want to cut a hole in the fender unless I can fab up a duct through there somehow through to the rad
Although I wont be happy about it but the chance of getting caught out in the rain in BC is pretty good .I would think it would be cause for a lot of stuff and moisture swirling around the engine bay. Unless my car is missing inner fender skirts and I don't know it

I

[Lou's Comet]

Just a couple ideas, on the right side of my rad support there was some slots cut in it in front of the battery, might be able to place trains cooler there?? If your rad support has them. Wider radiator prob wouldn't be hard to do. Just cut the opening bigger in rad support. Guys I know that race seem to think cross flow rads work better although I myself don't know.

Also seen where people put coolers on a horizontal behind the bumper and put a scoop under bumper to route cool air through it. Are you still going to route trains line through rad with the trains cooler?? If you run a bigger trains cooler alone without running trains fluid thru rad keep some heat out of rad. Also if you ran a engine oil cooler would also help.

My sons car has, rad, condenser, engine oil cooler and 2 innercoolers up front. Tight fit but car never runs hot. And none of them are real big. He drives on the streets, races auto cross, road courses and goes to the drags with this car only time it ran hot was when rad started to go bad.

His innercoolers are inside the front inner fenders, also oil cooler, In front of the tires, has scoops in lower bumper to route the air thru them and the hot air exits into the front inner fender area instead of engine compartment. Maybe run a trans cooler on one side and a oil cooler on the other side, a little hidden ductwork could suck the air from under bumper and exit it in wheel well.

Just some thoughts.

Lou

[Kingspeedy2]

Thanks for all that info lou.
I had just welded in a new patch were one one of those slotted areas is beside the middle piece had corroded away.
Doesnt mean i cant put slots back in.
I also have to weld in a a little piece between the rad support connection and the area of the inner right fender under the battery. maybe u can sneak in a vent.
I like the behind the bumper idea too.I need it to look neat and tidy and with the hoses protected and out of the way.
Thanks for your ideas

[poboyjo65]

I went with a bigger rad ,frame to frame wide.I have plans of ac someday. I had to turn the battery a 1/4 turn to make room. so that might make it a little crowded over there unless you go below the battery, & thats where the rad support area is tight with the big rad. You might want to get the new rad fitted before deciding on a place for the trans cooler.

[poboyjo65]

If you go behind the bumper you could make a scoop to direct air in to it like Fred did here, scroll down toward the bottom;
http://www.cometcentral.com/forum/viewt ... &start=210
might not need a fan.

[Kingspeedy2]

very cool pics thanks. I love the brace aswell