V-8 Swap Cooling Solutions (1 Viewer)

[Elbert]

Hello,

Just wondering what others have done in regard to cooling a V-8 transplanted into a FJ60. Its a given I want to retain the A/C and have the truck functional in the summer with the A/C going full blast. Not looking for a boderline solution.

Tips, experience, sad stories....

I intially plan to run a Vortec 350 with the OEM fan and heavy duty fan clutch (GM), along with that I plan to have a decent radiator shroud fabricated or adapted. I currently have a good brass 4 core
radiator, but I had no first hand knowledge if would cool the FJ60 very well with the V-8 and the A/C blasting.

Thanks, Elbert

 

[Nightshadow]

The 400 Small block I have has absolutly no problems staying cool, even in hot summer days with the stock radiator. I have heard that some people have issues cooling a 400, tough I have never had any trouble. Make sure to get good fan.

 

[JimCrow]

I have a 6.2 GM diesel in a FJ60, stock rad., machined the FJ60 fan to fit and it works great A/C blasting and 95 deg. this summer and no issues at all.
Jimmy

 

[Corbet]

Mine is connected to the stock rad. No shroud. Just a electric fan. AC has not been reconnected yet. Never had a problem on the road but did get hot once on the trail.

I plan to upgrade to an AL rad when I reconnect the AC

 

[jb welda]

mine with a 350 tbi chevy uses the stock chevy fan and fan clutch and the stock fj60 radiator with a home built shroud (nothing to it really) and has the toyota AC and the only problem the rig has is running too cold (!) when the outside temp is below about 70f. i run it in the summer with AC all the time and zero overheating problems in fact my AC is so cold it freezes up the condensor(?) so no air passes through. gotta turn it down this summer.

so, in essence, a stock fj60 cooling system in decent nick ought to be all you need.

one love
jah bill

 

[Tinker]

I have a Ron Davis/MAF aluminum radiator in front of my 5.7 Vortec & 4L60E. Works fine, never overheated at 6,000' and 90 deg.

However, 6 months later, I saw the temp creep to the top of the gauge (no idea what actual temp) poking up a road with the AC on behind some tourists above Colorado Springs (guessing about 9-10,000'). But that's after changing the old tranny cooler to PS cooling duty & adding the biggest tranny cooler I could find, both of them between the AC condensor & the rad.

 

[Toadhopper]

I saw a great post where someone was using the dual elec. fan/shroud set up from a Ford Contour! From what I remember, it lines right up and the second fan kicks in when the A/C is turned on.
It does seem like the stock Rad has enough capacity, and there aren't any real issues, which is good news because I'm going the same direction soon.
Toad

 

[warpdriv]

Or go with a Ford Taurus fan. It fits the fj60 radiator. It will pull A LOT of air.

 

[jb welda]

so when you guys talk about "taurus fan" etc you mean using it as a "puller" configuration? do you remove the motor fan and just use the electric one? if so does it really work well in 100f temps with the motor working hard?

i wonder because i would like to get rid of my motor fan and save the HP and room but ive been told thats not a good idea.

one love
jah bill

 

[Kavik]

fan thread

 

[jb welda]

that was an interesting thread but sort of unproven as yet. thanks for the link!

one love
jah bill

 

[FJKai]

I too run a sbc 400 and was worried about the cooling horror stories I heard about cooling 400's, but so far, one summer under my belt with it and no problems. It ran no hotter than 190 F last summer here in the Southern Oregon heat. I'm still running a manual tranny, so it's going to be a bit cooler than an auto anyway. I know some guys with sbc 350's in their 60's up here and have some heating issues, enough that they don't run the a/c, so I think it can be a bit of a dice roll, and I've realized your engine/ fan placement can make a big difference too. I'm running a basic stocker 4 core radiator with the stock shroud and a clutch fan. So far so good. I too will be hooking up the a/c soon since I don't appear to have a heating problem.

 

[Elbert]

mine with a 350 tbi chevy uses the stock chevy fan and fan clutch and the stock fj60 radiator with a home built shroud (nothing to it really) and has the toyota AC and the only problem the rig has is running too cold (!) when the outside temp is below about 70f. i run it in the summer with AC all the time and zero overheating problems in fact my AC is so cold it freezes up the condensor(?) so no air passes through. gotta turn it down this summer.

so, in essence, a stock fj60 cooling system in decent nick ought to be all you need.

one love
jah bill

how did you adapt the GM A/C to the toyota system....condensor etc...

 

[Elbert]

I have a BeCool aluminum radiator in front of my 5.7 Vortec & 4L60E. Works fine, never overheated at 6,000' and 90 deg.

I have a be-cool radiator on my pickup....did not know they offered a radiator for the land cruiser? Are you using one of the generic model be-cool radiators or one that's model specific.

I do like the one on my truck (pickup). Let me know what model number you used if you recall.

I'll be running 350 vortec + toyota 5speed.

 

[Elbert]

I saw a great post where someone was using the dual elec. fan/shroud set up from a Ford Contour! From what I remember, it lines right up and the second fan kicks in when the A/C is turned on.
It does seem like the stock Rad has enough capacity, and there aren't any real issues, which is good news because I'm going the same direction soon.
Toad

Yes I was in on that...at least asking questions and commenting. FYI SPAL makes a controller that can work two fans and there is another company than many people use that I can't recall the name.

Apparently a specific year model range of ford contour's have a dual electric fan setup OEM.. I looked them up on the rock auto web site and you can buy them new for approx $200.

 

[Elbert]

fan thread

I've have some people tell me they have run the contour fans with no problem, but some of the people also run an aftermarket radiator.

I want to know how it runs in the middle of the summer 90+degrees with the A/C blasing for extended idle periods, pulling long grades under throttle, off road conditions.... the "real deal" kind of thing.

Electric fans are the "SH**" at idle or low speed. The problem with the LC is that the radiator is small in width so there are very few dual fans setups you can run that really pull some air. Second the other isssue is the distance between the water pump and the radiaor core or shroud....very tight.... Don't know if this is a little better with a v-8 or not but, its certainly an issue.

 

[Elbert]

thanks for the comments...I'm headed towards doing a V-8 swap this summer. Got to have the A/C working good here in AL.

 

[iaintscared1969]

Distance to the radiator depends on where and what combo you install. If you use the stock drivetrain the engine sits further back. If you add the Auto tranny the position can move forward or back. I have about 6" from fan to radiator on Paxildog. And my 60 has an early 350 with no shroud, stock radiator and a/c and has yet to overheat.

 

[jb welda]

>how did you adapt the GM A/C to the toyota system....condensor etc...

hmmm yes well that would be one to ask my mechanic!

actually now that im thinking about it im not sure at all whats going on there...and if i remember correctly he used the toyota condensor on the chevy motor. is that possible? to tell the truth i had so much going on while this was being done (motor/trans swap i mean) that i didnt really pay much attention to individual components...it may well be that he kept the toyota A/C gear and replaced it with GM stuff that was correct for the motor (crate motor 350)...in fact the more i think about it the more i think the condensor has an "AC Delco" sticker on it. if i were at home right now i would go out there and take a picture so that maybe you could clear it up for me.

off topic but i have a similar problem with what gearing i have in the differential. im pretty sure i was told 4:56 (?) but this guy (wardens in placerville) was kinda allergic to writing anything down. nice guy, good mechanic from my experience anyway, just a little cagey when it came to specifics. or maybe i just didnt ask the right questions.

one love
jah bill

 

[iaintscared1969]

I used the chevy compressor had my hose shop make the hoses to fit the toyota connections and chevy compressor. In the end the truck doesn't know it has a chevy compressor. All the other components are Toyota.