Builds The honey badger build (12 Viewers)

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

EWheeler said:
There are FAAAAR to many 40's with SBC's in them that don't need a big radiator hanging out back. In my '77 with SBC, the engine is placed pretty far forward like yours, and I run a Volvo electric fan and relay setup. The nose of the water pump shaft has about 1/8" clearance to the electric fan motor and running an off the shelf Griffin aluminum radiator. Fan comes on around 200ish? Off around 180 or 185? There is a solution that doesn't involve ruining the look of this thing with a pre-runner style radiator, just gotta determine the root cause. How hot is hot?

Things are looking good!

Oh trust me if I could fit a Electric fan in there it would be on . I even tried to put a pusher on the front but that was a fail also .( not enough room to close my bib ) It gets up around 210-215 just sitting at idle . Driving it around it seems to be ok . I have not finished the shroud yet so we will see what that does Rad is new but maybe I need a 4 core or something a little bigger . You have to remember this is not going to be driven on the street much at all. Will live most of its life locked in 4 low going slow

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

I seen where a guy made a custom fiberglass shroud basically the same way you make custom speaker boxes I may try that

EWheeler · May 14, 2023

Firemedic831 said:
Oh trust me if I could fit a Electric fan in there it would be on . I even tried to put a pusher on the front but that was a fail also .( not enough room to close my bib ) It gets up around 210-215 just sitting at idle . Driving it around it seems to be ok . I have not finished the shroud yet so we will see what that does Rad is new but maybe I need a 4 core or something a little bigger . You have to remember this is not going to be driven on the street much at all. Will live most of its life locked in 4 low going slow

For a point of reference I went and took some photos and measurements.

Turns out my radiator is a Northern brand, part # 9605 (with a griffin cap). That part number doesn't look valid anymore from their website, but an old corvette forum post from same vintage (2005) shows CR9605 as a 19x26 2 row radiator.

I have 4" from the radiator fins to the nose of the water pump shaft. I trimmed the volvo shroud such that the fan motor is offset about 85cm or so to the passenger side.
If it don't help, maybe it will help someone in the future. Zero issues cooling this engine, even with the partially open fan shroud on the drivers side....

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

EWheeler said:
For a point of reference I went and took some photos and measurements.

Turns out my radiator is a Northern brand, part # 9605 (with a griffin cap). That part number doesn't look valid anymore from their website, but an old corvette forum post from same vintage (2005) shows CR9605 as a 19x26 2 row radiator.

I have 4" from the radiator fins to the nose of the water pump shaft. I trimmed the volvo shroud such that the fan motor is offset about 85cm or so to the passenger side.
If it don't help, maybe it will help someone in the future. Zero issues cooling this engine, even with the partially open fan shroud on the drivers side....

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That is the issue I have 1 1/2 inches. from fins to snout :hmm:

Funny i actually have that same exact radiator sitting in my garage

. I see you have the fan offset i may be able to do something like that . or maybe its centered but your engine is offset like mine is ?

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

Hmm

Mike Shull · May 14, 2023

My SBC ran 225-250 at low speed without a shroud with a 4 core brass radiator and a towing fan clutch. It dropped to 195-205 with this shroud on average and I never saw it climb above 220, even in 100* weather.

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

If I can find a fan blade that can move more air and fit. Then make a shroud. I think that going to be the best I can do. Or somehow try and get a electric fan in there .

Firemedic831 · May 14, 2023

Maybe this just does not move enough air

EWheeler · May 14, 2023

Firemedic831 said:
That is the issue I have 1 1/2 inches. from fins to snout Funny i actually have that same exact radiator sitting in my garage . I see you have the fan offset i may be able to do something like that . or maybe its centered but your engine is offset like mine is ?

Fan is definitely offset on the radiator, but I didn't measure if engine was centered in frame, nor if radiator was centered on frame.

1.5 inches is nothing, you're right. I don't think you're getting an electric fan in there. If you get a shroud over that fan, i think it will help tremendously. Doesn't have to be fancy, but based on the rest of your build, I'd bet it will end up being trick!!!