Radiator Delete?

[loudelectronics]

Stingray just a heads up on your copper tube. You may want to find some aluminum tubing as the galvanic corrosion that will occur between aluminum and copper can be intense. It is not likely that the copper pipe will be the one to fail either.

 

[stingray719]

Stingray just a heads up on your copper tube. You may want to find some aluminum tubing as the galvanic corrosion that will occur between aluminum and copper can be intense. It is not likely that the copper pipe will be the one to fail either.

As the pipe is mounted between rubber and not attached to the body I think that and having modern day anti freeze with inhibitor I will be fine. Nothing wrong with using aluminum tubing though! Galvanic Corrosion usually manifests itself as high pressure and blowing out the radiator cap, I will watch for that but none so far. As a side note if you use a copper tube do not ground it to the frame.

 

[loudelectronics]

Just keep an eye on it. Rubber tubing does not protect for galvanic corrosion when an electrolyte is present. Not many coolants actually none I have seen contain azoles to protect yellow metals. Unfortunately you likely will not see the corrosion till its to late and most likely be in the head. There is roughly .7Vdifference between two which is quite a bit.

Just saying. This is what I do as a profession and some really bad things can happen. A steel, magnesium or stainless would be better. Coolants have corrosion inhibitors for these metals not to mentions they are closer together in the galvanic series.

 

[stingray719]

Just keep an eye on it. Rubber tubing does not protect for galvanic corrosion when an electrolyte is present. Not many coolants actually none I have seen contain azoles to protect yellow metals. Unfortunately you likely will not see the corrosion till its to late and most likely be in the head. There is roughly .7Vdifference between two which is quite a bit.

Just saying. This is what I do as a profession and some really bad things can happen. A steel, magnesium or stainless would be better. Coolants have corrosion inhibitors for these metals not to mentions they are closer together in the galvanic series.

How much difference in aluminum vs copper in your testing? I had always wondered and glad I have somebody works in that field that can tell me.

 

[loudelectronics]

Just don't want you to takeout a motor is all.

Not sure I follow your question though?

 

[stingray719]

Just don't want you to takeout a motor is all.

Not sure I follow your question though?

Was curious what level of galv between copper and aluminum. How much worse one than the other?

 

[loudelectronics]

It's not that there is one worse than another, it's that the gap for corrosion cell voltage is greatly different. Metals closer together on the galvanic chart are less likely to react. That said metals on the top of the chart that are more noble are less likely to react with metals at bottom. So ss316 is pretty safe in most cases.

There is much more to it than this and even flow direction can have an impact.

 

[yamadoo]

Wow great to have some one who can help us. I remember these concepts but frequently OK always forget to apply them. THanks for the reminder and education. Yamadoo

 

[Martens199]

Bringing up an old thread but has anyone else tried and tested this out? I can't stand the huge snow and ice build up I get hanging off my front end. Would save a lot of weight!

 

[Mtnviper]

I eliminated my radiator and converted it over to a U cooler in the tunnel. It does add a couple of pounds, however it's in the mid/rear part of the sled and your removing weight from the front of the sled ahead of the spindles.

Pros,
Air intake temps are reduced. If you are moving they are usually very close to ambient air temp.
Under hood and clutch/belt temps are reduced significantly.
Less weight in the front end.
Runs cooler as long as you are moving.
Total coolant capacity is increased somewhat .

Cons,
It does start to run hot if your sitting there idling for some time. That said, it cools down immediately as soon as you start moving (to throw snow up on the cooler) This is consistent with most mountain sleds that do not use a radiator.
Requires good mechanical/fabrication skills to install as you are disassembling the sled a fair amount.

Since mine is a mountain sled I would do it again, although next time I would probably add a little more cooler surface area to the rear of the tunnel. You will need ice scratchers as well (I all ready had them on my sled)
For a trail sled, I would leave the radiator in, for a mountain sled the tunnel cooler makes sense.

 

[Martens199]

I eliminated my radiator and converted it over to a U cooler in the tunnel. It does add a couple of pounds, however it's in the mid/rear part of the sled and your removing weight from the front of the sled ahead of the spindles.

Pros,
Air intake temps are reduced. If you are moving they are usually very close to ambient air temp.
Under hood and clutch/belt temps are reduced significantly.
Less weight in the front end.
Runs cooler as long as you are moving.
Total coolant capacity is increased somewhat .

Cons,
It does start to run hot if your sitting there idling for some time. That said, it cools down immediately as soon as you start moving (to throw snow up on the cooler) This is consistent with most mountain sleds that do not use a radiator.
Requires good mechanical/fabrication skills to install as you are disassembling the sled a fair amount.

Since mine is a mountain sled I would do it again, although next time I would probably add a little more cooler surface area to the rear of the tunnel. You will need ice scratchers as well (I all ready had them on my sled)
For a trail sled, I would leave the radiator in, for a mountain sled the tunnel cooler makes sense.

Thanks for your input. Yes this sled is to front end heavy, the sidewinder now is more balanced making it feel lighter. I feel the cooler in the back would help balance the sled.

Does snow still build up on the front in the hood, bumper, a arms and steering boots? At the end of a powder day my front shocks are sitting a lot lower...
Have you tested without a tunnel cooler? Just got to make sure to use scratchers on groomed.
Who's tunnel cooler?

 

[Martens199]

But then again this crappy stock skid and shocks can't even take the weight of the rear end as it is.

 

[Mtnviper]

We typically will have wet/heavier snow here so I do get some snow build up in the front. That said, I see it in my buddies sleds also which are Polaris and Ski-Doo's.

I haven't tried it without the U cooler. It doesn't get that cold here so I'm pretty sure that it would overheat without the U cooler or a radiator.

The U cooler is a MCX unit for a 163" sled that I cut down to fit the 153" tunnel.