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Epic radiator fail... [message #133718] Thu, 07 July 2011 19:43 Go to next message
Duce Apocalypse is currently offline  Duce Apocalypse   United States
Messages: 824
Registered: May 2009
Location: Los angeles
Karma: 0
Senior Member

Well yesterday it finally happened. I was moving my rig down to the beach to escape the heat, and my rad desided to let go. Pissing more then a drunk guy in an alley behind a bar, pouring hot steamy water all over my electric fan setup. Worse is this happened on the freeway. But thankfully not far from home. I stopped and poured more water in the rad, and it too started pouring out but less violently. This allowed me to get to the beach. There after it cooled my girlfriend brought 5 gallons of water and we proceeded to move it back to base which it just made it before the water leaked out.

Fortunately JimK had the rads ready to go and will be in my possession tomorrow. Needless to say I'm really not looking forward to my credit card statement this month, but hey, at least I know what I'm doing this weekend! Smile


73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
Re: [GMCnet] Epic radiator fail... [message #133729 is a reply to message #133718] Thu, 07 July 2011 20:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
Senior Member
Shan,

I assume JimK is sending you an aluminum radiator. I think you will be blown
away by the improvement in cooling. When I installed one in Double Trouble I
installed a 180° thermostat.

http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/582

Even on the hottest days when we're trunkin' down the highway the water temp
gage sits at the thermostat setting. I have a Digi-Panel as well which
agrees.

I would recommend you cut the radiator mounting frame:

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=34552

And install one of these to protect it:

http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/832

I got one of these from J.R. Wright:

http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/1020

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426


-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org
[mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Shan Rose
Sent: Friday, 8 July 2011 10:43 AM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: [GMCnet] Epic radiator fail...



Well yesterday it finally happened. I was moving my rig down to the beach to
escape the heat, and my rad desided to let go. Pissing more then a drunk guy
in an alley behind a bar, pouring hot steamy water all over my electric fan
setup. Worse is this happened on the freeway. But thankfully not far from
home. I stopped and poured more water in the rad, and it too started pouring
out but less violently. This allowed me to get to the beach. There after it
cooled my girlfriend brought 5 gallons of water and we proceeded to move it
back to base which it just made it before the water leaked out.

Fortunately JimK had the rads ready to go and will be in my possession
tomorrow. Needless to say I'm really not looking forward to my credit card
statement this month, but hey, at least I know what I'm doing this weekend!
:)
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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: Epic radiator fail... [message #133735 is a reply to message #133718] Thu, 07 July 2011 20:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Duce Apocalypse is currently offline  Duce Apocalypse   United States
Messages: 824
Registered: May 2009
Location: Los angeles
Karma: 0
Senior Member

Robert,

I've been cooling the old stock rad with a twin electric fan setup I devised, so I'm interested in seeing how much improvement will be made with the AL rad. From what everyone says, it sounds like my fans will barely come on if ever after I install it. I was just going to drop the entire radiator cassette out the bottom and mount the new rad and reinstall. Also I will improve the fan setup as well as get some pictures so people can see the setup. I do wanna make a rock gard for the lower part as well ås maybe an airdam to improve ram air cooling... We shall see... expect pix Smile


73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
Re: [GMCnet] Epic radiator fail... [message #133739 is a reply to message #133729] Thu, 07 July 2011 20:56 Go to previous message
powerjon is currently offline  powerjon   United States
Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 5
Senior Member
This is how I cut the radiator frame and put it back together.

<http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3850>

J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
TZE Zone Restorations
78 Buskirk 30' Stretch
1975 Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan

On Jul 7, 2011, at 9:09 PM, Rob Mueller wrote:

> Shan,
>
> I assume JimK is sending you an aluminum radiator. I think you will
> be blown
> away by the improvement in cooling. When I installed one in Double
> Trouble I
> installed a 180° thermostat.
>
> http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/582
>
> Even on the hottest days when we're trunkin' down the highway the
> water temp
> gage sits at the thermostat setting. I have a Digi-Panel as well which
> agrees.
>
> I would recommend you cut the radiator mounting frame:
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=34552
>
> And install one of these to protect it:
>
> http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/832
>
> I got one of these from J.R. Wright:
>
> http://www.appliedgmc.com/prod.itml/icOid/1020
>
> Regards,
> Rob M.
> Sydney, Australia
> AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
> USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org
> [mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Shan Rose
> Sent: Friday, 8 July 2011 10:43 AM
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Subject: [GMCnet] Epic radiator fail...
>
>
>
> Well yesterday it finally happened. I was moving my rig down to the
> beach to
> escape the heat, and my rad desided to let go. Pissing more then a
> drunk guy
> in an alley behind a bar, pouring hot steamy water all over my
> electric fan
> setup. Worse is this happened on the freeway. But thankfully not far
> from
> home. I stopped and poured more water in the rad, and it too started
> pouring
> out but less violently. This allowed me to get to the beach. There
> after it
> cooled my girlfriend brought 5 gallons of water and we proceeded to
> move it
> back to base which it just made it before the water leaked out.
>
> Fortunately JimK had the rads ready to go and will be in my possession
> tomorrow. Needless to say I'm really not looking forward to my
> credit card
> statement this month, but hey, at least I know what I'm doing this
> weekend!
> :)
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist

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J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan
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