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Technical => Matt Shaff's Engine Shop => Topic started by: George on March 31, 2013, 07:06:17 AM

Title: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: George on March 31, 2013, 07:06:17 AM: I'm looking for pictures and/or system designs of proven applications on a SBC. I would like to run with the block and heads full of coolant and exchange only when the engine is too hot. I don't expect I will need to dump all the coolant after an 1/8 mile pass. I'm running a Hilborn 327B manifold.

Thanks. George
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: masracingtd1167 on March 31, 2013, 09:08:10 AM: Hi George I use a pump and a small tank about two quarts but I hardly ever use the pump . I think you should be just fine with water in the block . If you tow it back from a run I doubt you will ever have to drain it.
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: George on March 31, 2013, 06:49:25 PM: Quote from: masracingtd1167 on March 31, 2013, 09:08:10 AM
Hi George I use a pump and a small tank about two quarts but I hardly ever use the pump . I think you should be just fine with water in the block . If you tow it back from a run I doubt you will ever have to drain it.

Hello Bill, I have lots of options to make coolant connections. How do you have yours setup. What is the tank height. I was thinking of tying the lowest point on the block into the tank ( both sides) and doing the same to the two highest points ( top of intake manifold , front , each side.
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: masracingtd1167 on April 01, 2013, 01:31:37 PM: George I don't know if this helps much but I use a verticle tank with a fill on top . I made it taller than the top of the motor for filling and a small tank to run my 4 manifold lines to . Right now everything is apart so it is hard to show you haw it is plumbed
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: George on April 01, 2013, 05:39:11 PM: Thanks , I'm closing in on a design. George
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: janjon on May 15, 2013, 08:59:43 PM: George, I gather you're talking about a convection system, the hot water from the top flowing into the tank and flowing back into the bottom, cooler, no pump. Would this work with gasoline, as opposed to alky?
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: George on May 16, 2013, 09:31:55 AM: I have built a system based on alky as a fuel. I will know if the system works as designed very soon. I doubt what I have built could be applied to a gasoline engine. The two fuels are much different in system operating temperatures.
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: janjon on May 16, 2013, 09:07:47 PM: Yeah, that's kinda what I thought... Maybe if you really needed about 500 pounds of front ballast something like that would work?
Title: Re: Coolant system without radiator or pump.
Post by: George on May 17, 2013, 05:40:36 AM: I have not weighed the larger overflow tank and the added lines and fittings . I expect it has added about 10 pounds.Plus the 2 gallons of water. The system does not circulate to a tank. The tank is for overflow only. It has about one gallon capacity and serves to capture both coolant overflow and discharge from the vacuum pump.

An aluminum radiator, electric fan and pump might weigh less than 100# with coolant. If you are bracket racing this might be the way to go with gasoline.