DeTomaso Mailing List: July 2001, Message #64

Richard,

Where'd you come up with this:

> Whatever you do, don't turn it into a single pass radiator (by hooking
> up to the other tank) as the reduced flow velocity (~ 1/4 the speed)
> will greatly reduce the heat transfer due to lower turbulence. >

First, if the radiator was evenly divided in half, which it's not on the
stock radiator by the way, the flow would double, not go up by 4X.

But more significantly, this turbulence fixation, if it had any validity,
runs counter to the overwhelming majority of everyday experience.  Why does
every other car and truck on the road, with the tiny exception of Pantera's
and similar, use a "single pass" radiator?  I cannot think of any other
brand with this inlet and outlet on the same side thing going on.

Plus do you or anyone else really believe it "will greatly reduce the heat
transfer"?  This would require both the surface temperature of the radiator
and hence the temperature of the heated air coming out of the radiator to be
"greatly reduced".  I cannot picture that anyone ever put their hand on a
flaming hot single pass radiator and said "See, the skin isn't burning off
my hand because the water isn't turbulent enough".  Nor has anyone likely
said "I converted my heater core to a turbulating multi-pass arrangement,
and now I can light a cigarette off the dash vents".

Like the guy with the thick accent at the LV tech talk said, the metal to
water resistance to heat exchange is trivial compared to the metal to air
resistance.  It just makes sense and parallels the reality of the huge
majority of cars and trucks on the road now.

Guy D.