XKE Series 2 Radiator

[TRDejaVu]

This weekend I will be pulling the radiator as it has a lower seam leak. While it is out I will be getting it checked over and if OK, rodded out.

I have heard that some people move the top hose connection over to the drivers side to get a better cross-flow cooling effect. My rad specialist says that he has also modified the internal baffles of Jag rads to get the same effect. Any thoughts on either of these?

Thanks

 

[jessebogan]

I am sure I will start a war with this, but here it goes. IF the cooling system is in good working order, it will cool the car just fine, esp. on a series 2. If the core fails the test, replace it with a modern core (more tubes, more fins) and never look back. If you keep it stock, you can buy the parts to maintain it with no problem. Once modified, it becomes a crapshoot.

 

[Grantura_MKI]

+1, Jesse!

 

[DrEntropy]

Oh yeah. I've run into a few of those "modified" ones... first one made me nuts trying to figure out ~why~ the beast would continually overheat. This was before the advent of IR thermometers (dammit!). Turned out the top main inlet allowed the water to mostly flow STRAIGHT down to the bottom, about a third of the core was effectively being bypassed.

In any heat exchange scheme, a 20% "blockage" of any type will result in an 80% decrease in efficiency. If the original design is CLEAN and properly maintained it will function correctly.

The S-III has a bit more of an issue down here in July. We've recored those, using what Jesse referred to: more tube/fin core.

 

[TRDejaVu]

Not having seen an S2 rad disassembled, please help me out. It would appear that the flow from the hot return at the top right just goes straight down the right side and comes out the exit at the bottom right. Is that true, or does some sort of interior baffling make it go evenly across the whole cooling surface?

Here is a recommendation from someone on Jag-Lovers who states, "My temp gauge gets to the R of NORMAL and stays there. It will idle for most of an hour before the fans come on and they run for about a minute and shut off again. The pointer points to the R even in August Baltimore stop and go traffic."

https://www.xkedata.com/_photos/200511/NrLvVr.jpg

While the gauge may not be that accurate and he doesn't state an actual temperature, the one hour reference is quite compelling.

My car idled in late October with the fans coming on and off quite frequently after just a few minutes. Admittedly, the rad condition is unknown so I will be having it rodded out etc. before deciding if this mod might be useful.

 

[DrEntropy]

It has a baffle in it to redirect flow, Ian.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

All the series 2 cars I've had were prone to overheat in traffic. I second Jesse's comment. Recore and put it back stock otherwise. In another thread we discussed putting a manual wiring control for the fans which I also do.

Marv

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Ian,

Go to Jag-Lovers website. In their adverts, a guy in AZ has a S2 radiator rodded out and painted for $150.

Marv

 

[TRDejaVu]

Thanks Marv.