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Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.....

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I am at the stage of checking everything over three times before I crank. Still waiting on a few small parts. Here are pics of the Ron Davis Racing Aluminum Radiator and the 16" Spal fan. The clearance between the fan motor and the front brace is about 3/8". I no longer will run the plastic 13-blade crank fan. Used the aluminum disc and shorter bolt for the crank. I can reach a 15/16" wrench in there to turn the crank for setting valve lash, etc. The fan fits perfectly within the confines of the radiator housing. I wired it to run off a thermostat or switch. (I ignorantly didn't tell them to weld in a 3/8" NPT bung in the bottom so I had to run my temp sending unit inline in the bottom hose. That is what the big ugly wire is running across the top of the fan.) The radiator was a drop-in, 'cept I had to redrill the bottom mounting holes back about 1/2" for the fan to clear. Surprisingly my aluminum shroud still fit with no alterations. Note the aluminum water pump housing. The red timing cover and chrome front brace are a little bling-bling. I get a little crazy when I don't eat meat.
Radiator.jpg
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Bill- R. Goode Shroud? did you also alongate the holes in the radiator straps?
Don
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Thought about that so as not to torque the bottom brackets against the thick tire-rubber washers. Instead, I nixed those really hard washers and cut some out of 3/4" high density butyl foam rubber that allowed the radiator to suck down nicely, compress the foam using all-metal lock nuts. Amazingly, the straps needed no alteration in length at all. The butyl rubber gives more cushion than the old hard washers and must have allowed for some play. The whole setup is as solid as a rock.
And they are GoodParts aluminum shrouds.

Bill
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Bill,

Since it's shrouded I can't tell, and I know you had to move it forward.

Would there still be space in front for an oil cooling radiator?

TIA, Alan
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Plenty. See the two stainless covered hoses in the background. Those go to my oil cooler. There is plenty of room left over in the front of the radiator. I only had to slide the bottom of the unit forward a little for the fan motor to fit. I would have rubbed had I not.
That red band that looks like it's coming off the end of my water pump is just a rubber-coated band clamp that holds my oil cooler hoses in place.

Bill
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Sweet.

Thx.
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

I like the idea of the oil cooler intergrated with the rad.
Don
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

The oil cooler is completely separate from the radiator. The hoses just travel down the side of the radiator to the cooler, which is mounted in front of the radiator, on the skid plate. Is that what you were referring to?

Bill
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

No . I was talking about intergrated oil cooler built into the rad with seperate cooler lines.
don
 
Re: Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Spal fan pics.

Sweet install job. I wish my engine compartment looked as good as that does. Sigh............maybe next year.
 
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