Hayden 1676, Swiftech 676 rad

[wmandra]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone had any numbers/opionions about the Swiftech 676(Hayden 1676) rad. I am currently running it with the low CFM fans from Swiftech and getting temps around mid to high 40's (ambient 20°c) and would like to lower the temps. I am planning on installing high CFM Panaflo's tomorrow, but I am still wondering if there was a way I could calculate how much heat this rad could remove using the MCP600 pump with different CFM fans......

[Gooserider]

Hmmm... No personal experience, but when I see 'Hayden' I think Transmission / oil coolers. Is this cooler originally designed as an oil cooler?

All I've seen on the subject suggests that oil cooler style rads are not as good at cooling as heater core style units. This isn't to surprising since the two were designed for different working fluids, and different Delta-T's, and the heater core design is closer to what WC folks are doing.

Not sure how to calculate the cooling benefit of higher flow fans, but I wouldn't expect very much. (but it will make your system louder...)

What kind of temperature drop are you getting across the rad? If the output's about the same as the input temp, then you might get some help. If there's already a big drop you probably won't gain much.

If your current rad is an oil cooler design, then you might benefit more by replacing it with a similiar sized heater core type unit if you can.

Gooserider

[nikhsub1]

I have this rad and it is fair at best. Switch to a heatercore and your temps should drop nicely, 5 - 6C if I had to guess.

[msv]

Originally posted by Gooserider
Hmmm... No personal experience, but when I see 'Hayden' I think Transmission / oil coolers. Is this cooler originally designed as an oil cooler?

Yepp.
http://www.haydenauto.com/transmis.html
Couldn´t find a better pic in the few seconds I spent on searching, but the 1676 is surely an oil cooler.
regards
Mikael S.

[Gooserider]

msv:
Yepp. http://www.haydenauto.com/transmis.html Couldn´t find a better pic in the few seconds I spent on searching, but the 1676 is surely an oil cooler.

In that case, I would second earlier comments that probably your biggest improvement would come from swapping that unit out for an automotive heater core design. It will do far more for you than beefing up the fans, and it WON'T make your system noisier.

This isn't just my opinion. If you go to the much referenced BillA rad testing articles, you will note how the heater core style rads clearly out perform nearly every other design on a size per size comparison.

Oil coolers are particularly poor by comparison as they use thicker tubing (slower to transfer heat from the fluid to the fins) and fewer passes of tubing for their area than a heater core. This works for an oil cooler that has to withstand far higher pressure, and has very hot oil going through it, but the design is lousy as a WC rad.

OTOH, a heater core has many more passes, each made from paper thin tubing, with lots of closely spaced fins. It will do a FAR better job of transferring heat from the coolant to the air.

Gooserider