Cooling system plumbing

Although I am sure the corrugated cooling tubes work just fine as included in the kit,I wanted to try my hand at building a custom piping system. I picked up a one of those box of bends kits similar to the type offered for turbo setup. Tubing is 11 gauge mandrel bent polished aluminum sized for our cooling application I think it kind of looks like a Harley exhaust the way it goes down the spine of the car. I still need to cut down the silicone elbows attaching the tubing to the rad and do the finish welding.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attac...6&d=1322539526

The Kit I got did not have beads on the end of the tubing and I don't have the right tool to put a bead on a 1.5 inch tube. So I ended up welding up a bead and turning it down. Slightly time consuming, but hey its what I have tools for.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attac...7&d=1322539528
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attac...8&d=1322539535

I thought of putting a bleeder on the top most bend on the drivers side of the tubing, not sure I can put it in the ideal place however as the elbow is silicone. Anybody have other ideas of how to bleed the system without pulling the pipes off to let air out when you fill up the coolant?

John

Are you building a race car or a show car:) Looks good.

John,
Want to come down to Central Florida and do that to my build? Highs are in the upper 70's to low 80's.

If you are running a rear expansion tank the air should end up there from every part of the system except maybe the upper radiator. But a petcock installed on the radiator (or leaving the donor expansion tank up front will take care of that.

A petcock is included in the Header Tank Kit for this specific reason. You attach it to one of the small nipples on the right side tank.

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Originally Posted by crash

A petcock is included in the Header Tank Kit for this specific reason. You attach it to one of the small nipples on the right side tank.

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Hey Crash did I remember correctly in another thread that your shop has a tube beader ?

Do I feel another "kit" that you might develop and sell to us poor GTM Nation folks??

Just asking, so don't shoot the messenger :eek:

Well since I don't have a mandrel bender(required for thin wall tube, especially aluminum) I would have to weld all the bends together and that would take some time/effort. Time and effort that you guys probably wouldn't want to pay for. So for these reasons I have largely decided to not "go there". However, you are correct in that I have an electric tube beader that can go down to 1" diameter. As I have posted previously, I will be happy to bead tubes for people at a rate of $2 per bead plus whatever the shipping costs are.

BTW- Power steering looks GREAT! :)

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Originally Posted by Roger Reid

Are you building a race car or a show car:) Looks good.

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I know, I know. It just turned out that the polished pack of tubing was cheaper than the raw tubing bends purchased individually . Odd I know, but that’s just how it worked out. Nothing wrong with having some 'show' on a race car as long as it has the 'go' to back up the looks I say :)

It also forces me to try to make nice looking welds. (very hard since I am a total beginner)

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Originally Posted by kabacj

...Nothing wrong with having some 'show' on a race car as long as it has the 'go' to back up the looks I say :)

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I like that way of thinking.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crash

Well since I don't have a mandrel bender(required for thin wall tube, especially aluminum) I would have to weld all the bends together and that would take some time/effort. Time and effort that you guys probably wouldn't want to pay for. So for these reasons I have largely decided to not "go there". However, you are correct in that I have an electric tube beader that can go down to 1" diameter. As I have posted previously, I will be happy to bead tubes for people at a rate of $2 per bead plus whatever the shipping costs are.

BTW- Power steering looks GREAT! :)

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That is a very fair price crash.

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Originally Posted by VD2021

John,
Want to come down to Central Florida and do that to my build? Highs are in the upper 70's to low 80's.

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Very tempting Vidal. I was in your neck of the woods earlier this year. I would be glad to build a set, but its only for fun and not for profit as crash says. The welding is time consuming.

We need to find somebody who has a CNC mandrel bender. It would be very simple to bend up these pipes with a system like that.


John

Great job on the cooling tubes!

I've used these guys and they do great work for a fair price. While the price is right, I dont think the corogated tubing that is supplied with the kit has many fans. Maybe another product for Shane.


https://www.mandrel-bends.com

It's a shame that 90% of that tubing will be covered up.