Aluminum 3 Row Radiator

[AnthonyHardy2]

I think they upgraded the radiators because they had cooling issues in certain situations while the AC was running. They only ran the big radiators on the 92+ AC equipped cars and we just don't see the small radiator on those cars here in the US since all US 7/9 series came with AC here.

 

[2manyturbos]

Might as well run a smaller rad if you're gonna have a mechanical fan spinning away all the time I guess? Although those same engineers also gave the D24 cars a wide radiator and clutchless fan. Gotta keep those 80 furious horsepowers ice cold.

Everything in product design is cost, cost, cost. That pretty much drives every engineering decision when a product is under development. Fuel mileage standards started a shift in a different direction.

 

[89-240gl+t]

I have a KL racing aluminum one with a e-fan installed if you're interested in going that route

 

[240 240]

. And I'm driving it for 10 to 12 hours a day up and down steep mountain roads, sometimes at low speeds but higher RPMs, in 90-100 plus degree weather.
.

Plastic end caps are cheaply made but also keep in mind plastic is really good new and degrades over time. radiators are a wear item. Just put up a wanted ad for a nos oem radiator that was made pre covid.

I know cooling properties are slightly less but 3 row copper nissens would aoso be the way to go based on reliability needs. but they are all old now

 

[240 240]

I think they upgraded the radiators because they had cooling issues in certain situations while the AC was running. They only ran the big radiators on the 92+ AC equipped cars and we just don't see the small radiator on those cars here in the US since all US 7/9 series came with AC here.

the old stock small radiator was never inadequate for these cars. The change to e-fan and bigger radiator was for the other reasons mentioned of more power & mpg & cost reduction

The stock design is overkill if anything

 

[CaliMeatWagon]

I know cooling properties are slightly less but 3 row copper nissens would aoso be the way to go based on reliability needs. but they are all old now

That's what I bought off of a member here a couple years ago. The end cap recently failed and when I was having it repaired the old man told it me it doesn't have much life left, was blowing out the find to clean it, and blew out a bunch of fins in the process.

He was also strongly advocating for an aluminum one.

I bought a cheap Nissen off of RA to hold me over until I figure out what route I'm going.

 

[240 240]

That's what I bought off of a member here a couple years ago. The end cap recently failed and when I was having it repaired the old man told it me it doesn't have much life left, was blowing out the find to clean it, and blew out a bunch of fins in the process.

He was also strongly advocating for an aluminum one.

I bought a cheap Nissen off of RA to hold me over until I figure out what route I'm going.

the cheap nissens is probably fine until the ends Crack. which could be a week or could be a decade

just use the 960 overflow tank with the low coolant sensor so you don't run the car dry.

 

[AnthonyHardy2]

the old stock small radiator was never inadequate for these cars. The change to e-fan and bigger radiator was for the other reasons mentioned of more power & mpg & cost reduction

The stock design is overkill if anything

If it was for MPG and cost reduction why didn't they just put the efan on the small radiator? Also if the efan big rad setup was cheaper it doesn't really make sense that they would have bothered keeping the mech fan and small radiator in production for the base models with no AC.

They also made different height radiators for the turbo and NA cars which really only makes sense if you're chasing better cooling on the cars making more heat/HP.

 

[dbarton]

If it was for MPG and cost reduction why didn't they just put the efan on the small radiator? Also if the efan big rad setup was cheaper it doesn't really make sense that they would have bothered keeping the mech fan and small radiator in production for the base models with no AC.

They also made different height radiators for the turbo and NA cars which really only makes sense if you're chasing better cooling on the cars making more heat/HP.

Someone's making sense now. We can't have that.

 

[240 240]

If it was for MPG and cost reduction why didn't they just put the efan on the small radiator? Also if the efan big rad setup was cheaper it doesn't really make sense that they would have bothered keeping the mech fan and small radiator in production for the base models with no AC.

They also made different height radiators for the turbo and NA cars which really only makes sense if you're chasing better cooling on the cars making more heat/HP.

Because mechanical fans are the GOAT and the volvo engineers knew this. Reason why they kept it as long as they did.
Redblock volvos never had an overheating problem due to any design flaws on a mechanical fan 240/740 pre 90.
Ive only ever had cooling issues on redblocks under heavy load with e-fans.
Read about the 1990 clean air act and how it affected auto engineering. Volvo needed to squeeze more efficiency out of their cars due to this.

1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title II​

1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title II | US EPA

This page provides an overview of the 1990 amendments to Title II of the Clean Air Act, which were enacted to curb acid rain, urban air pollution and toxic air emissions. The edits to this title deal emissions from mobile sources.

www.epa.gov

Remember how BMW didn't fully switch to e-fan until the 2000s and then their cooling systems went to pure shit.

Someone's making sense now. We can't have that.

Since you guys all make sense Explain why basically every single heavy duty pickup truck and big rig still uses a mechanical fan over an electric fan?



Remember that OP is using their car for extreme use. Redblock Traktor engine needs redblock traktor noises and wooshy fans

 

[dbarton]

As some of you are probably aware, I spent a lot of years trying more powerful and bigger diameter fans so I could try to force more and more air through the small 240 radiator (which is deemed "overkill" now). What I found out when I finally got a big radiator is it no longer needs so much air. So that realization gave me a much better appreciation for the big 1992 940 radiator coupled with the small 15.25 inch electric fan.

 

[dbarton]

Read about the 1990 clean air act and how it affected auto engineering. Volvo needed to squeeze more efficiency out of their cars due to this.

Please don't expect us to read that huge document and guess what you mean and why you believe that document is so relevant to the reason Volvo up-sized the 940 radiators. Please cite the specific info.

Ive only ever had cooling issues on redblocks under heavy load with e-fans.

Do you mean a 940 2 speed fan? The 15.25 inch one? If yes, then of course you had a problem. It's too small for a tiny radiator. That's why Volvo put it on a BIG radiator. I tried it too for a while with a small radiator and it failed for me too.

Redblock volvos never had an overheating problem due to any design flaws on a mechanical fan 240/740 pre 90.

Except they did, which is why instead of increasing cooling capacity they added a temperature compensation board.

I never, ever said or even thought an electric fan was better than a mechanical fan. I believe the 240 belt fan was very good and my personal belief is very few E-fans can out perform one. Certainly not a 940 fan if it's on a 240 radiator.

I did find a few E-fans that did outperform the belt fan though. The 18 inch Lincoln Mark VIII was one. The 18 inch Jeep JK fan was another. The 240 mechanical fan is 16 inches and sits in an 18 inch shroud opening. The reason why MY belt fan went away was: The belt fan coupled with the small 240 radiator along with my modded cooling and intercooler stuff, plus my over-performing AC system, but I found I couldn't get enough air through the small radiator, period.

This part comes with some speculation: If I had gone with a wide radiator a long time ago and kept the mechanical fan (and somehow created a wider shroud that worked) I'm pretty confident that the mechanical fan would have been great, considering I really would not need such a massive amount of air with an oversized radiator. Which is why the 940 fan works so well with the bigger 940 radiator.

 

[AnthonyHardy2]

Read about the 1990 clean air act and how it affected auto engineering. Volvo needed to squeeze more efficiency out of their cars due to this.

1990 Clean Air Act Amendment Summary: Title II​

I'm not sure how standards that went into effect in 1994 pushed Volvo to make changes to vehicles produced in 1991.