Best radiator upgrade? A1 rad upgrade?

[TDDrew]

The 30 year old full metal radiator has finally started to seep at the side tanks on the old 79 rabbit. I have been searching around for about a week now for a good replacement. All I can find are these seemingly inferior replacements like the one offered from summit racing (copper core, plasitc tanks, straight inlet/outlet pipes, poor fan mounting, 1.25" core thickness). I'm worried about the engine running hot with this one.
The best one I found so far is this part number on summit: AFC-80107N . but I don't really want to drop that kind of cash on something that will never be used to its full potential.
So...with that being said... what's everyone using for replacement 1.5/1.6 diesel radiators??? And any fan recommendations would be good too.

[sawedoffgolf]

i threw a mk3 dual fan into my mk1, i had to use the mk2 rad to make it work. (mk1 rad is shorter)

[8v-of-fury]

mk1 and mk2 rads are identical. I believe the longer rads came on diesels.. or vice-versa.. mk1 chassis will except either.. so it shows the longer rads were available for mk1's

To the OP ANY rad from ANY mk1 or mk2 (depending on whether or not you have an over flow bottle) will work. It will bolt right in. Are you running any mods? big fueling? If not a stock fan and stock rad will be easiest and cheapest.. However a Dual fan setup sure does cut down on the b.s in the engine bay..

[8v-of-fury]

DELETE

Double Post??

[Rabbit on Roids]

i call BS... cause im having rad problems now, and a MK2 radiator is 26" wide. and i took mesurements off a 92 gas jetta. it has a way bigger radiator than my rabbit. inch or 2 taller, and about 4 inches wider. and my rabbit has the big radiator in it.

[hamradio]

I'm failing to understand why a rad with plastic end tanks is so bad.


As far as I can figure out, the one in my rabbit has a quarter of a million miles on it, and is still going strong.  Radiators are so damn cheap and easy to replace anyway...why bother spending extra time and money for some all aluminum radiator?



Also, why are you looking on summit?  Why not look on germanautoparts where you could get an OEM radiator, or even better, just hit up a junkyard and get a mk1 or mk2 non ac radiator (some ac rads are really long) for $10 or so.



I also don't think that the mk1 diesel needs some huge massive radiator, or anything bigger than stock.  My car has the 575mm ac prep package rad (will soon be swapping it out for a 525mm for intercooler mounting reasons), and I've never seen it come close to getting really hot when autocrossing it.  It *maybe* moves half a tick hotter than it normally runs, after an autocross run.  This is with turbo, and no oil cooler.

[8v-of-fury]

My bad there is three sizes of rads VW used for mk1/2. 525mm 570mm and 625mm.

However all three should fit in any chassis for mk1 and mk2. It seems the 625mm rad was used on mk2 cars with A/c.

Im assuming this would be the best upgrade, more cooling surface, and thus allowing you to easily fit a dual fan setup on it

Plus German Auto Parts has them on for around $90

[RabbitJockey]

i think the 16v scirocco would be nice, but then just switch the end tank for the one you already have so you don't have to buy the the td upper hose which i believe costs a mere 120

[Rabbit on Roids]

i came up with the solution to my radiator problems last night. im kinda pissed i didnt come up with it sooner. but the radiator is now up-side-down in my car. thats right, the inlet and outlet are now on the drivers side 'stead of the passenger. i dont see any reason it wont work once i get everything full and my custom lower radiator hose bled. it kinda comes out and goes straight up around the oil filter.. then back down to the rad. its a bad design, i know, but its what i had to work with last night before dark. i just want to get my damn car back on the road and give the new intercooler a workout. its been down and out for about a month now. and im really tired of driving my truck. its bouncy as hell and gets 12 mpg.

[hamradio]

Yeah, I was thinking about doing the flipped rad thing for my car, but I think I determined that with my srt4 IC, I can use a 525mm rad and it'll be fine.


The 625mm won't work, from my experience.  The bottom water neck is kind of in the way of the alternator.  I tried sticking the 625 out of a scirocco I parted in the car, but it didn't quite work out.

It's going to be a glorious thing when I actually get the intercooler and radiator to sit nicely together, and it all looks nice and clean.

[Rabbit on Roids]

honestly, i like how my setup is going back together. it looks like the intercooler almost belongs there. charge piping is all neat and tidy.. way better than it was without an intercooler. the inlet hose sits right under the battery tray and barely clears the motor mount. and the outlet hose is about 3/4 of an inch away from the fan on the alternator. ive got a feeling that if i ever lose an engine mount, im gonna know it pretty quick. cause my boost is gonna disappear. but the big aluminum pipe running beside the timing cover is just so sexy..

[hamradio]

Any pic of your intercooler setup?  What did you intercooler come from?

[8v-of-fury]

wonder when the OP is gonna chime back in?  

[Rabbit on Roids]

Any pic of your intercooler setup?  What did you intercooler come from?

no pics yet. intercooler is out of a volvo 740. if i were to go back and do it again, i would not use that particular intercooler. its honestly too big for a rabbit. if i would have just used a smaller IC it would have made things too easy. but this ones pretty much there now, and im not taking it out (unless i blow the ends off like some people say im gonna.) im pretty sure im gonna get to drive it today, all i need to do is put the intake mani back on and hook some boost up to it.

[TDDrew]

Haha, how in the world did you get a 740 intercooler to fit in there?

I will check out German Auto Parts  for the a/c prep rad (that's what's in there).

Any recommendations an a place to get  12" fans?

Thanks ro all for th input, I have no fear of running the newer replacement radiators now.

P.S. I have good condesor, evap, hoses, and a/c compressor soon. Free, just pay shipping or come get them.