V8 Super Beetle Project

[V8 Super Beetle]

Thanks Paul, that would be great and helpful. Once the radiator comes in I'll give you call and maybe see if we can't schedule a little time to figure it out.


Hey Tom. The one I just bought is from SpeedwayMotors.com. The radiator was $109.99. The have them in many widths; 22", 24", 26", 28" and 31". The height is 19" on all of them.

Here's a link.
www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Chevy-Universal-Radiators,3557.html

[V8 Super Beetle]

Another quicky update. I got the transmission installed last night. Torque converter seated all the way down and it spins freely with the bell housing completely bolted up. Now I just need to crawl under the car and bolt the converter to the flex plate.

Believe it or not, I got the tranny in all by myself. I lifted it and sat it on my floor supports, got out a jack with a block of wood, raised the jack, instead the converter (after a quart of ATF), slid the tranny forward until it sat down on the jack / wood, then roll the tranny forward and mated them up. Easier said than done, but it worked.


Sorry, the night shots on my camera phone suck.



I still need to adjust the crossmember. It needs to go in the most forward mount holes so it'll bolt up.

[northwestoutlaw]

cool work do you still have the front end for the super beelte?

[murphytj]

Oct 14, 2009 9:52:18 GMT -5 V8 Super Beetle said:

Thanks Paul, that would be great and helpful. Once the radiator comes in I'll give you call and maybe see if we can't schedule a little time to figure it out.


Hey Tom. The one I just bought is from SpeedwayMotors.com. The radiator was $109.99. The have them in many widths; 22", 24", 26", 28" and 31". The height is 19" on all of them.

Here's a link.
www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Chevy-Universal-Radiators,3557.html

What are you doing for a shroud? Are you running electric fns?

[V8 Super Beetle]

Small update. I didn't get as much time to work on the bug as I thought I would this weekend.

My low mount alternator bracket came in and seems it wont work either. The steering box is in the way. I'm not sure what my options are now for an alt bracket. I might just have to make one.

My radiator and fan came in so I started mocking it up to see if I can get it up front. I trimmed more of the front clip sheet metal away and squeeze it in, so to speak.






As you can see it goes in, but I don't think I'll have room to close the hood unless the radiator is sticking out the bottom by about 3". Even a little more so that in the picture. Also, from the looks of it, another problem is there's not enough room to squeeze in electric fan. I'm going to see what I can do the make it work, but it's looking like it would be best and easier to set up the radiator in the back.

[Mock1racer]

What if you moved the motor mounts back a little and then down about an inch?

[V8 Super Beetle]

Good suggestion. I actually have the motor about as far forward on the motor mounts as it will go. There's about 1 1/2" of adjustability. So I could slide the engine back about an inch. The only problem I see, maybe not, is the amount of space between the distributor and the wiper motor compartment.

Also, it's more so the frame setup that's giving me the problems because the s10 frame is so narrow The radiator is basically in front of the frame ends as of now. The sway bar is in the way of me getting the fan in. Not so much the pulleys or the motor.

Things are so tight in the compartment that if I do one thing I'll have to do another. So it's a matter of figuring out what's less work. I'd like to keep the radiator up front if possible. It's looking like it might work. I just need to figure out a doable solution.

[murphytj]

Oct 20, 2009 11:00:07 GMT -5 Mock1racer said:

What if you moved the motor mounts back a little and then down about an inch?

8-)That's whu my engine is sitting further back. Been doing a whole buch of measureing, research, etc for radiators before purchasing one. The jury is still out on which way I am going to go. That is, electric fan or fan clutch set up. I am really leaning toward the electric fan. I made a wooden box to simulate the radiator with electric fan/shroud. May seem crude, but it works for mocking up before I buy the radiator.

[murphytj]

Oct 20, 2009 11:00:07 GMT -5 Mock1racer said:

What if you moved the motor mounts back a little and then down about an inch?

Typo errors due to fat finger!

[Mock1racer]

You can see mine is far back so i would have plenty of room for everything. just have to get pusher rfans cause that's where the room is in front.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I had thought about moving the engine back to get enough room, but I'm wanting to keep the seat in the stock position and I want to have as much foot room as possible by having the engine in the stock place, for a V8 s10.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Did a little work last night. Mainly mocking up trying to figure things out which hopefully you guys can help.

I mounted the fan to the radiator. Do you think I'll need a shroud if I'll have a duct drawing air from under the car? See duct explanation below.






I picked up a manual rack from Matt, whom is building a V8 bug out of a S10 chassis believe it or not, and I'm going to see if I can't make it work. Seems like it might. Cross your fingers. Thanks, Matt!




With the steering box out of the way, in hopes the rack works out, I had enough room to mount my alternator with the low mount bracket I recently bought. High five!




Next, I mocked up the placement of the radiator out back. I'd like to mount it like the last picture, on an incline, so I can make the duct work better, I think. Also, what do you guys think about mounting it inclined and having an inline radiator filler neck in the engine compartment close by the top water neck that comes from the intake? Like the one pictured below. Do you think that would create any problems just keeping the rear cap on and filling the radiator using the inline neck? If I mount it at angle it'll be hard to access the radiator filler neck.

If worse comes to worse I'll mount it like the other picture.








The duct work will look like this, somewhat. Less boxy looking though.




All thoughts and opinions are welcome.

[paulj]

I will be mounting mine on an angle like the second picture. I will also be using a remote filler like the one you have pictured. I helped build a V8 Toyota 4x4 years ago and we put the radiator in the back with the remote filler at the highest point in the system. Worked like a champ! We ran aluminized tubing and connected with rubber hose on the ends.

[Mock1racer]

I agree. the filler needs to be at the highest point so you can bleed off the air from time to time. I like the rad on an incline, makes the hole look more filled.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm going to move forward with making radiator mounts next chance I get to work on it. I'll be mounting it on an incline. When I go to get the exhaust done I'll have them run some aluminized tubing for the cooling. I'll place the filler at the highest point which will be where the water neck is on the intake.