Anyone succesfully relocated the radiators on an 8v92?

[TrevorH]

Has anyone heard of anyone succesfully relocating the stock radiators to the rear baggage compartment and using electric fans?  Any info on what kind of CFM the stock belt driven fans pull?

[Rick Brown]

Not I, but I did add a jeep Cherokee radiator and two Honda radiator fans to my 4905.
I figured I had added about one jeep Cherokee worth of power to the engine when I had it rebuilt as a turbo version so this was my way to compensate for he additional BTUs.  It fits nicely just in front of the factory radiator in the area previously occupied by the air compressor pump.  Unfortunately I can't, at the moment, tell you how well it works.  I had a missunderstanding of how engine 'heater side' coolant flow is driven and so plumbed up the system incorrectly.  I can tell you it doesn't work at all just by luck.  That's corrected now, but it's going to be spring before I have any data.  If anybody thinks they might want to try the same thing I'll put a piece about it on my web site.
-RickBrown in Reno, NV

[RJ]

Trevor -

The electric cooling fan idea has been brought up numerous times and beaten to death on every bus bulletin board in existence over the years.  Go over to the BNO board and do a search of the archives for "Two Dogs" and his saga of this idea for an example: www.busnut.com

The stock cooling system on your MCI draws about 40 hp to run those big squirrel cages, but I have no idea of the CFM.

For the amount of time and money you'd spend trying to convert to a different system, you'd be ahead financially to sell the MCI and pick up a Prevost or Eagle that already has the low-mounted radiator that's in place and properly engineered for the powertrain.

Then you could cut up the back end for your toys. . .

FWIW & HTH. . .

[TrevorH]

Ya all the research I have done returns to a do not try result.  It seems as though our 2 strokes but out ALOT of heat.  Just hopin someone out there might have heard of a positive result...

[JohnEd]

Trevor,

The electric fan thing HAS NEVER WORKED even a little bit.  There are so many fundamental problems you are doomed at the git-go.

From what I gather:

2 cycles are over active heat producers of heat.   Comparing our displacement, we create less power and consume more fuel than a 4 cycle.  Those that have converted to Cummins M11, L10 or ISM report that the same rads that were a problem with the 2 stroke are now "oversized" for their new 4 stroke.  Sad fact is that as the 2 stroke ages it gets less efficient, makes more heat and outstrips the rads ability to shed heat.  MCI never produce a stock system with misters but an awful lot of Knuts have added them even after having their stock rads recored...tired engine running smoothly.

HTH

John

[TomC]

To give you an idea on how much heat the 8V-92TA produces, the same radiators can be used for either the Cummins 600hp or Caterpillar 625hp-with horsepower to spare.  Two things you can do- one is to make sure the twin radiators and squirrel cage blowers are clean and up to snuff.  Or, you could install a 7 row radiator on the side with 1400 sq in of surface area (my Kenworth had a 5 row 1350sq in, but also the advantage of frontal air ram), with a two speed fan clutch.  On low it just lopes around pulling in some air, on high it is direct drive pulling in max air.  Use at least an 8 blade fan of 32 inch and 6 inch pitch.  Good Luck, TomC

[buswarrior]

There is a solution...

Some of the transits have been using hydraulic fans instead of the belt driven gear box affair...

Gear driven pump on the engine dedicated for the purpose.

The hoses are quite large, at least 1 inch inside, but they do the job.

Advantages are numerous to a customizing busnut....

Another way to skin the cooling cat?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Len Silva]

Some years ago there was an Eagle bus in BCM that had a huge lift up rear cap and ramps that stored a car above the engine compartment.  Anybody remember who that was.  Very nicely engineered as I recall.

**********SORRY, posted in wrong topic, meant for Trevor's other post ****************