Intercooler / rad fins

[fubar andy]

I've just removed my rad from my car today and something got me thinking so I’m interested in what peoples views are on this:

Some of my fins on the rad are bent as are a few on my intercooler, nothing serious here and it’s not a cause for concern.

However I have seen one rad from another car (can remember if it was an intercooler or rad), but many of the fins (70%) were bent or squashed. From what I remember the core is sealed and there are no leaks.

My main question is, how much inefficiency would having 70%'s worth of bent and squashed fins would make a difference to the cooling properties - both on an intercooler and radiator.

Would it be worth junking and getting a new one?

 

[GTIR-LOZ]

cant you just straighten them up with a small screwdriver

 

[warringtonjack]

To be honest, even if the fins are bent, you'll still get the same airflow through the intercooler/rad as when they were straight. Only thing that might change, is where the air goes through. So, theoretically, if a large number of fins are bent closed, the air would be deflected to other areas, thus giving uneven cooling across the intercooler/rad face. If this gets bad enough, you will lose sufficient cooling and get problems.

I had a blockage in my old rad that caused about 20% to be unused, and that was enough for me to overheat under high temps. :noidea:

 

[steve963]

my dads toyota corolla rad had 25% of the fins missing, they had completey fell off!!

 

[GTi-R23]

It's bound to be less efficient if fins are bent/broke/missing as the surface area that the air has to act upon will be reduced. A bigger surface area = better cooling.
The odd bent fin here and there wouldn't worry me though, as said above, can't you just straighten them back with a small screwdriver?

 

[fubar andy]

Unfortunately the fins are too mashed up, but as mentioned there are no leaks.

Trying to straighten them with a screwdriver wasn't what I had in mind!

 

[youngsyp]

If the fins are bent, you're unlikely to be getting any air through that particular area. With 70% of the fins bent, it's likely to be 70% less efficient, if 70% of the surface area is not allowing air through.
If they are bent to that degree, the rad/cooler is likely to be old anyway so, the alloy will have oxidisation causing it to be even more inefficient.

If it were me, I'd bin it and buy a fresh one.

Paul

 

[warringtonjack]

With 70% of the fins bent, it's likely to be 70% less efficient, if 70% of the surface area is not allowing air through.

Just to be argumentative, its not technically correct, because the cooling in the 30% that remains good will be slightly improved over standard, i.e. getting more air flow through it than normal.

If it were me, I'd bin it and buy a fresh one.

Cant argue with that though! :lol:

 

[youngsyp]

Just to be argumentative, its not technically correct, because the cooling in the 30% that remains good will be slightly improved over standard, i.e. getting more air flow through it than normal.

And not to be argumentative with your argument but... :lol:

Air travels in a straight line and there's no angled deflection panels to direct air through the core on the front of the GTiR. So, the 70% that's blocked will be stopping the air going through that part of the core. The remaining 30% will allow air to flow through as normal but, no extra air will flow through it. If anything, some of the air that would go through the 30% of the core will be deflected out of its normal path due to the turbulence created by the blocked air.

However, the entire front section of the core will still be cooled so, it should be more than 30% efficient !

Paul

 

[the chief]

also if you have a front mount and the fins are bent you want get any air flowing to the rad