Radiator coolant flow pattern
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Radiator coolant flow pattern
97 Base 4.2L 2" radiator
Inlet is on the passenger side top, outlet driver side bottom. I wonder if the flow pattern is uniformly from passenger side to driver side. Or is the radiator divided into a few sections so that coolant flows from P to D at the top, and reverse direction in the middle, etc?
PS: I just would like to know the hottest and the coldest parts of the radiator.
Inlet is on the passenger side top, outlet driver side bottom. I wonder if the flow pattern is uniformly from passenger side to driver side. Or is the radiator divided into a few sections so that coolant flows from P to D at the top, and reverse direction in the middle, etc?
PS: I just would like to know the hottest and the coldest parts of the radiator.
Last edited by paker; Dec 7, 2017 at 09:45 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2013
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From: Fort Worth, Texas
On the 97-03 F150 the radiator tanks are located on its sides.
Hot coolant fills the tank on the passenger side of the radiator and is pulled across the radiator to the tank on the drivers side. The flow does not change direction inside the radiator.
The hottest part would be the passenger side tank and the coolest part would be near the outlet on drivers side.
Hot coolant fills the tank on the passenger side of the radiator and is pulled across the radiator to the tank on the drivers side. The flow does not change direction inside the radiator.
The hottest part would be the passenger side tank and the coolest part would be near the outlet on drivers side.
Last edited by DirkDiggler87; Dec 8, 2017 at 07:06 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 76
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From: Fort Worth, Texas
No problem.
The type of radiator you described does exist but is mostly used in smaller applications.
If you see the inlet and outlet on the same side of a radiator it is actually split in half internally and will have a hot and cold side.
The type of radiator you described does exist but is mostly used in smaller applications.
If you see the inlet and outlet on the same side of a radiator it is actually split in half internally and will have a hot and cold side.