stainless steel perforated sheet to protect radiator

2554 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by DrewP, May 1, 2012

c900

Discussion Starter · Apr 10, 2009

As some of you know, I pulled the whole A/C system out of my 89 900i some months back and also replaced the old, dead radiator with a brand new aluminium-plastic one.

Also some time back, I obtained a sheet of 1 mm thick stainless steel perforated with about 8 mm square perforations which I was thinking of using to create a 'grille' to sit where the A/C condensor once did to give physical protection to the new radiator while not significantly blocking airflow.

Recently I've found a place selling stainless steel sheet with 2 mm round perforations however I think that would restrict airflow too much.

Has anyone created a 'shield' to place in front of a radiator to give it physical protection from damage if anything should impact the front of the car and break through the plastic radiator grille?

Craig.

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JK

· #2 · Apr 10, 2009

Nope. I've been running an open, meshless grille, no A/C condensor, and an intercooler that sits lower than most of the radiator for over 2 years. Radiator is fine.

Think about it, how often did you have the A/C condensor replaced from things flying in an puncturing it? Probably not often at all. No need for this in my opinion, unless maybe you are dirt track racing.

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c900

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 11, 2009

Good points. I was considering how much having something in front of the radiator would affect airflow, since the A/C condensor covers the whole front surface area of the radiator though it's design would ensure quite good airflow.

Given that my 81 turbo sedan and 89 900i hatchback both have new rads (copper/brass in 81 turbo, aluminium in 89 900i), I was looking at ideas to give them some physical protection without affecting airflow.

Craig.

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crwchf01

· #4 · Apr 18, 2009

Craig - have you considered using a pieced of oh, say 1mm aluminum plate and having it frenched (old hot rod term here in the states, don't know if it carried over to oz). Cant at a slight angle to minimize blockage and maximize protection. Might be workable , or give you another direction to consider. What exactly is it you are trying to stop? Small road debris and bugs might be stopped by a mounting of old kitchen fan filters from a commercial kitchen with no loss of flow. And they may be in usable sizes.

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daniel9

· #5 · May 1, 2012

Yeah I agree, that's what I would do.

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DrewP

· #6 · May 1, 2012

I use aluminum or even plastic woven mesh from the hardware / home store meant for screen doors or enclosed porches. It's usually a few dollars for enough to cover the heat exchangers, and is cheap to replace, and doesn't block much air.

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