Any street turbo trucks with bed mounted rads?
 

I made it through last summer in OK with my turbo truck. It was my first summer having driven a turbo LS vehicle on the street on long trips with a FMIC. We have plenty of days where it can reach nearly 100*F or better. I'm wondering about a bed mounted rad.... I search around and I find a lot of mixed information. This truck has progressed into a daily driveable turbo machine, however, I'm totally willing to sacrifice the bed in order to get better cooling and weight distribution if possible. The benefits to bed mounting the rad seem obvious to me. Less clutter in the engine bay, easier to do anything in the engine bay, more coolant capacity, potentially more airflow with the FMIC and condenser blocking some air to the rad when it's up front.

Has anyone done this with success in a southern state like mine??

What is the best place to mount the rad in the bed? I'm thinking towards the tailgate.

Should it be straight up and down or tilt the rad at an angle???

Obviously fans will be required at lower vehicle speeds, but can this be done where cruising at say 40+ MPH you can utilize the natural airflow and not have to rely on the fans for anything other than low speed and idle?

Tons of guys do this over on pirate 4x4. Most of them mount the rad on the roll bar. I researched over there alot cause im going rear mount rad on my car this trip around. They say the stock pump even pulls at that length no problem.

Yeah, most of what I find from trying to search around on the topic of bed mounted radiators sends me to pirate. Seems like, at least with what I've found anyways, that some make it work well, and others end up going to all that work and STILL have overheating. I remember reading about a guy on here trying it in I believe an F-body? He ended up going back to a front mount rad. Cool idea he had and mad props for taking a stab at it but I believe it ultimately didn't work out. https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...-inside-6.html

I didn't realize the importance of running the biggest radiator you could fit and also the most fan and shroud coverage that you can fit also when building up a turbo LS.... Last summer I ditched the original SBC radiator that the truck had and put in one that is for the same body style so it drops right in, but it's for big blocks and/or towing packages.... My fan that I was running was a Summit brand fan that really was OK for what it was, but still left a LOT to be desired when you're trying to stay as cool as possible in a turbo LS that is daily driven (sometimes) in the south here in OK where we have days where it is 100*F +.....


I did some fiddling around today and yesterday and have ditched the wimpy Summit brand fan that WAS on there... I replaced it with what APPEARS to be a Mark VIII fan.... Haven't tested it yet and we haven't got into the hotter months yet but I'm thinking it ought to work better than ever now. I wish I could get some solid CFM rating on this Mark VIII fan but it appears to be at LEAST double the CFM of the Summit fan, if not more. The larger shroud should help also.

I'm hoping that even with my FMIC and condenser in front of my rad, the rad being so big, and with the new Mark VIII fan instead of the little Summit one that was on there that this will be all it needs. Was never a problem last summer, even when building boost, or, idling in traffic. However, I'm hoping the new fan coupled with the big rad will bring the temps down at least a little. Idle and low speed was where it would warm up. Going down the highway steady and the fan never came on and it stayed pretty much around 180*F or so. So that pretty much says the fan was on the ragged edge. I believe the hottest temp I saw idling in 101*F ambient last summer was 215*F coolant temp. This was with a scanner not the gauge. Of course 215*F is no biggie, but I've learned from others on here the importance/benefit of running at least a little cooler when boost is in the equation.


Still got the bigblock rad in there which is huge compared to what was there, twice the core thickness of the SBC rad and significantly wider/(longer?)

I never skimp on fans. Most of those aftermarket fans are total bull. Get a taurus fan. they are badass.

In light of the fact you have ample space in the front of the truck, I'd vote to stay front mount. As stated fans are critical. You can get a good idea what CFM a fan is by it's amp draw. I run a large single Spal (due to space constraints) and it draws about 10 Amps per 1000 CFM. I'd run a good shroud with dual fans wired progressively if possible. A good shroud defined as one that is sealed to the radiator and has vents/flaps to allow air through when at highway speeds. With your current radiator, good fans and a proper tune (timing), you'll have no problem keeping it cool.

Check the sizing of the fans and shroud on a newer Silverado/Sierra. You might get lucky and they'll fit with some minor mods.

Yep you are absolutely right!! I came from N/A stuff before most of which was never much of a powerhouse anyways so I was always able to get by, just didn't know any better haha. I sure do now! Apparently, the Mark VIII fan is even MORE CFM than the Taurus fan?!?! So I've read anyways.... So as badass as the Taurus fan is I'm really thinking (hoping) this Mark VIII fan will do the trick.

Yep I agree. Front mount rad will certainly make it easier, and even though I have other trucks to haul stuff with, it's nice to keep the bed relatively open if I want to haul with it. Really, if I had known what I know now, I would have planned and built accordingly.... My charge pipes are pretty close to the rad.... I have moved the crossover for the hotside about 3 or 4 times as I've learned lol..... The next turbo build will of course be much easier, or at least I hope hahaha. I got the Mark VIII fan in there and I'm thinking it will work good. I will definitely keep the newer truck fans in mind though, thanks.

Taurus and Mark VIII fans are 2 speed fans....said to be 4500cfm+

That's what a lot of guys go to ;)

That is excellent news then. Thanks for confirming that!!!! Best I could tell from what data I could gather on the Summit fan indicates that fan is around 2000 CFM, maybe slightly more..... So with at least double the CFM and a more appropriate shroud (the summit fan had basically only a tiny shroud right around the fan itself) that Mark VIII fan ought to do the trick!!

Same as the T-bird fan, Used one on a 73 Nova and it moves atone of air.

Stadium trucks run rear rads an those guys dog the piss outta those trucks, a good shroud is the most importsnt that way you are using all of the rad surface, I ran one in my race car and never had an issue, Had a good shroud though.

Yes I done it on a twin turbo 33 ford pickup, the radiator is a duel pass one with two spal fans and shroud. My radiator is a little below the bed floor and lays flat. I’d say 99 percent of my cooling is with the fans, I’ve got no air ducting of any kind and it works great in hot humid weather. My fans come on at180 and off at 170 and would probably work fine at lower set points. Two -20 lines run to and from radiator and no thermostat.i was told at highway speed is where is would fail or have issues due to my radiator placement but that’s where I wanted it and it works great

Looks just like this one I have!
Do you, (or anyone else for that matter) happen to know the part number for the weatherpack connector/plug that fits these fans? I have not found one in the yards nor did this fan come with it. I've been using crimp connectors, but I'd much rather find out where to get that plug like in the video...

Good to know. It looks like with the Mark VIII fans ya can't go wrong no matter what!


I'm certainly interested in trying it in something just to learn and have fun if nothing else. So far the big block rad coupled with the Mark VIII fan seems like it might do the trick in this build. I embarassed a diesel douche today in my local town and boy was that fun. This thing was a Duramax with the wick turned up a fair bit and he couldn't hang at all even with me making on 8 PSI boost and making waaaaaayyy less power on paper hahahaha. It is going to be harder to sneak up on people like that with a rad in the bed lol.

Cool! Got any pics you could share?! I'm a very visual person what can I say?

Yes, as soon as I can figure out how, I had a thread on here awhile back, it may have been under 1933 twin turbo ford pickup. My instagram is fisherboys3 if you message me there it is a lot easier for me to post pics if you like.

It’s under 33 twin turbo pickup on here, it’s been awhile and I ain’t sure what pics are on post

Cool, I will check it out. Thanks

Little update. Been running the turbo truck around in some of the warmer weather. The Mark VIII fan is one bad mofo..... I can sit idling when the fan comes on and watch the temp gauge start to go down!!

. That’s good to hear, if you have any trouble it will be at highway speeds

Well, that was never an issue, as long as the truck was going steady 35 or 40+ MPH it stays nice a cool. Idling in traffic is what I was trying to get right. That previous fan was a joke compared to this MarkVIII fan.

Followed ya on insta. Truck is pretty bitchin' dude.