Hello and welcome to the newest edition of our quarterly newsletter. Among other information, in this edition you will find articles on the following topics;
- Some of our most recent and interesting works including a Daytona Coupe radiator and a 1927 Scott Motorcycle radiator
- On highway Charge Air Coolers
- Denso Radiators and Condensers
- Technical Service Bulletins for Holden’s VE Commodore and WM Statesman
If you wish to join our mailing list or have any contributions or suggestions, please forward these to Lara at info@superiorradiators.com.au
Some recent works
Daytona Radiator
It started on a gloomy Saturday morning – half an hour before closing time. A frantic phone call comes in requiring the urgent repair of a Daytona race car radiator – as racing was scheduled to start that weekend for the Bathurst 12 hour race, which this year had a record breaking audience.
Because the original radiator was custom made, there was no replacement unit available. We used a Ford F100 complete aluminium radiator assembly and had to cut it down to size, then re-weld the tanks and mounting brackets to suit.
It took about 5 hours to do the modification. When the job was complete, there were 2 people on standby and took the radiator straight to Bathurst.
Unfortunately, the Daytona Sportscar didn’t finish the race due to gearbox issues.
The Daytona Sportscar (sometimes referred to as the ‘Daytona Coupe’) is an Australian built reproduction of the Shelby Daytona coupe from 1964.
Australian racing car champion Peter Brock was killed driving a Daytona (which coincidentally, the original Shelby Daytona was designed by an American by the name of Peter Elbert Brock!!!)
Peter Champion, a long-time friend of Peter Brock has restored the wreckage of the Daytona Sportscar in which Peter Brock died (which had has angered many of the Australian racing legend’s friends and family). Champion had the original builder, Richard Bendall and his company Daytona Sports Cars in Victoria rebuild it.
The cost of restoration for the 1960’s-style muscle car is a closely guarded secret, but Peter Champion admits, “you could have bought a new one for the price we paid to restore it”. The restoration work took about 800 hours over two years to complete.
Champion’s collection of vehicles and memorabilia had been sitting in a Blackwater shed until Brock suggested it be turned into a public museum prior to his death. Champion has the largest collection of Brock road and race cars in the country, which includes Brock’s first 1956 Austin A30, Bathurst winners, rally cars and his Bathurst 24-hour Monaro. Peter Champion opened a museum in Yeppoon, on Queensland’s central Coast in order to display his collection.
More info on radiator products and services offered by Superior -
Fuel Tank Repair
We recently had a fuel tank come in where the customer had requested it be split into two sections. One side was to be for diesel and the other side hydraulic oil.
We removed the end cap off the tank and the baffle, then we welded in 2 bulkheads to separate the sections and re-welded the end cap back in. We then fitted a vent cap for the oil side and pressure tested it.
Over the years we have carried out numerous fuel tank repairs and modifications for cars, trucks, motorbikes, boats and machinery.
More automotive products and services offered by Superior -
Oil Cooler Repair
A Cat 992 loader oil cooler was recently sent to us for a repair. We chemically steam cleaned, degreased and flushed internally and externally. It was then dried internally to remove any moisture. The oil cooler was pressure tested to find any leaks.
After locating leaks in the oil cooler, we welded the tank section to repair the leaks, re-tested the unit and it was then put back into service.
This is a regular service we provide and in the case that they cannot be repaired, we can offer a new unit in most cases.
More oil cooler products and services offered by Superior -
Tractor radiator
Did you know that we can service, repair, recore and supply new radiators to suit most farm tractor radiators such as Massey Ferguson, Fiat, Fordson, International, Case, Kubota, JCB, John Deere, New Holland and Nuffield to name a few.
The image below is of a Massey Ferguson radiator we recently repaired.
More radiator products and services offered by Superior -
1927 Scott Flying Squirrel radiator
This radiator was brought in by a customer to have it repaired because it was leaking water from the top tank.
We were able to successfully repair it and I was amazed at how good the core, tanks and solder still were after all these years!
It just goes to show what craftsmanship and quality was like in that era.
Interesting Facts:
The Squirrel name was used for Scott motorcycles since 1921 but with the death of the founder Alfred Scott in 1923 the unorthodox Scott two-stroke motorcycles began to become more conventional. Launched in 1926, the Flying Squirrel was expensive - nearly twice the cost of a sporting four-stroke motorcycle of the time.
Development of the three-speed Scott Flying Squirrel began in 1922 as the company was in severe debt and faced receivership.
The Scott engine was quite innovative for its time and sported a beautiful British crafted brass radiator that provided passive convective cooling for the engine using a method known as the thermosyphon system. Considering its vintage, the Scott was quite technologically advanced and it’s hard to believe this 2-stroke water-cooled twin cylinder was built 86 years ago.
The fuel tank is divided into two separate compartments, one for fuel and the other for the oil necessary for operation of the 2 cycle engine. This in itself was novel, as most 2 cycle engines of this vintage required the operator to premix the oil and fuel mixture together.
The Flying Squirrel was envisioned primarily as a racing bike, and as such provided NO instruments of any kind, not even a speedometer. The makers were kind enough to provide a rudimentary headlamp and tail lamp, powered by a tooth-belt-driven magneto.
The internal engine design is also unique in that the bottom end block was painted either green for racing or red for road, and featured a centrally positioned flywheel, flanked by twin inboard main bearings. The crank is then cantilevered out from that centre bearing point, with the rod throws being unsupported at each outer end. A round crank access opening is provided on each side of the case sealed by polished aluminium covers which are secured by massive brass dogs. These doors were made to enable ease of access to the engine. Some enthusiasts believe that these covers also serve as safety blowout plugs in case of a backfire into the fuel-mixture filled crank case. It’s amazing enough to discover anyone even built such a bike back in the 1920s.
The Scott also boasted the first patent for a recoil kick starter - founder Alfred Scott introduced the first kick start to the motorcycling world in 1910.
The Scott has controls that are familiar to a current-day motorcyclist, clutch on left handlebar, front brake on right, and rear brake pedal below the right side foot pedal. Shifting is a bit different, as the Scott uses a hand shift mounted on the right side of the tank to select one of three forward gears (as was the custom on many bikes of this period).
One enthusiast, Richard Backus comments, “the engine is remarkable for its smoothness, belying its age, and getting the revs up a bit once on the move cleans out the Scott’s throat, and it pulls strongly. In fact, once moving it’s almost hard to believe you’re riding a machine that was built two years before the start of the Great Depression. That is, until you go to stop, at which point you’re reminded that, well, this bike was built two years before the Great Depression!”
Sadly, the ‘state of the art’ innovations on the bike were expensive to manufacture, to the extent that sales prices of these bikes new was almost double that of a competitive 4-cycle engine bike of the era. As a result, sales were lackluster and in the wake of the death of the company founder Alfred Scott, the company’s financial situation became more and more dire. Finally, with the outbreak of WWII, production ended and the original Scott company ceased to exist.
From stem to stern, this bike just shouts old-world British craftsmanship. Polished aluminium and brass, combined with leather seating, create a true mechanical work of art that would enhance any garage. In fact, this bike is considered so significant that one is included in Jay Leno’s collection.
Fortunately, there are aficionados who are keeping the brand name alive by sharing these precious bikes with the public.
More automotive radiator products and services offered by Superior -
Did you know?
Installing an intercooler in a turbocharged system significantly improves the combustion process which in turn, increases engine power and efficiency, lowers engine emission, lowers fuel consumption and lowers thermal stress on the engine and its equipment.
The main function of the intercooler is to reduce the temperature of the hot air compressed by the turbocharger before it gets into the combustion chamber of the engine – as cooled air has a much higher density. This then gives a greater increase of air intake and much better engine output by way of power and efficiency.
A damaged or malfunctioning intercooler can lead to serious damage of the turbo charger and the engine.
Common causes of intercooler failures include stones or particles thrown from the road, worn or defective gaskets sealing the turbo unit, front end accidents, the surface of the intercooler being congested or turbocharger failure.
In case of turbocharger failure, oil as well as the swarf from chargers damaged parts are sent through the entire system and may block the intercooler channels. When a new turbocharger has been installed, the system will again operate with the proper high pressure, and unless the intercooler has been replaced, both the oil and the particles collected in the intercooler risk being instantly blown to the combustion chamber, which may damage the engine.
For that reason, remember that an intercooler must always be replaced after a turbocharger failure, or when installing a new turbo unit.
New Products
On-Highway Charge Air Coolers
Click to download brochure
Denso Radiators and Condensers FTF – “First Time Fit”
Click to download brochure
Some interesting articles
Trevor Green Racing – Heading to the Wild West
Green Brothers Racing have packed up the distinctive Natrad transporter and Trevor is travelling across the Nullarbor from SA to take in some major meetings on the WA sprintcar calendar.
Green will contest the two-night grand final of the 2013-14 World Series Sprintcar championship at the Kwinana Motorplex before heading to Bunbury for the Krikke Boys Memorial Race at Bunbury.
Following some impressive recent form which resulted in victories in the NSW championship and the Scott Darley Memorial in Sydney, fourth spot in the Grand Annual Classic at Warrnambool, and third place in the 2014 Australian sprintcar title in Tasmania, Green has enjoyed a couple of weeks off. However, he is keenly looking forward to the trip to the ‘Wild West’. The Scott Darley Challenge is Sydney Speedway’s most prestigious race, in honour of the young man that lost his life driving a Sprintcar.
“Kwinana has been a happy hunting place for us to race over the years,” reflected Green.
“We won the first ever sprintcar main event at the venue and ran second at the 2009 Australian championship. After a couple of years absence, we are certainly looking forward to racing there again and catching up with some old friends.”
“This year marks the 17th running of the Krikke Memorial for our loved and missed mates in Jason and Darryl.
“For one reason or another we have struggled at the event, but after a reasonably successful season, nothing would please the team more than being able to stand on the podium in Bunbury.”
Carbon Tax to be Abolished
Bills to repeal the carbon tax were tabled in Parliament in November 2013. From 1 July 2014, the Australian Government has announced details of its plans to revoke the carbon tax, as well as the equivalent carbon tax on synthetic greenhouse gases.
Some of the key points of the repeal bills for synthetic greenhouse gases are:
- From 1 July, 2014 the equivalent carbon tax will be repealed and will not apply to imports of synthetic greenhouse gases made after this date.
- Refrigerant imported from 1 April - 30 June 2014 will be exempt from the carbon tax if it is stored in a Customs warehouse and not released until after 1 July 2014.
- The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will have new powers to monitor prices and take action against businesses that attempt to exploit other businesses and consumers by making false or misleading claims about the effect of carbon tax repeal on prices or charging unreasonably high prices – this ensures that consumers benefit from price reductions following the removal of the carbon tax.
Technical Bulletin
Holden VE Commodore & WM Statesman Compressor
Click to download brochure
Holden VE Commodore & WM Statesman Poor front windscreen demisting at low ambients
During a recent cold weather spell, it was noticed that on a Holden Commodore VE at around +5°C ambient temperature, the A/C compressor would not activate when the front windscreen demist mode was selected.
Click to download brochure
