Water tank "radiator" for irrigation pump?

[D60]

Somehow I'm now servicing an irrigation pump powered by an old Ford 300 run on LP in the field.

Sorta like a boat, it appears to just use ditch water to cool itself, pumping it through the motor and nothing is recycled.

It has this steel tank for a "radiator." Honestly not sure why this would be necessary, but there it is. It's got pinholes galore.

Is it possible to buy anything like this?

I think a traditional radiator is: 1) unnecessary and 2) would clog quickly with muddy ditch water.

I could build an approximation of a replacement but I really don't want to. I can, however, cut this tank off and weld on a replacement.

 

[4WD]

Somehow I'm now servicing an irrigation pump powered by an old Ford 300 run on LP in the field.

Sorta like a boat, it appears to just use ditch water to cool itself, pumping it through the motor and nothing is recycled.

It has this steel tank for a "radiator." Honestly not sure why this would be necessary, but there it is. It's got pinholes galore.

Is it possible to buy anything like this?

I think a traditional radiator is: 1) unnecessary and 2) would clog quickly with muddy ditch water.

I could build an approximation of a replacement but I really don't want to. I can, however, cut this tank off and weld on a replacement.View attachment 296335View attachment 296336

Used to swim next to a rice field pump - they had built a cooler much like an ATF cooler (instead of fins - covered in expanded metal) - it was maybe 6 tubes of 1.5” with 180° turns … That steel mass stayed down in the cold water and it was a closed loop …

 

[bdcardinal]

Did you try 1-800 Radiator? Sorry I wouldn't pass up the chance.

 

[D60]

Did you try 1-800 Radiator? Sorry I wouldn't pass up the chance.

@Chris142 is opening a franchise I hear

 

[bdcardinal]

@Chris142 is opening a franchise I hear

The rad on my Super Doody is leaking, I think not sure but the marked territory is about that spot. On a whim I called them and they wanted $228 for a Koyo. I have a OEM one in stock for a bit more. Also debating taking the plunge and getting a Mishimoto one.

 

[ripcord]

That just seems so sketchy to me. Unfiltered, silty ground water has to play heck on water pump seals, not to mention the lack of anti-corrosion additives.

Edit: I wonder if it is a heat exchanger instead of an open system like the one 4WD described?

 

[walterjay]

Have you tried Amazon?

 

[BigCahuna]

How hard would it be to add a radiator and fan to it, so it operates more like a car engine?. Seems at some point you have to flush the engine out if it's just using ditch water and mud to cool it. Or you could use 2 plastic 10 gallon drums. 1, to hold 10 gallons to supply water into the engine, circulate water in the engine, then pump it into the other empty drum that gravity feeds it back into the first drum. At least the plastic drums won't develop pin holes.,,

 

[Oliveoil2]

Just plug the pin holes and call it a day. You’ll be back next year to do it again.

 

[Fitter30]

Water flow goes in the bottom out towards the top? If so creates a little back pressure to keep water flowing through every passage in engine. Beer keg would work a adaptor for the one end. Tig weld? Put a nipple on the other end. Mount keg vertical.

 

[jhellwig]

Does it matter if it leaks since it is constantly filling other than making a wet spot on the ground? Put sheet metal screws coated in rtv in it.

 

[doitmyself]

It isn't something a tiny bit more sophisticated like this: https://www.shell-tube.com/Irrigation-Pipeline-Engine-Coolers.html

 

[mk378]

This looks like it was a heat exchanger setup, but maybe the heat exchanger went bad so someone just re-plumbed it to send raw water directly through the engine. In that case you don't really need any sort of tank at all.