Hey guys...been tweaking the old ride and the dodge radiator that somewhat fits into the opening is not quite cutting the heat of the sbc...any ideas on a good 3 or 4 core rad that fits the original configuration? Thanx again guys

 

Brant Performance sell an aluminum rad fror about $230 that would solve your cooling problems but you loose the look. Do you have a fan shroud I understand they make a big difference? Good luck, no fun going for a drive and starring at the temp gauge the whole time.
Brian

 

Thanx Brian.....I am presently running an electric fan on Pull mode ...16 inch...I think I might go talk to the guy at Brant he is pretty good. I won't lose any look with my 300 hp 350 in there?..my temp is good while rolling...just creeps up when slow around town.

 

Can you convert the fan to pusher mode you should get more
CFM's

 

I might be able to...thank u

 

Do you have a fan shrould? I've read that puller fan is more effective then pusher fans... And not all fans are built the same...

 

You MUST have a shroud if you want the fan to operate at maximum efficiency! And a "puller" is FAR more efficient than a "pusher"


I took my OEM radiator to a radiator shop and had them put a 4-row core in it (it wasn't cheap) . I am going to install a 4600 CFM Flex-a-lite (dual) fan for my 292.

Flex-a-lite's New 27" Electric Fan

I'll have to make my own shroud adapter so that there's no leaks.

I suspect it'll be more than adequate.

 

You are the first person I've heard from who has used the Dodge truck radiator and had a problem. The Dodge radiator I used for my 350 was a 3 row originally made for use with a 360 V8 and I never had a problem with cooling. Definitely do NOT convert to a pusher fan. Just how hot is she getting in traffic? Some temperature creep in heavy traffic is normal. I ran a 180 thermostat and it would occasionally creep up to 200 in heavy traffic but that doesn't hurt anything. Going to a 4 row may exacerbate the problem because getting air through a 4 core radiator can be a problem...

 

Hi Vern that's some good advice...I am maybe thinking some shrouding might be in order....it's as high as 210 on very hot days but runs a good 180 on the highway...I haven't waited to see if it goes higher yet been welding in a few resonators to quell the drone in the cab....thank you

 

The problem is that if you are doing a pusher you will want it on the front side of the radiator, but there is a cross brace riveted to the radiator support that you will have to modify so that you can get an adequately sized fan in the center of the radiator. Pusher or puller all depends upon the blade design. If you are lucky the blade will be made to run either way. The PO of my truck had put in a pusher behind the radiator. I can tell he was having cooling issues as both thermostats were . . . mounted in the glovebox. I simply reversed the wires to the fan and made it a puller. it works fine along with new, matching thermostats.

A fan shroud will make a difference but you will have to mount the fan sealed to the end of the shroud not the radiator.

I'm running the original flatty V-8 with a radiator from LMC truck ($200) and it works fine. Your SBC should not require anything too fancy unless you are running high compression (10:1 or higher).

 

If it's going only to 210, I'd say you have nothing to do. As long as it cools back down to 180 on the road and doesn't boil over in traffic you're good to go. Although I did not run a shroud on my truck I did make sure all the air coming through the grille was going through the radiator by blocking the top, sides, and bottom. Some things you can to that might help are a shroud, larger fan (more cfm flow), and block areas where air might be going around the radiator instead of through it.

Years ago I had a 29 Ford with a 350 and a 4 core Walker radiator with A/C and it would run 180 all day on the road but in traffic it would go up to 220. It always made me a little nervous because I liked to see it stay at 180 but it always cooled back down and never went above 220. That 4 core was a beast to get air through, however...

 

awesome info....thank you guys...i am going to start by sending all available air through the rad...then a shroud ...we might be ok...enjoy your weekend guys

 

Two important pieces are the air deflector that goes in the hood which keeps air from going over the top of the radiator and the deflector that goes just in front of the radiator at the bottom to keep air from going below it...

 

I want mine to run at around 190-200.

It will only be a problem if I exceed the cap (pressure) rating

The radiator guy told me that our old radiators have a LOT of area in the top tank. Because of that, they can only handle a MAX pressure of about 13psi. Above that the top tank might blow-out and start leaking.


I found a chart on the net that graphs Ethylene glycol/water mixtures for vapor pressure vs temp.

The chart has curves for 0-100% glycol "mixes" (with water) indicated in degrees Celsius vs Inches of mercury (So I had to convert to Fahrenheit vs PSI)

100 deg C = 212 Deg F by the way.

The vapor pressure of 50/50 ethylene glycol @ 212 deg F is 360 mm Hg (about 7PSI)

If you're using a 7PSI cap in your original radiator, you might "pop' the cap if you exceed 212.

That doesn't mean you're going to "Boil" though.

The boiling point of 50/50 at sea level on a "standard day" is approx 225 deg F



Back in the "Old Days" cooling systems weren't pressurized so they lost coolant from evaporation........ not only they lost coolant due to evaporation but they'd lose it due to boil-over too if it got hot enough.

We also know that engines can be more efficient if run at 212 F and higher............so to prevent coolant loss, the system must be pressurized.

A 15psi cap will prevent coolant loss up to about 265 deg F where a 50/50 mixture boils. (STP-----Standard Temp and Pressure)


Take the same mixture up the Pikes Peak run and the 15PSI cap might not "cut" it!!


Cheers,


Rick

 

thats some good info man...thank you