As can only be expected, I just replaced a rusted through freeze plug a week or so ago which means fresh coolant so my radiator had to go out; the 3 year old JB Weld repair on a crack at the seam of the top tank finally gave way. I suppose this is the way these things go... It has several other repaired cracks that are still holding but its only a matter of time; not worth fixing as its old and brittle.

I need a new radiator and was hoping for input &/or suggestions. Here is my truck and the relevant info (let me know if more is needed):

75 F100
Engine - 390fe
Manual Trans
4x4

I take care of my truck but I do use it. Every once in a while I find myself bouncing around in the mud but this isn't all that often.

I am looking for economical, functional, durable, & well rounded reliability. I have never bought a radiator before so hoping to accomplish this tall order without regrets.

So the most economical radiators seem to be the two row aluminum/plastic types found in newer rides. Plenty of newer trucks are beaten on pretty severely and seem to have no issues with their radiators so despite not being as heavy as my OEM copper job these seem fit for duty. Shedding a few pounds never seems to hurt anything either so this is actually a plus in my mind.

Here is the radiator I have my eye on. http://m.summitracing.com/parts/sgt-cu433

At a glance it seems to fit the bill but again, I value all the collective experience and wisdom on this forum. Any reasons not to go with this? Is two row sufficient for my engine's cooling requirements? I never tow excessively heavy loads over long distances up desert hills but it would be nice knowing I can. As long as I can operate the truck within its normal limitations I will be happy.

On a side note, this offers ports for auto-transmission cooling which I won't need. I was thinking this could be used for either engine oil or powersteering cooling. Any thoughts on this?

I think everyone gets this point but if it were a show truck & if funds were unlimited then I would go all out for one of those $500 all aluminum jobs but I think that is overkill.

My biggest concern is buying some flimsy underrated piece of trash; this I want to avoid. Thanks for the responses.

 

Have you rang a radiator shop to see how much just repairing the crack would be? It's pretty easy to braze copper with an oxyfuel torch. I don't see the use in upgrading a part that keeps up just fine. Have you looked around for an oem?

 

I haven't but I am assuming it would be at least $150-$200 or more... And that would leave me with the rest of an old brittle radiator. Another old used radiator isn't gonna be much better. I feel like at this point my money would be better spend on new materials. NOS would be fine as it wouldn't have been banged around, heated and cooled while being exposed to all the elements but unless someone can prove otherwise, NOS would cost as much if not more than the most expensive custom radiators.

 

I have used Spectra radiators on DD's with good results. In this situation, 1 row and 1.25" core thickness sounds like too little with a 390... unless you are in Alaska and drive it easy in summer.

Autozone has replacement radiators for my '78/400. "2 core" is about the same price you mentioned. "3 core" is $250 or so. I installed the 3 core and it is just enough for high summer temps + load. It warms up but does not overheat.

I'm thinking of upgrading.

 

Rock auto has a new one for $133. I had a radiator cleaned and re-cored for $50 at a local shop. Its worth a call to a shop near you

 

For that price it sounds like this is worth a few phone calls... I have heard horror stories about our local shop though so I will probably have to shop around. My biggest concern is not wanting to have this repaired just to have it replaced a short time later... I will have to have it completely inspected and pressure checked as well although I am sure this is probably part of the process.

Are there any radiator shop recommendations in the Norcal area? I live just a little north of Sacramento.

Thanks Steve...

I have checked out the radiators on ebay, amazon, rockauto, & summit. I haven't checked the big box stores just yet but I will for sure before finallizing any decisions...

I haven't had any cooling issues with what I have in there although I am sure I will now that its leaking... What is the row count (2 row, 3 row, etc) referring to? I get that there are little tubes flowing through the fins... Are there 2, 3, or 4 side by side or on top of each other? I suppose I should at least keep it the same as I what I currently have if I do replace.

 

Hi Crazy,
Still have that front seat? You might want to post in the NorCal chapter part of the forums, as this will draw in members from our area across all the years available. If you don't need the trans cooler side, you may want to see if the whole area can be used for the engine. Good luck.

 

I sure do... Its working great! I need to clean it though. I will be sure to make that post.

Thanks!

 

I have a 4 row champion all aluminum radiator that works great check ebay I just saw 3 row ones for under 200. It's not made in USA but the price is right.

 

I just bought a Chinese replacement. Aluminum with plastic tanks. Installed without any trouble. Should last at least a few years anyway. My other truck has a fairly new genuine type. I should hang onto that.

 

I saw those... They look really nice... I was actually wondering how well those were made so thanks! Unfortunstely, I doubt anything I would buy would be made here... So that can't really be a deal breaker.

I am going to price out a repair before committing to one replacement or another. If the repair is the same price (or close to or more than) as replacement it doesn't make sense to me to repair it.

 

It sounds like just about anything made for this application will work... I am inferring that it should be a 3 row at minimum but 4 row would be best.

 

Don't know what anyone else thinks, but I bought a new unit from 800-radiator for my Jeep in the 2000s. Kept it for a 50,000 miles after that. Worked great.

 

On Steven's suggestion I called a local shop... Ability Radiator in Yuba City, CA. Its a little under $80 and they cut off the top, clean it out, address any internal issues, weld (braze) back together, paint it; basically a reconditioning. This is better than some cheap plastic import job for less than half the price & I know if will sufficiently cool it since it has for 40 years... Gonna get it done this week.

 

Excellent!