I have a 90 F-150 300-6 5sp w/ AC. This truck is a daily driver and is used on long trips and tows a lot. I've never been too pleased with the stock cooling, mainly the thin radiator. I've run 180 thermostats in the summer and 192 in the winter. But when towing and running for hours at highway speeds, the engine runs warmer than normal. After sitting for two weeks while on vacation, the radiator decided to leak on the left and right end caps.

I will replace the radiator but what I need to know is, who makes a larger radiator for this 300-6. I love how Ford made this radiator different than the other engines (inlet on drivers side). I want something thicker than this one inch stock radiator, especially since I'm replacing it anyways.

What are the better brands, (Modine, BeCool) that will be a direct OEM fit, yet have better cooling.

Thanks.

 

Modine makes one of the best radiators on the market. Get a 3 or 4 core radiator, if you can. Don't be too afraid of the v-8 radiators, you can get universal hose that will adjust to fit to the opposite side of the radiator. You may want to drop in an electric fan while you're at it. They work a lot more efficiently, will gain you between 10 and 30 HP and work great for towing; you can wire up a toggle and turn on the fan earlier than whne it would normally come on with the temp sensing unit. Also, try retarding your timing to about 6-7 degrees when towing. It will give you more low-end torque and will cool down your engine a little at the same time.

'82 F150 2WD w/351W (orig 300 I6)
Slik

 

Well, radiators.com gave me a quote of $123 for a standard 1 core radiator, or $148.80 for a Modine HD 2 core radiator. A guy up here said that because that 6 is so long, that's all I can fit up front. Which I do believe, because I've worked on the water pump before and there wasn't much room to play with up front.

The Modine part number was 2189, it bolts right up to the stock mounts, and all the inlet/outlets are the same as OEM. It drop ships from the manufacturer and will be here tomorrow, and for $150 I couldn't go wrong. They wanted $239 for the same radiator at the local parts house, and they wouldn't have it till Monday. http://www.partsamerica.com/product_images/aap/MOD/1r2189.jpg

 

Cgl , I have the same truck as you & my radiator starting leaking in the same place about a week ago . Its a Modine that I installed in 1995 . I think its the cold weather that causes the leaking ...the aluminum core & the plastic tank expand & contract at different rates . On cold nights it leaks , if I park it in the garage , no leaks . What I have done in the spring time is take the radiator out & flush the bugs & debris out of it & the A/C condensor . I live in the south & the bugs that end up in the rad & condensor is unbelievable . That makes a huge difference in the operating temps . I can drive my truck @70mph w/ the A/c running in the summer & the temp gauge never moves higher than the O in Normal, even if Im towing something . If you have the original rad in your truck the cores may be partially clogged as well . Some of the better rad shops use ultrasonic sound waves to clean rads like yours that have the plastic & aluminum design , this prevents them from having to bend the aluminum tabs to remove the tanks . Ford also has a revised design thermostat for your engine that keeps the engine temps much more stable than previous designs ... Ford Part No . XL2Z 8575 AB , it was in the $5 range . The 300 really shouldnt run that hot unless there is a rad problem , fan clutch , thermostat or a timing problem , thats why they only installed the single core radiators .

 

Thats a good price , I paid $170 5 yrs ago for the Modine I bought .

 

I replaced my original one with a Modine, same size and demensions, bolted right up. Much more efficient, never gets past the "R" in Normal no matter what. Another good thermostat is a Robertshaw, have a 195 degree in mine, works better than all else I've tried, hope this helps.

1985 F250 / 460

 

I forgot to mention that the leaking started after I camped on the beach for three days. Those little clips tabs became quite curroded. As for the bugs, I have the Lund Screen Front, and that keeps 95% of them out. (and I've taken it out to see if it makes a cooling difference) Yes, the rad is the original, so I'm sure it's clogged atleast partly, but it has been pressure backwashed before. Especially after having to run Alumi-Seal after blowing a head gasket an hour from nowhere. Not sure if it's had the ultrasonic though. I did install the new revised thermostat about 2 months ago. It helped, but still fluctuates alot. The fan is the only thing that hasn't been replaced. It looks fine, with no bends or dents, so I assumed it's working fine. The timing is at 10 BTDC, but I'm considering retarding it just a bit.

 

I took off my stock fan and replaced it with a flex-alite " Black-Magic ". I also had the stock original radiator flushed out that also helped to keep things cool. Y ou might want to get yours flushed and pressure tested along with checking out the condition of your radiator cap, hoses, tightness of belts and water pump. Do you have a recovery tank for your radiator fluid? If you go the electical fan route call flex alite and get the correct fan for your truck, some fans say they are for 6 cylinders but those are for cars not a truck. Finally see if the lower hose collapses when you accelerate the engine this can cause decreased coolant flow and engine over-heating. Get a hose with an installed spring to prevent that problem.

 

while we're on the subject of radiators...I have a 83 f150 with a 514 engine. the problem is, I have to run a 4 core radiator to keep this beast "cool". here in arkansas, the summer days present a big problem, it won't stay cool at all. engine temps get as high as 260, but most of the time when I'm moving, the electric fan and extra airflow keep it around 190. Do any of yall know if the late model aluminum radiators will help with this problem, and what year truck should have one that will work. Oh, ya, I forgot to mention that that 4 core job weighs about 60 pounds, too.

 

I've got a 96 with seeping plastic sides also. I had to add a small amount of stop leak to get them to stop.. Was curious about the Modine replacement radiators. Do they have the plastic sides also???

 

 

Just an update to those curios, I installed my new radiator today. It's a Modine 2189, 2 row. It was a direct replacement for the single row OEM radiator on my 90 F-150 300-6. It took all of 45 minutes to replace. The old one actually had a 5 inch crack in the center on the backside of the drivers side plastic cap. That would explain where my hidden leak was coming from.

The only problem I noticed was that I will now have to pull the radiator if I ever have to change the water pump or fan clutch. Oh well, it's a small price to pay for a larger, better cooling radiator.

Oh yeah, the price was $138.45 from radiators.com and it got here the next day.