Well making good progress on the frame up restore, have the 351 and c4 in place, working on the cooling system today, wanted to use the stock radiator and noticed a couple of things, the stock radiator sits up too high and the lower hose will be cut in half by the fan blade, so my question is has anyone done a similar swap (which I would think yes) and what cooling system advice would you recommend. thanks

 

As in the STICKY, Please List What Year Your Truck Is In The Header, otherwise we've no clue & it makes it easier to post the help you are requesting.

 

It would really help us if you would post the year of your truck when asking a question as there are some differences.

On my 49 I built my own radiator support and installed a radiator out fo a mid 70's Dodge truck. I chose the Dodger radiator to match my upper andlower hose locations with my Caddy engine. If you go to any of the radiator suppliers websites you can do a search and get the dimensions for different radiators.

http://www.gastanks.com/
http://www.radiatorbarn.com/
http://www.usradiator.com/catalog.htm

Good luck
Bobby

 

Keep an eye on the group tech article-- FAQ's. There is a good amount of information about several different radiator ideas. I used the Radpro #433
from a 70's Ford F-150 with a V-8 in my 1955 with a 302 & C4, and it was almost a bolt-in project. Good luck!

 

Opps, flat forgot the year, sorry guys. I'm working on a 1955 f100

 

Most I've seen go to an Electric Fan set-up that I've seen in Magazine Tech Articles & @ Car/Truck shows.

I lucked out w/ my swap as I went from a 223.ci.er w/ Merc-o-Matic, to a Built 300+c.i.er & C-4 in my '58 M-100 truck, but something else raised its Ugly Head.
The radiator shop managed to squeeze in a 4 Core Desert Radiator into the original Housing & the hoses were simular enough not to cause that problem, but there wasn't Enough Room Between the Fan & the Radiator, so I'd to go to Electric Fans as well.

 

Lucky,, on my 55 with the 460/c6, this radiator (radpro 433, or one just like it) gives me about 1 inch between the fins and the fan pully bolts.. I planned on running electric fan anyhow.. but this is too tight for anything..

SO, I am having a special radiator built to fit exactly IN the core support. I cut off the edge of the air dams that bend into the core support. This will be out of brass, not aluminum.. for anout 1/2 half the aluminum price (with a 460 up front, who will notice the extra 8 pounds anyhow!!)
(with A/C condensor, and shroud piece to hold my 16in swept blade fan), rear face 90 degree filler neck).

I took the core support and the valance to the raditor shop.. they had the tanks that fit perfect in less than a minute from their parts pile.

They think they can squeeze a 5 row into that 3 inch space.

| anyone want a just cleaned, and painted, perfect 433?

Sam

 

Sam,

Thanks for your kind words about us radiator folks. Custom-building an aluminum radiator is both difficult and pricey, but we can do most anything with copper/brass. Your idea of providing the radiator support is good, one that we recommend often. On even older vehicles, we like to have the radiator/grill/shell assembly. Often, we can build a complete radiator to replace an older, cellular/honeycomb core, complete with later-model tanks to handle the increased temps and pressure. We are members of NARSA (National Automotive Radiator Service Associatoin), so I would be glad to direct any of you to a member shop that is close-by.

Johnny

 

not to be self promoting but take a look at my gallery. have the same setup as you. Went with a crossflow all aluminum radiator and elec fan. Been very pleased so far. Good Luck, Joe

 

Yes, I looked at your pictures and had Portell do an estimate.. but I really didn't like the big open space at the top under the valance for a cross flow. I had 5 different distant shops work up drawings, but everyone complained about the width I wanted (26 wide between the support uprights without the stock mount flanges) for downflow in aluminum..

I looked at Niolon's PRC downflow, and it shows the flange to fill the space problem I don't like either.

So, on a lark, I stopped buy the local shop I've used for my sons old truck with my drawings, and he was really excited about how to do it, and didn't want to even think about cross flow.. showed me another tank in progress where they had just built a 90 degree elbow fill neck just like I wanted.

I came home and removed the core and valance and took them back. He laughed and said, 'you know this takes all the guesswork out of it!' and went digging thru his tank parts pile looking for that just right tank.

Side question: what oil pan are you using? I am using a center tank, this gets the engine back as far as possible, the volare steering linkage just clears the tank on hard right turns. (front pushed the engine back into the cab and rear pushed the engine even further forward).

I see you are using a pusher fan arrangement. I couldn't find a way to do that with an A/C condenser. Your rad is mounted on the back face of the core support. mine will be INSIDE the core support, forward another 3 inches, back edge flush with the back end of the core support. Giving me about 4.5 inches to the fan pulley bolts.
Sam

 

Sam,
Can only assume I am using a stock oil pan since I didn't install it, looks stock anyway and am planning to keep the stock front end.. Wish I could have moved the radiator as you said on the front side of the mount frame so the elec fan could be used as a puller. What further complicated it for me was what the fact that I had to order from Missouri, lots of pluses to work with some one local. Just couldn't find anyone around here I wanted to use. Would think if you have four or five inches between the core and fan pulley you could utilize a shroud and elec fan setup(pluller). This is the second new radiator I have installed since September, order a Griffin and loved the look and fit but it leaked and they could seem to fix it so I got out of it and went with the crossflow. Guess all that matters is you like the fit and it does the job. Your advantage is working with someone in your town. Good Luck, Joe. Don't forget to post some pics when your done.......

 

ah, stock front end.. thats the key.. I'm doing the volare clip.

The stock 460 oilpan is front sump (thats the word I couldn't think of before).. but with the stock front end that would be no problem.

I ended up building my own headers too.. those picks are in the gallery.

Sam

 

Can you say late nights and weekends. Nice work on the headers, built a few for Harleys but none yet for the 55. Bet she sound nice. Joe

 

I replaced my stock one with a Modine #395 for about $150. I have a 302 and it was almost a drop in (drilled some new holes) Cools my 302 well..

Here is some info from a user named "Captradiator" that I copied from another post:

The Modine 395 is only a two-row radiator, you need at least a three-row for that 460. The Modine 433 is three-row, with a core height of a little over 19 inches. The late-seventies trucks used a Modine 545, which is three-row with a core height of 24 inches. Also, Modine and others make four-row versions if both the 433 and 545. (Would give you part numbers, but I'm at home, not at the shop.) The core width of the 395 is about 24 inches, the 433 and 545 are about 26.5 inches wide. (Keep in mind that the side brackets add about four inches to the overall width.) I believe the original core width for the factory radiator is about 20 inches, but the effies have lots of room to work in. If you need more info, I'll get it for you Monday. Of course, a good radiator shop could upgrade to a thicker core in your original radiator, it you still have it and the tanks are good.

 

Yeh, the stock effie rad is width limited by the brackets that are riveted to the radiator core support, they intrude into the support opening. Also the air dams have a deflector edge that forces the air into this same limited space.

I had already removed (and tossed) the flange brackets to get the 433 bolted up (and it was really easy to bolt up). and need to get into the support space instead of mount on the face of it.

net of all this, is that there are plenty of rad shops out there that can make anything you want. I had even toyed with having a dummy top tank made for a cross flow to fill the space under the valance. (shown in Joe's gallery pictures).


Sam