The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Aluminum radiator suggestions

As the title says I'm looking for any suggestions from those that have gone down this path previously. I will be putting a chevy 350 engine with 700r4 tranny into my 1954 3100. I'll be changing out the radiator also. I'm looking at an aluminum radiator with built in electric fan and shroud. From what I've seen in general there are some pretty decent cost friendly options on ebay. Look to be in the approx $225-$275 shipped range. I know there are other companies out there that I'm sure build a more stout unit but prices can start escalating quick. As much as I'd like to go that route the project budget doesn't favor that right now. The 350 engine is a stock 1992 350 so not a built engine cranking out higher horsepower. Any thoughts/suggestions on what reliable budget friendly radiator you went with, maybe even a link, is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Adam

Whatever you choose, it will be a huge step down from the copper/brass radiator the truck was born with. I'd suggest getting a 4-core copper radiator out of a late 1970's to mid-80's 3/4 ton with a big block engine and doing whatever it takes to make it fit the core support. Mount the electric fan in the passenger's seat to keep yourself cool, and let that big honkin' V8 drive the fan like it was intended to do.
Jerry

I bought a radiator from Cold Case for my 59". It's a really great made product, they have shrouds and fans available for your 54'. I spent just over $300.00.

I've had a Champion in mine for 8 years now. No issues here. https://www.championradiators.com/

Ebay has plenty available. I have a cheap aluminum one in my gmc. It was for a chevy so i had to notch the top for the cap but now they make them with the gmc neck too. Go figure. I use it with a LS and it cools perfectly. I wouldn’t bother using a old brass rad that not even designed to hold much more than 3-5psi. Aluminum rads are cheap and plentiful and work great.

i googled aluminum raditor for 51 chevy truck and a bunch of them came up i got rad fan and shroud for about $225 havent installed it yet almost winter the building season

I know a guy with a '65 GTO clone with a worn out 455 and original two row radiator. He swapped some higher compression heads on and made some other changes for more power. The car runs well, but over heats after a short time of driving, mainly from the 3.55 gears and more rpm they created. For cooling, the car had the stock old radiator, no shroud, and worn out fan clutch. I suggested a new clutch for the fan, new shroud for the fan, and a two core, aluminum radiator, which would have been plenty of cooling. He instead bought a Champion radiator, aluminum two core which is what the car needed, but then installed a dual electric fan / shroud combo wired to the ignition circuit. The car overheats even quicker now, and blows fuses every other time the fans are turned on manually. The shroud / fan combo sets about 3/4" to 1" off the core with two 12" electric fans, no other openings. At higher speeds, the only air through the core has to go through the 12" partially blocked holes. The fans are 800 cfm each, so even at idle, the air flow is lacking. This type of engine should have at a minimum, 2000 cfm air at idle through the radiator. I have read, a good working clutch fan can pull 9000 cfm when needed.
It's a long story I know, but my point is, be sure you understand what you are buying. Champion radiators are good, they fit well and do what is required of them, its the electric fans that cause all the problems.

This still holds true, if the fan won't hold a shop rag to the grill when the engines is running, it won't cool correctly!

If you ever worked with heat & welding aluminum you realize how fast alum. transfers heat. GM solved the overheating problems with Corvetts by using aluminum radiators back in the 70's. Champion makes a rugged radiator at a very reasonable price. I ran one in my 56 w/350 eng.& A/C. It did a good job.

George

I went from brass to aluminum radiators on my fleet over 25 years ago. There is just no comparison in heat transfer. And our brass radiators were in the shop at least once a year. The only time I have had to replace a radiator is if they hit a deer or something like that. I am restoring a 1985 International with a Big Cam III 400 to haul my play toys around with. I spent more on having the radiator cleaned than what I could have bought an aluminum radiator for. I regret that I had it cleaned. If it fails, I will replace it with an aluminum one.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. From my reading the aluminum seemed to be the way to go. It’s also my understanding that when swapping the inline to the v8 the engine will sit lower than the original engine so the fan will not work as designed so that’s why the electric fan needs to used in place of the clutch fan. I’m hoping to start in on this project next month so I’m trying to get a few items lined up for when I dive in to the project. Thanks again for the thoughts.

Adam

The water pumps set low on the engine, but that doesn't mean you need electric fans. Here is my 250 in a '37, you can see how much lower the radiator is mounted. It should have the filler cap sticking out of the upper piece of the grill shell. Second picture shows the shroud I built when I installed A/C, the fan blades go down past the core. I installed the biggest fan I could, 17" if I remember right, I didn't have room between the engine and radiator core for a clutch fan or steel bladed fan, both of which would have been a better choice. It could stand for more air flow at idle.

' This is some great information. I haven't mounted my radiator as yet but was wondering about the fan. A friend for mine had a flex fan go thought the hood of his 57' Belair, just ruined it, I have been against using one since. I had thought about a 5 blade fan but hadn't considered using a fan clutch, that does make a lot of sense. I don't believe I'll have any real issues with placement, the Task Force series had plenty of room.

Has anyone tried the Zips water pump adapter on sbc? It raises the water pump about 5 inches from original location. Only thing is the water pump is a 250 pump if I remember correctly. Fits just like a short water pump on pulleys. That moves the fan up to top or middle of radiator. I do have one installed and trying it out, So far it is much better than the electric fan that i did not like. I think Hot Rod Lincoln knows what I am talking about and it is running off a v belt. Jerry and I had long discussion over electric verses mechanical and he was correct again.
For the curious I have 350 mounted in a 39 half ton pickup with the original steering box and upgraded radiator in pickup with the setup on it.
Just my 2 cents worth

Ed