The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Radiator Vendor question

I am getting tired of patching my original already. Does anybody know this vendor ebay item no. 220542823307? Or can you recommend others?

Let me tag a question and additional info onto this thread.
1. For you guys running small blocks about what temperature is normal? I seem to run about 210-215 degrees.
2. I was warned not to run a high pressure cap on the old radiator so I have a 7 pound on it. It pushes the coolant out the overflow to a point where it gets hotter and hotter. I installed a recovery system over the weekend which helps but the added pressure popped a new pinhole in the radiator this morning.

Some aftermarket aluminum radiators require re-drilling of the attachment points on the side brackets. It's good to ask supplier first if this is necessary.

A 7# cap will raise the boiling point 21 degrees, to 233. At 215, you're getting dangerously close to a boil. It looks like you need a little more cooling capacity, or at least a recore to a higher-pressure system. With the right size radiator, the coolant temperature should stay at, or slightly above the thermostat opening temp. I'd suggest going to a new aluminum radiator, or get your present unit reworked for a high-pressure tubular core capable of handling a 15# cap.
Jerry

Thank$ Hotrod, That$ what I was afraid of, more $$$$. The financial advisor is beginning to question the cost of this truck. I will await vendor reports and recommendations.

Hey FGT Manley's Radiators downtown off Wasatch did a realy good job on mine and he is real reasonable,got mine done for about 240.00,and took around 3-5 weeks.let me know if you need more info.

Jeff

I bought my 4 core replacement style radiator from NAPA, was a bit over $200.00 and was a bolt in with no changes.

Thanks PapaJ, I just came from Manleys and Ron quoted me about $325 to recore the one in my truck.

chevman32, I will check with NAPA. thanks

I got one of their 3 core radiators about a year ago, and I am happy with it. It doesn't look stock, but it works well. Last summer we had 100+ degrees most of July and August, and I never hit 200 degrees with my 300hp 350. It bolted in with no problems.

Annother thing, if you are running an electric fan, get the highest cfm you can find. I think 3400 cfm in a 16" fan was the biggest I could find, and it is barely enough (with a shroud) on the hottest days.

I run about 190. New radiator from Jim Carter or LMC (can't remember) and make sure you have a shroud.

I am ordering a new aluminum radiator.
I don't seem to have a picture of the electric fan that is mounted to the front of the radiator support but it is from a 1994 Buick Lesabre and covers most of the radiator at about 16" diameter. I can feel the wind it makes inside the cab through the holes in the firewall.
The first few days of driving the truck the temperature stayed around 190 but then a pin hole developed high up on the radiator, just below the top tank. On the way home from work it got hot (over 212) but not super hot and I pulled over and added coolant. I thought I had the hole fixed, but after 30 miles driving to work it was back. I replaced the thermostat with a 180 and replaced the water pump with new high volume unit because I wasn't sure of the condition of the one on it. Ever since it runs with the needle just touching the 212 mark on the original gauge.

I'll get a new radiator in it and see if that will cool it back down.

With aluminum, you won't need four cores, two big cores will do just fine. The four cores can block air flow if the fines are tight. I bought a Afco brand for my truck, its hard to get to thermostat now! plus it holds more coolant then the old system did.

If you have room, install a clutch fan on the engine. It will cool way better then any electric can find.

Joe

CRAP! I just placed the order from Champion in Ca. $290 shipped. Are you talking about your 250 six? I'm running a 300hp plus or minus 350.

I wouldn't worry; there are lots of different radiators out there that will cool down your engine, and the one you bought is certainly one of them.
But if you are running 212 in January in Colorado, there must be some serious problems with the old one!

You will be fine, I would look over the engine and double check the timing and vacuum advance. Running 212 in January would have me worry too!

Mater,
Let me know how it fits in your truck, I am planning on purchasing that same radiator for mine. Keep up with the modifications you might have to make and let me know.

I haven't forgotten about the pics you asked for, I just haven't had the time to get out there and take any.

Will do, I forgot, what pictures did I ask for?

Frame rework pics.

The radiator arrived and was a perfect bolt-in fit. Unfortunately it did not fix my cooling problems. We pulled the heads and flushed out the block over the weekend and that didn't fix the problem either. I have a new waterpump and thermostat (180 degree), what else is there? I looked the heads over and did not find any cracks, but I think they must be cracked somewhere. The head gaskets were in great condition. Tonight I am going to pull the thermostat out and see what that does. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

I'd say the only thing that could be the problem is air flow - is the fan a pusher or puller? a shroud is prolly what's needed, fab a quicky up and see if it helps, no reason a sound small block should run above stat temp with a good rad

Bill

Thanks Squeeze, The fan is mounted in front of the radiator and pushes the air into the engine compartment. It is 14"-15" blade diameter and contained inside its own shroud. It runs constantly for now and almost all air produced goes through the radiator. I also installed a coolant recovery system which works so I am not losing any coolant to the environment.

then it's likely not moving enough air, restricting the flow, try removing the shrouding .... why don't you have the engine mounted fan? engine too close?

Bill

There a couple reasons, it is too close and the other is the center of the engine mounted fan would be right at the bottom of the radiator and only a little more than half would work. I could explore modifications of lowering the radiator and moving it forward to allow for an engine fan. I really think the engine has had a malfunction because it ran cool for the first few days. My best guess is a cracked head but I didn't see any evidence while I had it apart over the weekend. My plans are to remove the thermostat this evening and see if it will run cooler.

all removing the stat can do is slow the time it takes to get hot or keep it running too cold for best performance and longevity - I'd also want to know what a good thermometer says the temp is in comparison to what the gauge reads, gauges aren't the best/primary indicator of overheating unless you've first "calibrated" them ... also a good warmed up 350 is meant to have a 14# or more cap, 7# doesn't take the pressure 190-200* generates, did you put a higher pressure cap on the new rad?

Bill

We took a thermometer reading in the cap at 190 and the gauge was reading about 200. This was before tearing the engine down. The cap that came with the radiator does not have a pressure indication on it. I will email the manufacturer and see if I can find out what it is. As I understand it a higher pressure cap would actually raise the operating temperature.

Also, check your lower radiator hose to see if it has the "spring" in it. If not, the hose can collapse and prevent the water from flowing.

Hey FGT,My 283 that I had in my Corvair ran right up at 200-210 and stayed there without any problems.What I look at is the fact that we are at 6500 feet above sea level. Maybe we can get together and figure this out.PM me later.


Jeff

so is it running 210-215 by the gauge or 210 with the -10 anomoly [gauge showing 220-225]?

a higher pressure cap allows the engine to run at the higher temps that it was designed to without boiling over - 195* thermostats are common for 350s, and 210 running temp with the high pressure cap isn't uncommon .... a good test is to check with an infrared thermometer, see what temp is above and below stat housing and compare with the temp at the bottom hose, should have a minimum 10* drop thru the rad, 20* would be good and prove the rad/fan/pump aren't the problem [if there actually is one]

Bill

FGT;I just talked to JR. and he said you have to run a 14# radiator cap and a good 180 thermostat(like from NAPA).

OK, so I removed the thermostat and it will sit there idling at 185 degrees. Took it for a 2-3 mile drive and it dropped to 180 degrees running 40-45 mph. Got back home and left it sit and idle for another 15 minutes and it went back to 185. It sure runs a lot better at the cooler temperatures. Thanks everybody for your support and advice. Hopefully I am fixed, but I doubt it.

yer not fixed if you run it without a stat - might have had a bad stat or an air lock, get a new 185 stat and test it in a pot of water on the stove - drill the small hole some here suggest to make sure it doesn't airlock, then you should be fixed

Bill

I agree, I'll boil my thermostats and make sure they work. They are both practically new, less than 200 miles each. I have not seen the "drill a small hole" suggestion, I assume it would be 1/8" or so in the thermostat somewhere. I think before I put it back in I will have somebody do a thorough back flush just to be safe

Just got the report back on the cap. It is a "16 pound or 1.1 bars" according to the company man. I do see the 1.1 stamped lightly in it. I'll have to do some research to see what "bars" are, I thought that was where you go to get hammered.

Timing, vacuum advance, clutch fan, pulley speed, air flow, heater hoses....

Is the water spinning the right direction?

Joe

The truck ran at 190 degrees until the day it got hot. No mechanical changes were made until after the event. My thought is that some rats nesting that I didn't get out of the old radiator may be inside somewhere clogging something up or a crack in one of the heads occurred. I am running cool now without a thermostat and it is running really well. I will go for the professional back-flush and if the temperature drops off after that I will install a good thermostat. If it doesn't, I will run it until it blows and replace the engine. I need a good excuse to rebuild the original to the drive train 1973 motor anyway.

You know FGT,It might have been an air pocket up at your thermostat that caused the overheating,and when you pulled the thermostat you cleared the system,maybe try again with the thermostat and see what happens?

Could be, but I duplicated the problem after pulling the heads and flushing the block with my garden hose.

"BAR" stands for "barometric pressure", or 14.7 PSI. A 1.1 BAR cap would work out to about 16 pounds.

There are tests available to check for exhaust gas in the coolant, either with a dye, or a sniffer similar to a 4-gas exhaust analyzer. The presence of exhaust in the coolant indicates a crack or a head gasket leak. I've actually used my exhaust analyzer to draw a sample of air off the top of the coolant, looking for carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons, but it's a good way to ruin an expensive analyzer if any liquid gets drawn into the tube!
Jerry

Well, it is a no go. Went to get a burger for lunch and she overheated in the drive-thru. It has to be a cracked head or block.