The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Radiator options/ideas - 400 in my 1955 truck

Has any one ever bought a aluminum radiator online?

Like the American Eagle two row 1" tube?

I need one that will cool my 400 in my 55 .

I bought one off Ebay for a 235 six in my 55, cools well but most of these require some mounting fabrication. I used a plastic six blade fan from a local speed shop to give more clearance and cooling. I will link some pictures in photobucket if you want me to.

Larry

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-row-aluminum-radiator-chev-55-56-57-pickup-truck-1956-/110724575339?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14%26meid%3D1157189704797234240%26pid%3D100015%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26#ht_3582wt_1163

I linked three pictures to my photobucket link of the radiator. I used some two inch angle iron to make mine fit, but the original fan was so close to the radiator I decided to go with the aftermarket six blade plastic that had more clearance.

Larry

Thank you Larry for the pictures on the brackets .

You are welcome, the reason I used two inch angle is the stock mounting is not plumb or not symetric with the 235 engine so I drilled the mounting holes in the angle as to correct the radiator as much as I could. My brother installed one of these in a 53 and encountered similar issues, so I assume these radiators are manufactured for several different models.

Larry

Nice 55-2 Larry i have the same gauge's in my truck only mine are black and white ..when i messed up my volt gauge got a arc and now it shows 10 volts not even running ...thought about checking with auto meter to see if they can are will repair it never see the same type gauge any more for sale any more .

I guess you don't have the factory radiator anymore and it is much cheaper to go with an aluminum replacement but a stock one in good condition will cool a 400. A 51 GMC I built 30 years ago is still doing fine with a stock radiator cooling a 500 Cadillac engine with a/c and in our wonderfull 107 degree Texas heat. I did convert it from a low pressure radiator to a high pressure one that uses about (IIRC) a 16# cap.

Thanks, I bought my gauges from Boese engineering, don't have the speedometer hooked up yet. I am in the process of installing a T5 transmission and the speedometer is electronic. If you decide to buy a radiator like mine you might have to use different radiator hoses, my lower hose had to be about four inches shorter.

Larry

have the the radiator out of a Chevy Caprice that the motor came out but it to wide and pushes out the inter fenders it cools fine just to wide as for a stock radiator i need the trans cooler in the radiator other then a add on type cooler ....That is good radiator to cool a 500 Cadillac with a.c. in 107 heat wow ! about the same heat as Arkansas has been .

yes, that is a good rad for the 400 sbc. I use one with my 400 that I picked up off of Ebay for around $200 and it came with a 16" puller fan and cools really really well. Even when it got over 100 here in Bama it kept my engine around 190 or so. And it will fit pretty well in the original rad support. But you will have to modify/egg out the bolt holes on the radiator, not much but a little. I had mine installed in about a hour or so. The electric fan hook up is easy to, you can buy a electric fan install kit for about $25.00

bought a 3 core fet good cools right up to 180 ....

Whether an aluminum or stock radiator, you will need a good electric fan(s) or a mechanical fan running off of the water pump with a 360 deg. fan shroud. I have a Griffin aluminum radiator running a mechanical fan and Impala fan shroud on my '62 383 stroker. Idling for a long time in 95 degree weather, never gets above 195 deg. Mostly runs about 185 deg. daily driver.

Air flow through the rad is important, but also important is that the air has somewhere to go to get out of the engine bay. A lot of older trucks have heating problems not because they don't have enough cooling capacity or airflow, but because there is nowhere for the air that's being pushed into the engine compartment to go. Just something to think on for anyone referencing this old thread.