anybody using a V8 Radiator?

[Anonymous]

Makes you wonder why the Automakers do not put 3 or 4 rows in or just better rads. My wife drives a new Xterra and the other day, we are sitting at red light, with the A/C running and its 110 degrees and the damn thing started to get hotter and hotter. I know we didnt have the option for a bigger rad when we bought it. I guess the only thing I could do would be to put in an aluminum after-market rad.

 

[wallaka]

I don't trust the manufacturer installed guages anyhow. Yeah it's getting hotter but hotter than what? If it doesn't have numbers on the guage it's worthless.

 

[woodbutcher]

Old trick for overheating in traffic.Put heater control to high and select defrost position.Turn fan on high.Can drop coolant temps up to 30*.
Leo

 

[powerband]

I had trouble with overheating after installing a "Hot" built 250. I installed a Summit generic racing radiator 19"X26" for 'VeeAte Mustang (@$150). I adapted Granada X-Flow hoses but the orientation was a b%&#. No problems with temp afterwards but the hood crossbrace had to be notched to fit the filler neck and cap and of course I had to open up the radiator support for the larger radiator. The '61 has no room for a mechanical fan even with the stock radiator so it needed an electric fan in "pusher" setup as well:

Powerband

 

[woodbutcher]

If the V8 and 6 radiators are the same,why don`t you just get the V8 rad core and have your tanks put on it?That way no problems with hose fitment.
Leo

 

[kirkallen143]

They do make a 4-core radiator for the '65-'66 mustang w/ a six. I need to get one for the bronco, it has basically the same cooling as a aluminum 2-core w/ 1" tubes. This turbo'd 200 in the Texas heat sure runs hot (well @ 200*, @ 230* sitting in traffic).

Kirk

 

[wallaka]

Does a four-row let enough air go through to help? I thought that they didn't really do better than 3-rows because the extra cores obstructed airflow too much.

 

[MustangSix]

If the V8 and 6 radiators are the same,why don`t you just get the V8 rad core and have your tanks put on it?That way no problems with hose fitment.
Leo

That's the point, Leo. The core is the same (2,3, or 4-row). It's the inlet and outlet that are different. The V8 radiator is the same radiator.

There have been some tests that show that at some point adding rows is counterproductive because the gain in surface area is offset by the additiona airflow restriction.

So far the best radiator we've used is the two row aluminum AFCO. The difference in the alloy radiators is that the rows are wide. The two 1" tubes provide more cooling area than a three row brass rad. I think most alloy rads are made the same way. The one that Powerabnd uses is very similar to ours.

 

[woodbutcher]

Hi Mustang6.The reason that I asked,is that I help out at a friends radiator shop from time to time.We have run into problems like this.So what my friend does is to get into his radiator parts books and match up cores to tanks and just does a core replacement to save a lot of hassel.
Leo

 

[kirkallen143]

I was over at mustangsunlimited.com and they now have a 2 core, 1" wide tubes aluminum radiator for @ $280.00 for the 65-66 6 cyl mustang. Their pic on the web site has the inlet/outlets reversed, so I contacted them via e-mail to see if pic is right one. Just to let y'all know.

Kirk

 

[kirkallen143]

How about this, why not use a fan shroud from a V8? The radiators are the same exact size and I think, from what I read, you just trim the shroud alittle to fit. The fan shroud brackets are cheap at @ $14.00 a set, including mounting hardware. This might be a cheaper alternative than buying a new radiator, because then the fan can actually pull the air through the radiator, and I already have a 3-core.
They also have the thicker shroud at 3.5", but it is ABS material, and the original is stamped metal.

Kirk