440 dart radiator...

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mopower440

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Hey guys, i have a 1972 dart swinger that originally had a 318. I installed a mild built 440 years ago and have the original to the car 318 radiator in it with a flex fan and original shroud. Its always ran hot in the dead of summer here in the south with the humidity, mainly when sitting idling, but it still gets a little warm when moving. I dont want to have to swap radiator supports or hack anything up. What are you big block a-body guys using? Is there a direct bolt on radiator out there that will cool better that will bolt right in place of the original?
Thanks!
 
If you have a 22" opening there is a possibility you can use a rad designed for a BB, 68-69 Barracuda/Dart . No hack involved . My BB Scamp uses the 318 rad with a clutch fan . No issues so far but I live in frozen New Hampshire .
 
which clutch fan did you use? It doesnt look like one would fit in mine but if yours worked than it must fit! Would it cool better than the flex fan i have?
 
I use a Be Cool radiator. You don't have to hack anything. I've used 2 of them as a matter of fact.
 
mopower440 said:
which be cool will bolt right up and also cool better?
Click to expand...

There are multiple. Put your car into this page.

Product Search - Be Cool

bci-62175_w_xl.jpg
 
tried the search on that page and it came up with 10 different sized radiators and they all said they are direct fit...how can that be if they are different sizes?
 
There are other options.
If you are only running hot at idle, then the rad has enough capacity;you just need to increase the airflow thru it.
You have to make sure that the rad is unobstructed, that the fins are unobstructed, that they are not all bent up, mangled and full of dirt. If this is an A/C car, the above goes for the condenser too.
Then once it is proven that the air is able to come thru the rad, you have to make sure it can get out from behind the rad.
You then have to look at the fan system, that it is actually moving air, and that the air that it is moving is coming through the rad and not just recirculating around the tips of the blades. So that means you need a shroud and that the fan fits tight into it. In other words if the shroud has a 19 inch opening,you need to put at least an 18 inch fan into it , and get it centered as best as possible. Then the fan needs to also be centered into it in a fore and aft direction. I would run it with a direct drive to see if the system now works. The fan should have a certain number of blades. I like 7. It's a very good number. I like the Mopar all metal 7 blader. I have run less on low-performance cars, but as the power goes up they like to idle hotter. I had zero success with the one 6-blade flex-fan I tried.
After this if it still runs warm, on my SBM I installed a hi-flo pump, which is nothing more than an 8 blade pump with an anti-cavitation plate mounted to the vanes. IDK if you can one for a BB.
I run a minimum water temperature of 205; without problems of any kind. Because I have no problems, I installed a thermostatic clutch fan from an early 2000 Ford pickup. And still no problems.
At idle The rad has to pass air, and the fan system has to work!
 
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AJ/FormS said:
There are other options.
If you are only running hot at idle, then the rad has enough capacity;you just need to increase the airflow thru it.
You have to make sure that the rad is unobstructed, that the fins are unobstructed, that they are not all bent up, mangled and full of dirt. If this is an A/C car, the above goes for the condenser too.
Then once it is proven that the air is able to come thru the rad, you have to make sure it can get out from behind the rad.
You then have to look at the fan system, that it is actually moving air, and that the air that it is moving is coming through the rad and not just recirculating around the tips of the blades. So that means you need a shroud and that the fan fits tight into it. In other words if the shroud has a 19 inch opening,you need to put at least an 18 inch fan into it , and get it centered as best as possible. Then the fan needs to also be centered into it in a fore and aft direction. I would run it with a direct drive to see if the system now works. The fan should have a certain number of blades. I like 7. It's a very good number. I like the Mopar all metal 7 blader. I have run less on low-performance cars, but as the power goes up they like to idle hotter. I had zero success with the one 6-blade flex-fan I tried.
After this if it still runs warm, on my SBM I installed a hi-flo pump, which is nothing more than an 8 blade pump with an anti-cavitation plate mounted to the vanes. IDK if you can one for a BB.
I run a minimum water temperature of 205; without problems of any kind. Because I have no problems, I installed a thermostatic clutch fan from an early 2000 Ford pickup. And still no problems.
At idle The rad has to pass air, and the fan system has to work!
Click to expand...

Cant remember how many blades the fan has, i will check and see, But the fan does fit nicely inside the shroud. It has the factory radiator and shroud and both are in VERY good shape, not bent up..It is a direct drive fan, no clutch..It is an A/C car but i dont run the AC anymore, there is no condensor in it.
 
Hit the front of it with a garden hose; the water should pass freely through it.
Drain the coolant into a large pan and set it aside. Remove the bottom hose. Put the garden hose in the top, and turn it on. The water should flow freely out the bottom, and not gush over the top..Put it all back together.
Start it up that bad boy,and dribble the water over the front of the rad.The fan should pull it through and make a horrible mess; good thing it's just water.lol
3 easy tests, zero cost
If it passes these, it's time for a Milodon hi-flo BB pump;pn 16260, I think,and matching hi-flo stat; pn16405 (160*). Cuz it looks like you have everything else covered.
If this doesn't cure it, Me personally, I would go straight to the big 26" rad, open up the core support, and call it done . That would be enough fooling around for me.
My rad is a 26 inch 1973 Dart A/C . Opening the core support was no biggie. I was having heat issues even with the 26 inch rad, until the 7-blade went on, and the hi-flo pump went in. That was the end of it. I'm at about 420 hp, with aluminum heads.
 
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AJ/FormS said:
Hit the front of it with a garden hose; the water should pass freely through it.
Drain the coolant into a large pan and set it aside. Remove the bottom hose. Put the garden hose in the top, and turn it on. The water should flow freely out the bottom, and not gush over the top..Put it all back together.
Start it up that bad boy,and dribble the water over the front of the rad.The fan should pull it through and make a horrible mess; good thing it's just water.lol
3 easy tests, zero cost
If it passes these, it's time for a Milodon hi-flo BB pump;pn 16260, I think,and matching hi-flo stat; pn16405 (160*). Cuz it looks like you have everything else covered.
If this doesn't cure it, Me personally, I would go straight to the big 26" rad, open up the core support, and call it done . That would be enough fooling around for me.
My rad is a 26 inch 1973 Dart A/C . Opening the core support was no biggie. I was having heat issues even with the 26 inch rad, until the 7-blade went on, and the hi-flo pump went in. That was the end of it. I'm at about 420 hp, with aluminum heads.
Click to expand...
what 7 blade do you use?
 
mopower440 said:
tried the search on that page and it came up with 10 different sized radiators and they all said they are direct fit...how can that be if they are different sizes?
Click to expand...

Because they are different sizes and different inlets and and outlets. They all fit. Give them a call if you are worried about ordering online.
 
roccodart440 said:
Because they are different sizes and different inlets and and outlets. They all fit. Give them a call if you are worried about ordering online.
Click to expand...

so they will all bolt up to the factory mounting locations even though they are all different sizes?
 
Here is my setup with the 440. Original, Stock 1972 dart small block radiator and shroud with 6 blade flex fan.
rad2_zpsxwj3xfqt.jpe


rad1_zpsqtnpe9x9.jpe
 
That fan is all wrong for you, and I don't care for that top hose either.
As to the fan; The blades are too narrow and there is not sufficient angle of attack.
As to the hose; those ribs contribute to turbulence which leads to restriction, which leads the pump into overdrive, and then the vanes slip and the water all comes to a grinding halt,so to speak. If the bottom intake hose is the same, then then the intake is similarly restricted, only worse. That little pump is no pump at all, it is a water mover. If the water cannot get into the pump fast enough, then the pump will tear it off in pieces, so to speak. And the water will stay in the engine too long, getting hotter and hotter. Then the trip thru the little rad that has that fan barely pulling air thru it just adds insult to injury.
>OK so I exaggerated a little bit, but the point is made; get real molded hoses and the lower one needs the anti-collapse spring in it, AND then get a real fan. And when you got that done put at least a 180 stat in it.
Start with a fan.Here's what I'm talking about;
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ok I will try it! The bottom hose is good. The top however, I don't know what hose to get being this car is not original, being a 44o into a dart so I don't know what hose to ask for at the parts house..? As for the fan, I tried to use the original 318 clutch fan but it was too big to fit, in other words, it hit the radiator.. so I don't know what fan to get that WILL fit in there either...?
 
mopower440 said:
how can they all bolt up to the factory location if they are all different sizes
Click to expand...

How can you bolt a /6 radiator or a 340 radiator in?

Look at your pictures. There are various holes to use and the size doesn't necessarily change the mounts.

Call Be Cool. I've used 2 of them. They bolted right in and work flawlessly.
 
I guess i will try a better fan first but does anyone have a specific one to get?
 
Look at twin electrics. Pay attention o the CFM. The twins work well on a big block not only because of the air they move but because you have space I the center of them for your water pump pulley.
 
No offense to anyone, but after 2 years of mucking around with every electric fan sold, i went back to manual, and it solved all my problems.

[WANTED] - Stock V8 Radiator for A-body

The thread started with me looking for a smaller (read thinner, 2 core) Rad, because i was convinced by big 4 core Griffin was too thick. AJ/FormS is totally correct here, from my experience. I learned from all this that the rad is hardly EVER the problem. In going manual, my coolant looked great inside the cap, only to find pounds of rusted sludge in the engine and on the bottom of the rad. Since i just went through this, here's what I'd do:

1. Listen to AJ/FormS
2. Drain and flush the **** out of your system; put the water hose inside the coolant ports in your engine and make sure it all comes clean.
3. Get the 7 blade AJ talks about, it made all the difference with me.
4. Check for stuck thermostat. possibly remove (temporarily, don't roast me) to see if problem changes.
5. Your hoses could be so wasted that their collapsing under a load, heard of that too.
6. I also read somewhere that someone's water pump vanes had rusted/worn/whatever right off. No impeller=no movement.

Your actually in much better state that I was. My rad was twice as thick, so there was near no chance i was gonna cool the car, but these methods worked for me, good luck.
 
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