New Champion Radiator for 273 project

seabee,

Thanks for the excellent photos. Too bad you had to cut the bottom radiator support. It amazes me that companies can spend such time designing and producing products but fail to provide full dimensions and photos. Why must we do their homework?

It is important to use the proper coolant. A heater core I recently got had a factory warning that they can fail in as little as a week from corrosion if the coolant is incorrect or if stray electrical currents from a bad ground, particularly aluminum ones. I suspect the warning was more a "don't blame us" disclaimer, but don't chance it. I also read that mixing some coolants can form a brown gunk.

I also have a 273, but switched to the aluminum water pump so my radiator lower hose is on the passenger side. While that allows me to use more available parts, it causes other issues with accessories, pulleys, and room for the fan.