1 inch vs 1 1/4 tubing in rad

Further evidence that aluminum is NOT a good replacement for a good old fashioned stock radiator.

No pauly, your not out to lunch, running without a thermostat and pushing coolant thru at high velocity prevents it from disipating heat to the air flowing past the radiator. Large tubes may have a larger surface area, but they also have a larger CORE area (ie imagine the fluid flowing thru the tubes as the rings of a tree, the core of that tree is not in contact with that surface area and can pass thru without disipating heat). A piece of pipe 6 inches in diameter will flow HUGE quantities of fluid and has a very large surface area, you think that will cool your vehicle (I am being facetious in saying 6" pipe, btw.) no, it won't. but 6 seperate 1" diameter pipes on the other hand have MORE surface area to fluid volume being passed thru it.

On the other hand slowing it too much sin't going to do the job either, it has to be balanced. The proper temp thermostat, and a good radiator, fan with proper shrouding, and a water pump that neither pushes the fluid thru to fast or slow. I am not anti-aluminum, and if that s what someone wants to put in their vehice, thats their biz, but I know from expierence that the original style radiator in our old mopars did the job perfectly for many many years, I see no reason to try to re-engineer it. I don't run a 500 horse small block or big block, but I do have a stout 360, I have a non clutch 4 blade fan that has a good 2" between it and the radiator with NO shroud, I have a stock 22" wide radiator that I had recorred to a three core. It keeps the car cool in slow traffic in the summer heat (85-95 degrees around here). I wouldn't want to be at a stand still in LA with this set-up (would need a good 5 or 7 blade clutch fan and shroud, then I wouldn't worry) but for what I have, the copper core RULEZ.

345man, if your running without a thermostat, or a gutted thermostat, start there, put in a nice new 180 and see where you need to go from there, if that dosn't do it you might want to consider a lower volume/speed water pump because it sounds to me like your pushing the coolant thru the radiator to quickly. Also I would suggest running WaterWetter in your system as it will help the coolant cool your engine better and help prevent corrosion caused by the galvanic reaction of dissimilar metals (aluminum radiator/heads/intakes, steel blocks) in an electrolyte solution (coolant). And stay on top of your coolant maintanance, replace coolant every two years minimum.

My .02 for the day.