Idk, I can tell you this at idle before it warms up if you pop cap and look in its flowing fine and there's no pressure. No fluids mixing anywhere and runs fine. Timing and fuel are now spot on. I just suspected it was not enough rad, this is the 3rd stroker I've had and they run warm. Doesn't help its 11to1. And has 630" lift and won't idle below 1000rpm. When I drained rad it just didn't seem to hold alot of coolant, only other thing I can think of is maybe they partially filled block?
Radiator suggestions
- Thread starter MoparDave
- Start date
-
Idk, I can tell you this at idle before it warms up if you pop cap and look in its flowing fine and there's no pressure. No fluids mixing anywhere and runs fine. Timing and fuel are now spot on. I just suspected it was not enough rad, this is the 3rd stroker I've had and they run warm. Doesn't help its 11to1. And has 630" lift and won't idle below 1000rpm. When I drained rad it just didn't seem to hold alot of coolant, only other thing I can think of is maybe they partially filled block?
What's the core width? Is it 22"? You may be onto something that it's just not enough.
Well gosh. The partially filled block. LOL Ya THINK?
It is 22, the new one is a 26. I'm hoping if nothing else the extra coolant capacity will help. Now I am wondering about the fill tho, I know around here it's become common to partially fill a mostly strip car w block hardner.
I understand. You NORMALLY can get by with a little....like up to the bottom of the freeze plugs for example. Do you know how far it's filled?
I don't know if it is or not, just wondering.
Well......it CAN be removed you know? Although labor intensive at this point. lol
I'm sure, I guess I'll see what effect new rad has if doesn't help I'll investigate if it has fill.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
There is a reason a company like Griffin only make 2 core radiators.
Like I said earlier, the OE’s used 3 smaller cores because the brass wasn’t strong enough to make the tubes any bigger. With aluminum you can make the tubes bigger and be strong enough.
There is also something about turbulence in the bigger tubes over the smaller tubes. IIRC, the bigger tubes cause more turbulence over the tops of the tubes and the bigger tubes have more surface area for the fins to contact.
I may be off on the last two points because it’s been a long time since I had to learn this. Once I learned it, it became unnecessary to remember all the details.
The rule I follow is the biggest 2 core radiator, with the biggest tubes you can fit, a high flow water pump driven at crank speed or faster and a Stewart Components high flow thermostat. You do that you can cool anything while driving through hell.
Plus, when the cooling system is correct the thermostat actually does it’s job better. The difference between the gauge reading and the thermostat opening point will be the same or very close even on the hottest days.
Like I said earlier, the OE’s used 3 smaller cores because the brass wasn’t strong enough to make the tubes any bigger. With aluminum you can make the tubes bigger and be strong enough.
There is also something about turbulence in the bigger tubes over the smaller tubes. IIRC, the bigger tubes cause more turbulence over the tops of the tubes and the bigger tubes have more surface area for the fins to contact.
I may be off on the last two points because it’s been a long time since I had to learn this. Once I learned it, it became unnecessary to remember all the details.
The rule I follow is the biggest 2 core radiator, with the biggest tubes you can fit, a high flow water pump driven at crank speed or faster and a Stewart Components high flow thermostat. You do that you can cool anything while driving through hell.
Plus, when the cooling system is correct the thermostat actually does it’s job better. The difference between the gauge reading and the thermostat opening point will be the same or very close even on the hottest days.
I never said 3 x .75" would cool better than 2 x 1.5"
He was saying the flow through the rad was the most important aspect and I disagree. I say that all the variables are important but you will get no heat transfer without surface area so IMHO fin count is the most important variable as that is 100% responsible for the heat transfer, the more fins per inch the more contact area between the tubes and the fins, the more heat can be transfered .
I'm not sure any ONE aspect is most important. I don't have a degree in thermodynamics, but it seems likely that several things need to be at play for a cooling system to work well. I know mine does, at least.
You typed between the [quote.... And the .....quote]
So your wp pulley and your crank pulley are both 6.5" that means you are not over driving OR underdriving your water pump.
You might gain by replacing the wp pulley with one slightly smaller in dia (6"??? That would overdrive your wp by about 8%)
But I still think you have something else going on.
Hope your new radiator fixes your issue.
That we can agree on!
Thanks we shall see. I may replace the pulley. Again Another factor really pushed me over the edge on new rad was the ability to cool Trans. And I'd like to have the ability to use electric fans.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
My opinion in descending order.
Radiator size. It has to have enough coolant capacity to cool the horsepower you produce at WOT.
Water pump capacity. If the pump can’t produce enough volume at any given RPM you won’t have the flow to get the heat out of the engine.
Water pump speed. Again, this goes to the all important amount of flow you have at any given RPM. More flow is always better.
Core size. The bigger the core, the more they flow. And coolant flow is what counts.
Thermostat flow. No matter what, a system with zero restriction will produce the best cooling. Period. A thermostat is a necessary evil to control minimum operation temperature. Using a washer type restricter is bad policy because you have to heat the volume of the cooling system to get to temperature. With a correctly sized and timed (temperature rating) thermostat you are only heating the coolant in the engine. That’s why you have a bypass. So the coolant in the engine gets full circulation while the thermostat is closed.
Fin count. You can get by with way fewer fins per inch if everything else is correct. Less fewer fins per inch means less air restriction moving through the core. And air flow through the radiator is as important as coolant flow through the radiator is.
They are all important but how many fins per inch you have is at the bottom of things I worry about.
Again, that’s my opinion formed from building cooling systems that will maintain 160 degree coolant temperatures on 100 plus degree days, and it’s based on my research long before I ever built the first cooling system.
A phone call to Stewart Components, Evans Coolant, Griffin Radiator and any fluid dynamics and/or thermodynamics expert would shorten the learning curve up exponentially.
Just so everyone is clear.
You are getting a new radiator that will have a trans cooler integrated with it. This was one of your deciding factors in buying the new radiator
FYI...
What you are doing is shotgunning the solution which is fine. BUT I would recommend you take it one step at a time.
Swap out the radiator.
Drive it enough to determin of the problem is solved.
If not do the next easy / cheap thing, drive it for enough to determin if the issue is solved.
Then rince and repete.
Personally I would hold off on the electric fans as that will introduce a lot of other issues with wiring etc. Our OEM wiring is not designed to handle electric fans.
Yes, that is correct. I put the mechanical fan on it. To try to help with cooling, so it is allready wired for electric. But just to compare I will start by installing same fan. Only if it helps, which I'm betting it will, then I plan on ordering the matching duall 12" with shroud for the rad. Also to be clear the car never "overheated" but it did get to 35° over Stat temp. So it possibly would this summer when Temps are 100+ and I need to drive further distance. I'm kind of a over do it kinda guy, so yes the old rad probably could've been made to be sufficient but, I'll feel better knowing I'll not have issues.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
65TerrorCuda
Well-Known Member
That's only with the engine sitting still. Once you're doing 60mph, that 30hp draw might be a lot less.
Now gas mileage, the mech fan def. hurts you there.
Speaking of Roadkill, have you tried running without the hood?
I know, too much.
Lol no, hoods not coming off. I don't care about the mileage either I want the hp at the track.lol
Do you have the hood to radiator seal in place?
I have ALWAYS had good luck running a 195 thermostat , 16 lb cap , a regular 7 blade clutch fan with a shroud . My cars run cool enough to drive in 95 degree weather without overheating. Guys will argue but it WORKS you don't always get the best cooling with a 160 thermostat. It's all about ambient air temperature and heat transfer.
Shotgunning the AIN'T fine if it DON'T work, now, is it? lol
-
