Editing Bulletproof cooling system

My approach to cooling has always been the same because it has always worked for me, engine swap after engine swap.

Same or larger radiator square inch area that was used originally to cool the motor from the factory. THE MOTOR, NOT THE CAR. You shouldn't expect a Dodge Colt radiator to cool the 440 you've just shoe-horned in. (I used this example because I've seen it done).

Same or more radiator cores that were used originally to cool the motor from the factory (not to exceed three cores in my opinion). THE MOTOR, NOT THE CAR.

Copper/brass construction radiator. If using an aluminum radiator, install a sacrificial anode in the coolant water.

Blocking of all air passageways where the air could get AROUND instead of THROUGH the radiator core at the front of the vehicle.

Full shroud with the radiator positioned so that the fan blades are half-in and half-out of the shroud hole and no more than 1" of clearance between the shroud and the fan blade tips. (Just enough to prevent intervention when the motor rocks on its rubber mounts).

OEM 18 inch, 7-blade steel fan with 2" to 2 3/4" pitch.

Thermostatically controlled fan clutch.

Water pump and crankshaft pulleys sized according to what was on the motor from the factory. On a street motor, shoot for 1.2 to 1.3 times crank speed for pump pulley speed.

180 degree thermostat. The sensor pill goes toward the motor.

Spiral-wound spring in bottom radiator hose to prevent collapse of the hose.

Proper pressure cap for the radiator being used.

Sufficient openings in the engine compartment to allow the exit of all the air drawn into the compartment. This might require the removal or surgery of inner fender panels or using spacers to raise the hood of the car up an inch or two at the back.

Proper coolant/water mix to prevent freezing up in winter. Water transfers heat better than coolant, but some coolant must be used to prevent freezing.

Although I've never found it necessary, I think FlowKooler came up with an excellent idea when they marketed the flat aluminum discs to rivet to the backside of the stamped steel impeller in the pump. Or, if the impeller is iron, weld or braze a steel disc on. The only one I could find on a search was for a Mopar, but the disc wouldn't be that difficult to fab up yourself. Space the backing plate back farther with a couple of gaskets to prevent interference of the rivet heads on the backing plate if riveting a disc to a stamped steel impeller.
http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11774
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...07&autoview=sku
This disc should make an appreciable difference in the flow of water at engine speeds under 3K r's.


In 50 years of wrenching on cars, I have never used an aluminum radiator or an electric fan or any other trick of the month or "double throwdown" cooling device and have never had a cooling problem even stalled in traffic in Phoenix (in the middle of the Sonoran Desert) on the Fourth of July.

The following is copied from a post I made concerning swapping a core support and matching radiator into the recipient vehicle. Be advised that in doing this swap, you will have to re-install the recipient vehicle's hood latch onto the donor core support in the proper location. Make up a fixture beforehand from scrap metal that bolts to the fender bolts or some other location that will be the same after the core support swap and will show the proper location for the latch. 

I applaud your friend's decision to alter the core support to accomodate a larger radiator. So many fellows are looking for the "magic bullet" radiator that will cool their monstosity without doing any work to the core support or changing it out to another support to achieve the goal.

I've done this sort of work many times in the past with engine swaps and have found that the cheapest and most bulletproof way is to use the largest radiator I can fit in there from the git-go, along with the shroud that was designed for the radiator from the factory and the designated steel fan and viscous drive assembly for same.

The one I like best is the radiator and support from a '76 Cadillac Fleetwood or Eldorado. Any of them from '70 to '76 with a 472 or 500 will work, but the '76's used the 500 inch motor for sure. Call around and find a boneyard that still has the fan, shroud and core support. You'll be using a new radiator and viscous drive fan clutch to bulletproof your installation. Make yourself a memo of the exact year and model the pieces came from so you can match up the parts.

You may or may not have to alter the fan clutch hub where it bolts to the water pump/pulley. Usually, the holes are slotted so you can make it work. If not, some minor surgery on the hub will do the trick. With the motor in the vehicle and finalized for position, bolt the fan clutch and fan to the water pump. Mount the Cadillac radiator and shroud to the Cadillac core support.

The Cadillac core support will probably be longer side to side than the stock one in the recipient vehicle. What I usually do is retain the outer pieces of the recipient vehicle support where it bolts into the body and cut the middle part of the recipient vehicle support out with a Sawzall, leaving a few inches on each side. Then I measure the opening between the two stubs that are still bolted to the recipient vehicle and cut the Cadillac support to fit into this opening. Remember, measure twice and cut once. It's better to leave a little more sheet metal on the Cadillac support until you determine the correct position of the fan where it engages the shroud opening. Then I position the Cadillac support with radiator and shroud attached up to the fan, equalizing the distance between the fan blade tips and the inner circumference of the shroud all around. Move the shroud around the fan until you have the fan blades halfway in and halfway out of the shroud opening. Normally, you'll have to tilt the top of the radiator/shroud back a little at the top to match the fan angle because the motor sits in the recipient vehicle on a rearward tilt. If you need a little more front to rear clearance for mounting the support, you can position the fan blades 2/3 in and 1/3 out of the shroud opening. A little further in is ok, as long as the fan clutch is at least 1" from the radiator core material. A little further out is not ok.

With that accomplished, simply attach the middle piece of the Cadillac support to the stubs of the recipient vehicle support. Use whatever pieces of sheet metal or whatever that you have to in order to make the connection. The Cadillac support may end up sitting forward of the stubs or a little behind them or it might fall exactly into place and you'll have very little welding to do to stitch the Cad support and the stubs together. Whatever. Just use your head and figure out how to connect the sheet metal, then MIG it in place.

Now, you will have a radiator that will cool anything and you still have the stock attachment of the   stubs to the recipient vehicle so you can use simple hand tools to disassemble the whole mess later if you have to. It'll all come out as one piece because it is one piece. 

Here's a link to Radiator Express showing the dimensions of the Cadillac radiator.........
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/prod...aaia_id=1026582
techinspector1.

RPM responded to my post with this post:
"I have have good luck doing what Techinspector1 suggested but I used a radiator and support from a mid 70s Chevy truck with a 454. It is a big 4 core radiator. If it will cool a 454 in a towing application it will cool most anything."
Here's the radiator RPM is referring to in copper/brass:
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/product.asp?part=1975+CHEVROLET+C20+PICKUP++%2D+7%2E4+liter+V8+RADIATOR+Name+Brand+4%2DRow+Capacity+Upgrade+%2828%22x19%22%29&part_id=39583&aaia_id=1031971
And here it is in aluminum:
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/product.asp?part=1975+CHEVROLET+C20+PICKUP++%2D+7%2E4+liter+V8+RADIATOR+All+Aluminum+4%2DRow+Capacity+%2828%22X19%22%29&part_id=218171&aaia_id=1031971