champion racing radiators good/bad?

I have a 3 core Champion in my 66. I am VERY pleased. I had a problem with the electric fan this summer while it was about 100*. As long as I was moving at 35mph or more, it kept the engine in operating temp. range.

I've never been a "fan" (pun intended) of electric fans. A good-quality thermal clutch fan is generally less expensive, easier to install, less troublesome to maintain, and gives similar operational results. While idling in hot weather, for example, my fan can be heard and seen to be clutching and de-clutching on and off, in nearly identical fashion to an electric. These fans can be installed in like half an hour, because no wiring or water temp sensors are required.

fastlane351c said:

how doeos a clutch fan know when to kick on then if it deosnt have a water temp sencor, i just assumed thats how they work iv never worked with em before.

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The little cap on the front provides thermal sensitivity to the radiator. I've never really been able to figure out if it works like a stall converter with fins and oil or if its a mechanically triggered deal. My old one never really shut off so....

I bought a generic aluminum rad from summit and I'm very pleased with the results. Kept my car at 190* idling around in 110* heat this summer and it would drop to about 175 once i starter driving. My e-fan setup needs a shroud yet...but thats a whole nother story and is the reason why my cooling range is so wide.

Got one - Nice radiator for the money - plan on getting another for the current build I'm doing. Read quite a few posts on Champions and the consensus has always been good radiator for the money.

I've got an electric in my 70 - its a mercury mystique that fits the radiator nice. Had to fab up a couple mouting points with aluminun metal strips. But no big deal.

Nice work, palerider94. Maybe that's because I went almost the same route as you lol.

fastlane351c said:

hey im lookin to swap my old 2core radiator for a 3core aluminum with an electric fan for a 1970 stang... has anyone had any success with champion radiators? the price is definaly right but will it hold up? or are there any other good radiators out there for under a 1000 with a electic fan kit... thanks

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The cooling transfer effeciency of aluminum vs brass is a no brainer. The same size aluminum is MUCH better. If you have a 2 row (always go bigger if possible, good insurance especially if you live in a hot climate, air conditioning etc.) you must have a stock small block. So either you have overheating concerns based on blockage or buildup in the radiator or you've put some goodies into the motor(increased horsepower) so your stock one can't handle the added demands on the motor. I can tell you from experience, I am running a Champion on my built big block. We run some really expensive aluminum radiators on my off road race team but they don't seem to be constructed any differently than the Champion but be aware, the Champions are all made in China. I too was concerned that I shouldn't risk buying such an inexpensive unit on my high horse motor. I bought my Champion 4 row a few months ago and it is well built, they guarantee it, it's polished and best of all...no leaks, no issues at all - 1,000 miles later.
My 4 row INCLUDING dual fans was less than $500. You certainly have alot of other choices if you've got $1000 to spend. The Champion aluminum shroud and fans fit perfectly together. The only other thing you'll need is a thermostat and they sell them too. Running the electric fan doesn't take ANY horsepower (unlike the stock set up) from the engine and it really cleans up the engine compartment. Unless you are trying to keep it original, I think the stock fan clutch and accompanying fan shroud is pretty darn ugly but we all have our reasons to do the things we do. Good luck.

As for the electric fan, unless you are running on a track the reduction of 10 to 15 HP will more than likley never make a difference. I grew up in a house with street rods and being stuck on 35 while on the way to the nationals in OKC because of a relay that has failed is not a good time. From that day forward I have adopted a simpler is better attitude!

I recently upgraded my 68 engine with Edelbrock 321/347 package and had heating up problems especially here in Houston this past summer. As long as i was moving it was fine but stopped at a light the temp went up fast. I installed a 24" Champion and did not solve the problem. The Champ rad is great but i finally figured out the problem is the rad is too thick. It is a 4 core and the resistance, static pressure, is too great for normal fan even with a shroud. I looked into using a Lincoln MKIII electric fan but after doing the research and math on it i decided against it. If you will check you will see that all new cars have very thin rads. That's of course to save money but mainly to allow them to use electric fans. An electirc of the size you could get in a car can not overcome the static pressure of thicker rads. So my advice is to go with a 3-1" core instead of 4 core. You will have less fins but less resistance. As for the fan itself i am going to install a flex a lite high static mechanical fan befor summer and try that. It's made especially for 4 and 5 core rads. Look it up on their website. I hope this helps.