Radiator for '94 with AODE

HISSIN50

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
31,179
34
129
#1
Hello,

Time to pick the brains of the wise-ones again. :(

I am trying to decide which route to go with a new radiator (94 GT, AODE, mostly stock sans a couple bolt ons). I live in the desert, so ambient temps of 110*F are not uncommon.

I have read the Summit-alum-radiator threads and would go that route except for the tranny cooler. I can't get a clear answer on how much heat the stock cooler/heat exchanger rejects. I would kind of prefer to get a radiator with an integrated trans cooler even though I have an FRPP aux cooler (which I dont think would be enough as a stand-alone cooler. Agreed?).

I can't afford a nice Fluidyne (like i think RC runs) so that is out. I considered a Fox 3 core, which is actually smaller dimensionally than the Summit radiator as I recall, but the fox uses smaller inlet and outlets on the radiator (I could adapt the hoses and make it work, but I am unsure of how it would affect the system. Those are Copper/brass units, which seems like a step down as well).

Anyhow, I am lookin for thoughts on what might work - I can fab pretty decently. I am just a little queasy about running the trans off the FRPP trans cooler alone and dont really want to add another cooler (I am kind of thinking that getting the trans fluid up to temp in colder weather is nice too..??).

I welcome any thoughts and experiences! Thanks guys. :nice:
 
#2
oh yeah, I dont know how old the current radiator is (it does not reject heat real well at speed or while idling when ambient temps are over 90*F). I would get it flow tested but I dont have the excess (on top of a new rad if it tests poorly) cash for that.

A stock replacement is definately a consideration (actually how I am leaning), but I am not sure if it will help out enough (huge variable is not knowing how bad off the current radiator is). Car is new to me, so I have NO clue. :)

Generally, have you guys who did stock replacements noticed a drop in operating temps?
 
#6
Hissin I've been researching this for a while (minus tranny cooler). Though the Fluidyns are nice and direct drop in's they are $$. Since I like cheap and effective I've asked a few people on another forum what they ran and there thoughts. They told me about Afco rad's and they were very very happy with them. They cooled there dd and full blown race cars and are cheap. It's like the summit ford rad but with out the leaks they have sometimes.
http://www.stockcarproducts.com/afco1.htm
 
#7
I have the 24" x 18.5" Afco unit. It fits better with the transmission lines than the bigger Summit one did and easily cools just as well. I had to cut a good bit of the fan shroud down to fit on the rad, but it was no big deal. Also, the B&M 22,000 gvwr cooler is more than capable of cooling the trans all by itself, in fact I think it works better that way.
 
#9
Thanks for the input guys. Trust me, were it in the budget, a Fluidyne would work great (I remember reading how happy RC was with his). No can do budget-wise.

No one has suffered any ill effects from not running the stock trans cooler to help regulate trans temps (I am not so worried about hot temps, but it does get below freezing here occasionally)?

I have an FRPP trans cooler (rated at ~18K GVWR, IIRC) but when it is 110* outside, I am not sure how it would hold up as a stand-alone cooler. Anyone run one as a stand alone? Had I envisioned upgrading to a rad with no trans cooler, I would have gotten some honker of a trans cooler.

That is kind of what got me thinking about what the stock tranny cooler (in the rad) does and how effective it is. Seems to me it is to heat fluid up and then help keep it near coolant temps (though it seems like trans fluid is usually a bit cooler than coolant). I have never deleted one and am unsure if it will negatively affect the tranny in extreme temps (gotta love the desert). :)

Other than OEM or fluidyne (and comparably priced units), are there rad's out there with a trans cooler? I cant find any. :shrug:
 
#13
1hot5.0 said:
All of us arizona guys need to meet up. :nice:
Click to expand...
I always thought you guys up north did - It seems so on here and on 1320. :) And there are not too many Tucson guys on here (2 SN guys and 1 fox guy that I know of). :(

If I ever go up North with time to spare, it would be cool to meet some of you guys though. :nice:
 
#14
:nice:

Let me know which radiator you choose.

I have heard from some guys as long as you have an auxillary transmisison cooler (like a B&M) that is big enough, you should be ok to run a radiator that is not specifically made for an automatic car. Don't quote me on that though.
 
#15
1Hot5.0, Thanks bud. I will let you know how I make out.

Wytstang, I forgot to thank you earlier for the Afco idea. That is something I had considered (I was unaware of the leak issues with the Summit radiators - thanks!). I was lookin at the link earlier and noticed what Brian posted - the dimensions look smaller. I like that for the very reason he posted - we have to snake tranny cooler lines to an aux cooler (I have rubber line for the return, which snakes around the radiator/battery, and a metal line for the other line). So having a little more room sounds good. I am starting to come around to the thinking of you guys and might just go with a unit like the Afco (I take it those cool a good bit better than stock..?? It certainly seems so). I can get a stock replacement radiator for 100 bucks, but just am not sure that it has a big enough core to cool when ambient temps are 110*F (and the air over the asphalt has rippling heat waves in it). A stocker might be overworked, given the car and cooling system are 12 years old and not factory fresh (like it was when desert testing was done).

I really appreciate each and every reply on here - you guys are helping to change my perspective. :nice:

As an aside, has anyone in a hot climate gotten away with an 18K GVWR trans cooler (Brian, it is a little smaller than yours and i have hotter weather. thoughts?). FWIW, the car has 3.55's and i tend to run around at 2K rpm.

Worst case, i guess i can plumb a second cooler (hate to put this one on the shelf and have to buy a bigger one - this one has less than 100 miles on it) if I need to.

Thanks again guys.
 
#16
Did a little searching between prep work for 500 sq feet of floor tile and what do you guys think of this radiator:

http://www.mustang-unl.com/itemdy01...y=Heating+&+Cooling&subCategory=&CatKey=74-01

I am thinking that the second row is not going to help much with heat rejection and since it is otherwise similar in size to the stock radiator (compared to the Afco), it might not cool quite as well as I might like (I am still hanging onto trying to retain the stock trans cooler, but am willing to give that up). Anyone run one of these two cores or know anything about it?

I really appreciate your time and any thoughts (I dont get to run a lot of the nice expensive parts that many of y'all do, so I am outta' the loop). :nice:

Oh yeah, is it worth it to run a Griffin (~35 bucks more, i think) instead?
 
#18
HISSIN50 said:
1Hot5.0, Thanks bud. I will let you know how I make out.

Wytstang, I forgot to thank you earlier for the Afco idea. That is something I had considered (I was unaware of the leak issues with the Summit radiators - thanks!). I was lookin at the link earlier and noticed what Brian posted - the dimensions look smaller. I like that for the very reason he posted - we have to snake tranny cooler lines to an aux cooler (I have rubber line for the return, which snakes around the radiator/battery, and a metal line for the other line). So having a little more room sounds good. I am starting to come around to the thinking of you guys and might just go with a unit like the Afco (I take it those cool a good bit better than stock..?? It certainly seems so). I can get a stock replacement radiator for 100 bucks, but just am not sure that it has a big enough core to cool when ambient temps are 110*F (and the air over the asphalt has rippling heat waves in it). A stocker might be overworked, given the car and cooling system are 12 years old and not factory fresh (like it was when desert testing was done).

I really appreciate each and every reply on here - you guys are helping to change my perspective. :nice:

As an aside, has anyone in a hot climate gotten away with an 18K GVWR trans cooler (Brian, it is a little smaller than yours and i have hotter weather. thoughts?). FWIW, the car has 3.55's and i tend to run around at 2K rpm.

Worst case, i guess i can plumb a second cooler (hate to put this one on the shelf and have to buy a bigger one - this one has less than 100 miles on it) if I need to.

Thanks again guys.
Click to expand...
No problem, I would like to give you a nice veiw (width) of our stock crappy rads if you haven't seen them already
head11.JPG

This is something you don't want to use living in the dessert it's to darn thin. Paying $100 for a stocker then needing to replace it later when (if) your engine grows remind me of the saying "Do it right the first time it's cheaper" comes to mind. Now the one you link from MU is a step above stock (2 core) I don't know of anybody using it but would assume it cools better. Good luck
 
#19
bayellowstang said:
Anything is better then the stock one. ....
Click to expand...

DUDE, that is 1" deep.!!
That's like a stock radiator. Unless your stock one is BROKE, DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THAT!

It is a "stock" one in "new" form.

If youre gonna be moddin' your car, and you need a radiator...get the fluidyne and be done with it.. If youre going to waste your money on that one, just buy my stocker for $50 :rlaugh:
RC
 
#20
Summit Radiator
B&M tranny cooler

No problems here!! The summit radiator is well worth the money if you dont mind fabricating your own brackets. My only gripes is no mounting for the electric fan, but its easy to get around.

Temps are much much lower with both of them, when compared to stockers
 
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