radiator questions

67matang · Jan 10, 2004

my 67 mustang runs at about 210 degrees in teh summer and when im at a stop light it climbs a little bit. i think my radiator is too small to cool my engine. how do u tell how many rows a radiator is? is there a radiator that i could get at a junk yard that will will cool it better? right now i have i think the stock radiator but im not sure and the stock fan with a shroud.
thanks
351w
twisted wedge heads
weiand stealth
holley 750 cfm
9.5 compression
roller rockers
c-4
8.8 with 3.73's

zookeeper · Jan 10, 2004

In my experience, 210 is not that high of an engine temp, especially in New Mexico in the summer! You're certainly not going to damage any engine parts until the temp gets up around 260 or so. That being said, I'd bet that a good stock radiator would do an acceptable job of cooling your car, considering your compression and the fact that you have aluminum heads. I would never get a radiator straight from a junkyard to cool the car. Think about it this way, how much did your heads alone cost, $1,200 or so? Then a couple hundred bucks for a good quality stock radiator that will last years seems pretty cheap. Heck if you wanted a double-trick high-zoot aluminum radiator, you can a get an American-made, crossflow Howe radiator that fits a Mustang with only minor bracket fabrication (same with any aftermarket radiator) for under $200.

HistoricMustang · Jan 10, 2004

zookeeper, Very well said.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

burnout289 · Jan 10, 2004

you probably have a 2-row. open the cap and you can see the fins if your liquid is semi-clean or kinda low. i was having heating issues, so i got an aftermarket 3-row from someplace i can't remember and it was money wasted. it lasted about 2 years, but i started having problems again. i spent a lot of money tracking it down, and i ended up going to a local radiator shop. the owner cut the top tank off and showed me about 3/4 of the radiator was clogged with rust. the whole thing deteriorated. for about $250 he used the old tanks and made a new 2-row that should be good for over 300hp. it is not worth buying a crappy radiator!! spend a lil more and get something that will last. with your setup, i'd go with a 3-row at least [will be a bit thicker, but you can switch to an electric fan for better clearance, cooling, and power!].

68GEETEE · Jan 10, 2004

A good 3 row with a fan shroud and correct fan spacing should keep you cool. . 210 is not a bad temp, as zookeeper said.

Just make sure the fan blades are at least half way inside the shroud, otherwise it will be too far away to pull air and you will run hot. THis happened on my '68 as someone changed out the fan and used the wrong spacer. That was before I bought the car so I had no idea what they did , until after I spent a ton of money on guessing.

gp001 · Jan 10, 2004

I'm sure 70 Nitous Eater will be along shortly to blame the cooling condition on the pump

Edbert · Jan 10, 2004

zookeeper said:
Heck if you wanted a double-trick high-zoot aluminum radiator, you can a get an American-made, crossflow Howe radiator that fits a Mustang with only minor bracket fabrication (same with any aftermarket radiator) for under $200.

Howe has a good bang-for-buck ratio, I chose a "northern race-pro" myself (comparable). I think the Fluidynes and Be-Cools are really nice but you can buy ~2.5 Howes or Northerns for the price of those puppies.

zookeeper · Jan 11, 2004

I just leafed through a circle-track catalog ( Days Racing) and they had a really nice Howe cross-flow for $189 and that's their regular price!

ddonaca351 · Jan 11, 2004

I got a 4 core brass from California Mustang for like 234 including shipping. As long as Im moving above about 30, the fan never even comes on. (electric)
Now its not as hot as in NM, we only get to like 85-90, but the thing works really well.
Oh just FYI, if you are having cooling problems, run about 1/3 antifreeze, and 2/3 water, it will cool better, but will boil at a lower temp. (trade-off)
Or you can run Redline water wetter, it dropped the temp on both my stangs about 10 degrees.
You can also try wrapping your headers in Thermo-Tec wrap, it drops the temp under the hood by a noticeable amount, helps the cooling system work better if its not in a 250 degree oven (the engine compartment).
Hope this helps.
Dave-

crushnut · Jan 11, 2004

ddonaca351 said:
You can also try wrapping your headers in Thermo-Tec wrap, it drops the temp under the hood by a noticeable amount, helps the cooling system work better if its not in a 250 degree oven (the engine compartment).

Header wrap is not good for the headers. It causes them to crack/split and deteriote inside the wrap. Ive seen headers that were wrapped up and when the wrap was taken off it was apparent that the wrap was holding them together, plus the fact that it voids all warranties if you use it on them. But if you still wanna use it go ahead, its your car not mine.

ddonaca351 · Jan 11, 2004

crushnut said:
Header wrap is not good for the headers. It causes them to crack/split and deteriote inside the wrap. Ive seen headers that were wrapped up and when the wrap was taken off it was apparent that the wrap was holding them together, plus the fact that it voids all warranties if you use it on them. But if you still wanna use it go ahead, its your car not mine.

Well if it can figure out a way to hurt the stainless, then more power to it. Headers are also really cheap,(less than 200) if they wear out in four or five years, Ill make some new ones. No big deal.... In the mean time, the temps under hood are noticeably lower, the plug wires dont crack or melt or discolor from heat, I can change plugs on a hot motor without burning my hands, it helps keep the heat in the charge for a scoich' more power, and I personally think it looks trick.

Dave-

Edbert · Jan 11, 2004

They claim the ceramic coated headers can reduce engine compartment temperatures by about 100 degrees. Of course the trade off is the burned arses of whomever might be sitting on top of the mufflers, that heat has gotta go somewhere

67matang · Jan 11, 2004

well i am running distilled water and some rust inhibitor right now. i didnt have a shroud on it before then added one and it cooled it a little bit. i doubt rust is the problem cuz the engine was rebuilt in march. i put a electric fan on it but after i drove it like 15 minutes the fan slowed down and it got to like 240 then i shut if off. why didnt my electric fan work?
thanks

GaPonyFarm · Jan 11, 2004

Do you have an adjustable thermostat? If not, you really should get one WITH a relay. I would also be running with anti-freeze, it cools much better than water alone. I also use Water-Wetter. It dropped my temps by about 20% and thats a bargain for $8.00 a bottle.

hummer784 · Jan 11, 2004

Hey, I also had cooling problems with my stock radiator! I ended up buying a summit radiator that was 19x25 3/8 I think, but it works perfect. Its an aluminum 2 core and with the 160 theremostat I have now ive never seen it go above 170. I am also runing distilled water and 2 bottles of redline water wetter, and I know the whole set-up cost me less then $250 and that includes the brackets I had to make, the water, the water wetter, and the new hoses. I also went to a different water pump at the same time because of the water outlets being different on my new radiator, the pump was off of a 70 mustang with a 302. I hope this helps.

D Durden · Jan 12, 2004

I've got a Be-Cool and it keeps my 409 stroker pretty cool in the summer (Tennessee). I have to be careful at stop lights on especially hot days (over 85 degrees), but if I'm moving AT ALL, it will cool the motor.

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