Radiator swap

[Rmoore45]

My 289 is running hot and I just don't know what to do other than get a new radiator. I would like some advice on what to buy, I don't want to spend a ton of money but I want to get a radiator that will keep the engine cool.
Engine info:
'66 (in a '67 coupe) 289 bored 30 over, highrise aluminum intake,edelbrock 600cfm, stock heads, hooker headers, a/c, 6 blade fan, fan shroud, stock radiator. It regularly gets up to 225 with a/c on and stays at 200 with a/c off (temps taken with sunpro gauge). The timing is correct and there are no other issues with the engine.

Upon some research I found this radiator , is anyone running this radiator? Is it any good? Will it keep the engine cool? $250 is about the most I want to spend on a new radiator, a radiator shop told me that they would charge $300 to install a 3 core copper radiator. I just want to make sure that I'm getting a good radiator that will keep my little 289 cool in traffic.

Another question, should I buy and install a 2 core copper radiator or have a 3 core copper radiator installed? This is my daily driver and I do sit in traffic quite a bit.

 

[horseballz]

Rmoore45,
Looks like the best bang for your buck. Should cool at least as well as a 3 row core copper unit. With your setup, you would need the 4 row core if staying with copper. Looks like a pretty good deal.
Just My $.02,
Gene

 

[JonK]

I have never used that brand but they make a lot of claims but don't claim where the radiator is made, I would send them a question asking that. They say the rad. is 22" wide but that is at the edges of the mounts, looks like a 20" to me from the specs. I replaced my stock 20" with a '68 sb A/C rad. which is 24" 3/4 row and made my own side mounts out of alum. as I didn't like the look of the top/bottom saddle mounts. That rad. may cool fine on your stockish engine.

I went with more surface area and a copper/brass as I wanted the stock look with the most cooling I can get for my 333 stroker and A/C. I also went with a thermostatic clutch fan and shroud.
Jon

 

[Rmoore45]

I drove over to to a radiator shop (Tucker Radiator), and asked they guy about installing a 3 row radiator. He said it would be best for me to go to auto parts store and order it there because it would cost him more to get it. I asked him about a 2 row radiator with 1" aluminum tubes, he said that aluminum cools better and to go with that. When he said that aluminum cools better than copper I knew he was wrong (metallurgically speaking), but he means that the aluminum radiator will cool better than the copper one.

The radiator I have is just struggling to keep up, its not rapidly overheating. So if I go with the aluminum, I think that it will be the best bet. I asked the guy about where the radiators are made and if it would cool a mild 289, he didn't respond about where they are made but said that it would cool a mild 289 no problem (he's just a salesman trying to make a sale). I asked again where they are made, still waiting on a response but I have looked around on other forums and they seem to be made in USA.

 

[rbohm]

an aluminum radiator dose tend to radiate more heat than a copper/brass radiator, but not because of metallurgy. it has more to do with the surface area of the radiator tubes and fins. the good aluminum radiators use two 1" wide tubes, where as a good copper/brass radiator uses 3 or four 1/2 wide tubes. with the fewer but wide tubes, the aluminum radiator doesnt transfer as much heat from the front tubes to the rear tubes, like a copper/brass radiator can.

in the end a good two core aluminum radiator or a good 3 core copper/brass radiator will cool quite effectively. personally i prefer the copper/brass radiators as they tend to be a bit more rugged, but i am liking the current aluminum radiators more as they are lighter.

you pays your money and you takes your choice. by the way, installing a radiator isnt hard, so unless you have some serious time constraints, why not install the rad yourself?

 

[Rmoore45]

I'm going to buy the aluminum radiator and install it myself. Not that I think installing a radiator is hard or even time consuming I just didn't feel like doing it, but now that I'm getting the aluminum one it looks like I'm going to be installing it. The seller responded and said that the rads were made in the US which is good, and they also have a decent return policy in case it doesn't fit or something stupid.

 

[rbohm]

I'm going to buy the aluminum radiator and install it myself. Not that I think installing a radiator is hard or even time consuming I just didn't feel like doing it, but now that I'm getting the aluminum one it looks like I'm going to be installing it. The seller responded and said that the rads were made in the US which is good, and they also have a decent return policy in case it doesn't fit or something stupid.

i do understand not feeling like working on cars in the heat of summer. as for it not fitting, unless it is way off somehow, there are options to tweak things to get it to fit. and not tweaking the radiator by they way.