Radiator/Cooling effiency

kamzack

There's been some discussion about cooling, specifically with Super Dave and cooling a 308 in pre step down pu. I'm having a step down raditor done with a high effiency 3 row core. My Hudson is a 50 Commodore 8, which had a 4 row core. My raditor guy said the 3 row high eff. core will cool much better than original type. He speciallzes in old stuff and street rods. I'm passing along this info because I think he's very reasonable and for the benefit of anyone that may have a need for such. Mine is gonna be about $550.00 plus shipping. That's complete with bead blasted tanks, straps and paint. He is;

Horn's Raditor

Adrian, Mi.

517-403-5261

Park_W

What the fellow is telling you is consistent with my experience. My '51 C8 was having serious problems with fuel boiling in the carburetor in hot weather. I figured the first priority was getting the engine and underhood temperatures down, so I had the local radiator shop re-core with modern core material. The difference was dramatic. Fuel problem totally gone. As I understand it, the modern core has little louvers stamped into the fins, so there's about 50% better heat transfer.

GrimGreaser

As a follow up for those of us who are simply going to buy a Dodge van radiator, would it be prudent to go with the heavy duty cooling version, or is the standard version able to keep the heat down?

hudsonguy

In the 'For What It's Worth' department;



In case a person doesn't care about the appearance of an aluminum radiator (obviously not stock), I just wanted to relay my experiences with mine. I bought mine several years ago, paid $505 total, with shipping, and my engine has NEVER been over 175-180 degrees! At least not since I rebuilt it a few years ago and coupled it to this radiator. This is 'worst case' super-slow driving (1-2 mph!) at a hot summer car show with the A/C on. I've got a modern style 165 degree thermostat with one of Walt M.'s modified housings, and it runs about 140 degrees on the highway, and about 160 in town, and that's with the air conditioning on or off, which doesn't seem to matter. I have noticed the overall price of aluminum radiators has dropped dramatically recently, but I'm not sure if that would affect this custom application or not.



I know it doesn't look stock, but I personally don't care. Heat is what kills engines, and I want to do all I can to prevent that from happening.



For those interested, these guys should still have the drawing I sent them to make one to fit a Hudson stepdown. I believe they use Performance Rod and Custom for their source, which makes a really quality product.



http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/159/

jjbubaboy

No wonder it runs so cool........ITS FULL OF SNOW!!:D

Hee Hee



I thinks it looks great, as does the engine!

Jeff

SuperDave

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For those interested, these guys should still have the drawing I sent them to make one to fit a Hudson stepdown. I believe they use Performance Rod and Custom for their source, which makes a really quality product.



What is the device that looks like a fuel pump, just behind the coil and distributor?

hudsonguy

jjbubaboy wrote:

No wonder it runs so cool........ITS FULL OF SNOW!!:D

Hee Hee



I thinks it looks great, as does the engine!

Jeff

Good one! LOL...These pic's were obviously taken last winter. Thanks, Jeff



SuperDave, that's just a spin-on oil filter like the ones that Walt M. sells. I used braided lines to ensure their reliability.

kamzack

I was wrong about the core size. It's a 4 row core not 3 row, even better. Horn's said it would cool a big block in 100 degree temps in traffic. Told him the 254 is a big block. I'm also gonna run a 6 volt fan with an aluminum shroud.

Thanks for lettin me share,

Kim

SuperDave

kamzack wrote:

I was wrong about the core size. It's a 4 row core not 3 row, even better. Horn's said it would cool a big block in 100 degree temps in traffic. Told him the 254 is a big block. I'm also gonna run a 6 volt fan with an aluminum shroud.

Thanks for lettin me share,

Kim

It would be nice if you could talk your radiator guy into shareing the part number and source for the 4 row core for us guys many miles from his shop. My guy said he couldn't find a 4 row but his three row was a "Super Cool".. My experience proved otherwise.

Some thing that isn't often mentioned in radiator specs, is the fins per inch. The more---the better.

kamzack

Hi H. Dave,

There's no part number. We had to give specific measurements, then call them to core source. The box has Detroit Radiator on it. We had to make careful measurements of tanks width, length, depth, over hang, thickness of core, core diemensions. They custom cut each core. I can ask him Tuesday what it would be for core only useing our measurements. May be able to drop ship direct to you. I'll tell ya,building rads is an art and he's done some odd stuff.

Thanks,

Kim

hudsonbaker@myexcel.com

517-960-5832

Tecumseh,Mi.

SuperDave

kamzack wrote:

Hi H. Dave,

There's no part number. We had to give specific measurements, then call them to core source. The box has Detroit Radiator on it. We had to make careful measurements of tanks width, length, depth, over hang, thickness of core, core diemensions. They custom cut each core. I can ask him Tuesday what it would be for core only useing our measurements. May be able to drop ship direct to you. I'll tell ya,building rads is an art and he's done some odd stuff.

Thanks,

Kim

hudsonbaker@myexcel.com

517-960-5832

Tecumseh,Mi.

Kim,

Thanks, Let us know what you find out.. I hope they wrote the dimensions on the wall! Would save some measurements and maybe some mistakes along the way..I'll google "Detroit Radiator".

Kdancy

Kim, did you ever post the radiator results?

SamJ

I know this thread is about stepdowns, but just about the only not-completely-stock piece in my '40 is the radiator. I had a local shop in California re-core it before I moved here to Santa Fe. He stripped off the housing and rebuilt it to look just like stock, except it's pressurized with an overflow. Only a sharp eye can tell the difference. I think I've just got a 3psi cap on it. However, since I'm at 7,000 feet were water boils at about 198 degrees F, it makes a huge difference. The car runs at around 180 most of the time, never over 190 since I had it done, even climbing the 2,000+ ft from Albuquirky to SF at 55 mph. Happy happy.

SuperDave

I bit the bullet and bought the three row Dodge radiator.BUT.. I ended up withthe same problem as before.. heats up at idle but cools at 30-35 MPH. I have done everything suggested on this forum...and then some!. Re fit the water pump, checked the distribution tube, checked for sediment in the block (it had been cleaned before rebuilding it), increased the diameter of the driven pulley, blocked the bypass, tried different thermostats, no thermostat,Blower fan in front of the radiator, Repositioned the radiator much closer to the fan.Obviously it appeared that I didn't have enough air flow over the radiator. I had Installed a 17" six blade fan when I installed the A/C. (Not an easy fit on a 54 Hornet.) No help...As a last resort, I bought a sheet of zinc coated sheet metal and made a shroud. Installing the shroud cured the heating at idle. Now WITH the A/C on, outside temp in the low 90's It never goes over 195 at Idle. 165 on the road. The shroud was the final cure. I have a 49 262 that has all the same components ( pulleys, A/C, with the original radiator)with NO electric fan and it runs 165 to 170..Never more than that.The only difference is the six blade fan. The one in my 49 has curved blades. The six blade on the 54 has straight blades. So the conclusion is that all six blade fans are not created equal. The curved blade fans move much more air than the flat blade ones,.... unless you have a shroud.



Now I'm considering removeing the electric fan.

RonS

I had a 68 Cord replica 289 witha NOS 68 mustang rad in it Temps would sky to 210 at idle w/ac and air temp over 100. Added a shroud and dropped to 180, even less at over 40mph. I really like the radiator shown. Could these alum rads be painted black( radiator paint) to look original? Interesting case, fuel boiling in the carbs. What were the drivability symtoms.?