47-55.1 radiator install

[nvrdone]

Well, I finally got my new radiator installed today.
I've been running an old stock copper / brass radiator for 30 + years and it finally started to leak. Local rad shop wanted $750. to re core it.
After talking with a lot of local hot rodders, they recommended going with a 4row aluminum radiator. The idea is with the heat here, it was go big or stay home.
Anyway, I got a great deal from Summit racing on a 386037. Cost me $340.00. I did have to make up a 1/4" spacer to go between the core support and the radiator otherwise the radiator would rub on the cross bars in the core support.
So any way, its in and no leaks. Tomorrow I will take it out for a test run.
Wish me luck.

[mr48chev]

Cool beans. Keep us posted on how it does.

[nvrdone]

update; Took a quick run from Yakima to Ellensburg & back. About 35 min. each way over a couple of 2500' passes. Got home with no leaks & temp gauge was at 176 deg. Outside temp is 92 deg. Now to find a good overflow bottle. I think this was worth the time and effort.

[mr48chev]

Life should be good if you did that in 90 something plus today. I have a round polished aluminum one stashed in my stuff for mine that I bought about the same time I bought the radiator.

Amazon shows a bunch of different ones as does Ebay https://www.amazon.com/s?k=radiator+...refreshed_1_13

[leegreen]

Check the capacity you need to overflow, some of those pretty amazon ones are too small for a v8.

If you are ok using plastic look for a mid 2000s suziki XL-7 / vitara or the chevrolet tracker. They are a reasonably compact rectangle that is more on the tall/narrow side. I think I can fit one beside my rad/core support to replace the short/fat amazon generic one hanging on the inner fender

[mr48chev]

With the radiator with the expansion tank on top it should just serve as a puke can rather than an overflow tank like they do on a cross flow. Top tank radiators find their own level with room in the tank for expansion and unless the engine overheats or the cooling system builds up more pressure than the cap is rated for should never overflow but it is better to have that tank in place to catch what ever might. Cross flows depend on the tank to handle the coolant pushed out by expansion and let it be drawn back in when the system cools off.

[dsraven]

also check the cap to see if it has 2 gaskets. one to seal the rad and this one has the spring loaded feature. the other to seal the larger part of the cap to the larger part of the rad opening. this is what makes a closed system where the contents of the reservoiror or overflow bottle can be drawn back into the rad when the engine cools down, creating a negative pressure inside the rad. the old fashioned top tank rads didn't have the gasket right under the top of the cap so the overflow simply dumped onto the ground. the system needed to be checked and topped up more often to ensure the rad still had sufficient coolant level, especially after some hot running operations. usually guys would overfill the rad and it would puke out what it didn't need. those were engineered systems with a slight safety built in, fans that ran on a belt with no clutch fan system, no a/c condensor adding heat to the area, no trans cooler or p/s cooler adding heat, etc etc. nowadays, with backyard builds especially, it is best to have a rad that is too big than one that is possibly too small when running all the other coolers etc. a closed system with a good sized overflow tank is a great idea. just my opinion.