Stock Radiator

[MCH86GN]

Search function is not working, so I wanted to ask this question before I invest anything in my stock radiator.

Is the stock radiator worth keeping. Mines not leaking or anything, but I was thinking about taking it into a shop that still works on older radiators and see if the could make it any more efficient at cooling. Right now, my car runs around 190 in the summer. I also would like to keep the stock radiator.

Since I'm rebuilding a 109 block, with aluminum heads, I figured i should make sure my cooling system is adequate. I still have the stock fan as well.

BTW, I don't have a FMIC. Tried to avoid because I want to run my AC.

 

[BobbyBuick]

I WOULD KEEP IT AND JUST HAVE THEM CHECK IT ONE DAY IT WILL BE GOLD .DONT LET THEM REMOVE THE BUILD TAG FROM IT

 

[MCH86GN]

I WOULD KEEP IT AND JUST HAVE THEM CHECK IT ONE DAY IT WILL BE GOLD .DONT LET THEM REMOVE THE BUILD TAG FROM IT

Even if I plan on running low 10s? That's pushing the car a lot harder than it has ever been pushed. 11.88 to 10.30 is a big jump. Although, I will only be running that hard for 10s. I do think I might benefit from a better fan, but that would only be for running my AC.

 

[fastblackracing]

My good stock radiator worked fine into the 9's.
At the track I would start a pass in the 165 range be up to 190 at the end and back down to 170ish
when I would pit the car.

What ambient temperature are you seeing those temps in while driving the car?

 

[MCH86GN]

My good stock radiator worked fine into the 9's.
At the track I would start a pass in the 165 range be up to 190 at the end and back down to 170ish
when I would pit the car.

What ambient temperature are you seeing those temps in while driving the car?

It was in the upper 80's. I do have a 160 Tstat. On the freeway, I might get down to 180. Not boosting either.

I'm going to drop my stock radiator tomorrow and make sure it's good to go. Replace the cap, drain valve, ect.

 

[Nick Micale]

I have dealt with our TR radiators for over 30 years, and I changed my original POS in 1987 as it would not cool enough in our desert summers.

By the mid-90's the small cores were getting plugged up and many would only have 50% of the tubes flowing as we tested lots of them.

Since that time I have sold hundreds of stock radiators which has a new, high efficiency core installed.

This core is still available, and a decent radiator shop can replace your original core if they take the time to find one. No matter what you do to a 30 year old core, the solder is leach out and cooling efficiency is reduced

As a side note, years ago we determined stock radiator with our replacement core would cool just as well as an aluminum radiator, use RMI-25 year around and the radiator will last for many years without deposits in the tubes.

 

[MCH86GN]

I have dealt with our TR radiators for over 30 years, and I changed my original POS in 1987 as it would not cool enough in our desert summers.

By the mid-90's the small cores were getting plugged up and many would only have 50% of the tubes flowing as we tested lots of them.

Since that time I have sold hundreds of stock radiators which has a new, high efficiency core installed.

This core is still available, and a decent radiator shop can replace your original core if they take the time to find one.

As a side note, years ago we determined stock radiator with our replacement core would cool just as well as an aluminum radiator, use RMI-25 year around and the radiator will last for many years without deposits in the tubes.

Thanks. I may be talking to you again here soon.

 

[~JM~]

Mind if I tag along on this post? I have also recently tried to search on this subject.

I need a new radiator soon. I still have my original radiator, plus I'm running an FMIC. Usually my car runs in the 160 to 185 degree range. This season I noticed that it is running warmer.

How well does the ALRADCO radiator actually perform? Is the dual electric fan/shroud combination that they sell required to maximize the cooling potential? I don't mind paying for quality, once. I intend to increase the engines performance level in the future & might as well have the cooling potential available.

What about installing a clean new radiator into a vehicle that has the original engine, trans, etc, that probably has crud & build up inside the cooling jackets? I don't want to circulate any debris into the new radiator flow paths.

Thank you

 

[Nick Micale]

Let me post a few comments and info about cooling systems that I have posted over the years based upon 40+ years of dealing with engine cooling here in our brutal summer months.

The way we would test a radiator for flow and efficiency is to remove one end tank. A high pressure, high volume water hose would be tightly fit to the on the outlet of the remaining tank to visibly see the water flow through the exposed tubes. By the late 1990's, the best we would see with an original core was only 50% of the tubes flowing water.

The blocked tubes will always start at the bottom row, and work their way to the top. Looking in the radiator from the top will show no crud, and it is natural to figure all tubes are good, but not so.

Another issue with older cores is the solder will dissolve due to electrolysis and chemical imbalance. Antifreeze has a minimal additive package and at least in our summer weather, there will no longer be protection from corrosion of the internal metal items, especially aluminum parts.

Running antifreeze in the summer months is insane as it will not dissipate heat as well as water, and will quickly kill bearings if introduced from leaking coolant. We found RMi-25 and plain water will lower operating temp as much as 20 degrees w/o antifreeze since it cleans while driving, and it also contains a surficant to provide better heat transfer.

We always use RMI with antifreeze when needed as it provided added corrosion protection.

 

[Nick Micale]

.................What about installing a clean new radiator into a vehicle that has the original engine, trans, etc, that probably has crud & build up inside the cooling jackets? I don't want to circulate any debris into the new radiator flow paths.

Thank you

If you add RMI-25, the crud and rust build up will be removed and kept in solution which may require a flush in a few hundred miles or so. You may have to do this more than once, but until you do not see the brown crud build up around the cap.

RMI does not contain any caustic chemicals, and is the only radiator additive that will clean when driving.

Once the cooling system is clean, add RMI once a year, or twice if you flush the antifreeze in the spring.

My original T-Type has never had a cooling system parts replaced except the original radiator which was replaced in 1987 with a high efficiency core.

The original radiator has very small tubes as compared to the high efficiency core which will flow more water.

 

[MCH86GN]

Let me post a few comments and info about cooling systems that I have posted over the years based upon 40+ years of dealing with engine cooling here in our brutal summer months.

The way we would test a radiator for flow and efficiency is to remove one end tank. A high pressure, high volume water hose would be tightly fit to the on the outlet of the remaining tank to visibly see the water flow through the exposed tubes. By the late 1990's, the best we would see with an original core was only 50% of the tubes flowing water.

The blocked tubes will always start at the bottom row, and work their way to the top. Looking in the radiator from the top will show no crud, and it is natural to figure all tubes are good, but not so.

Another issue with older cores is the solder will dissolve due to electrolysis and chemical imbalance. Antifreeze has a minimal additive package and at least in our summer weather, there will no longer be protection from corrosion of the internal metal items, especially aluminum parts.

Running antifreeze in the summer months is insane as it will not dissipate heat as well as water, and will quickly kill bearings if introduced from leaking coolant. We found RMi-25 and plain water will lower operating temp as much as 20 degrees w/o antifreeze since it cleans while driving, and it also contains a surficant to provide better heat transfer.

We always use RMI with antifreeze when needed as it provided added corrosion protection.

This is great stuff Nick. Summer here is MI can be brutally hot, primarily because of the humidity, or we can have summers sometimes where the temperature doesn't climb above 90. For the summer I certainly wouldn't be opposed to running water with RMI-25 and then switching to coolant in the fall. Have to be very careful with that because winter can be just as brutal as summer here. My s10 was losing coolant, so instead of wasting money and polluting the environment I ran straight water for a summer. Then in the fall I had to take the plunge and buy a new radiator.

Anyway, do you have extra high efficiency cores for sale? Just in case.

 

[~JM~]

Nick, Thank you for the information. I value your insight as I am very familiar with summer temperatures in the 110-120+ degree range.