I currently have a 250 cu radiator. Is this strong enough for the new '85 HO 5.0 that I have installed? It's basically stock with the exception of manifold, headers and carb.
Is it a 3 core or a 2 core radiator? 3 your ok 2 I would be cautious. When I transplanted my 302 into my grabber I had to move up to a 3 core Radiator. The thing kept overheating. After the 3 Core no problems! Thanks Jerryfow2
Don't count on it. I had a 3-core in mine, A/C was removed and oil was routed to an external cooler, and after doing some mods on my car to get it above 200HP, the radiator no longer kept it cool. I even filled it with muriatic acid to boil out all the calcium, and had the cores reamed out and it still only cooled for short drives or on cool days. Ended up going with Summit aluminum radiator, now runs 165 if I don't turn the fan off...
Remove the radiator cap(when cold), look into rad...you'll see some slots. if you have 3 rows of slots, it is a 3 core. 2 rows is a 2 core.
Then what I have is a 2. Before I make a radiator purchase, gonna try the "burping" method and see if that doesn't remedy my overheating.
Don't waste a lot of time trying to cool an engine with an undersized radiator. I spent years trying to do all sorts of things (additives, different hoses, fans, water/coolant percentages, and drilling bypass holes in the thermostat). Finally, got a decent aluminum radiator and now have no problems keeping it cool. Wasted more money on the "bandaid" fixes than I did on the radiator.
Was there fabricating that needed to be done when you got your aluminum radiator or was it basically a direct fit?
