help with radiator / cooling ?

[gleslie]

Living near Atlanta GA, I have plenty of opportunity to be stuck in traffic on 90 degree days in my B and B roadster 427.

Is it possible to have adequate motor cooling so I do not have to worry about over heating while idling ? Can it be done for less than $1K ?

Currently I have a copper/brass radiator appx 23 inches wide and 20 in high and about 3 inch wide and a 16 inch 'pusher' fan.

Since I don't have an oil cooler, I'm thinking about adding a large heater core to that area and perhaps add a fan from a motorcycle or ATV.

I've looked at aluminum radiators with 'puller' fans and shrouds, but most are much wider than my space.

What set ups do you think will solve my problem ?

Thanks George L

[Snake2998]

Don't know what your set up looks like but proper shrouding/ducting of the radiator and fan will go a long way to improving performance and shouldn't cost much. Also upgrading fan. Overheating at idle also has a lot to do with fuel mixture and timing. All these are cheap fixes.

[RICK LAKE]

Gleslie, George I have gone through the overheating problem for and Alum 427 motor. These are the things I have done to stop the 220f at the track racing.
1st Thermostat, 180F thermostat. The FE one doesn't have enough flow. The housing size is only about 1" for the opening. You should look for an BB dodge thermo for a 440/426. The opening is 1 1/4" where coolant goes through. The thermo stat from Dodge is about 2MM larger. You need to trim it down to fit in your thermostat opening of the manifold. I used a grinder. This should control your over heating. I don't have the part number from Stant. Take your old one to match up. I think the Stant # is either 33036 or 30138. Ask to see them side by side. You will see the differents between the 2. 5 minutes of work, you will be good. Last note, add a 1/8" hole in the housing to help get the air out of the system. Hole to be at top. Rick L.

[jhv48]

First of all, use the pusher fan for appearance sake only. They don't work very efficiently. Second, add a powerful puller fan and shroud to the back of the radiator. With a 180 thermostat and a properly shrouded puller fan radiator, you should have no heat problems sitting and idling in hot summer traffic.

[Dwight]

I would replace the old copper radiator with a new aluminum one.

I did this in a B&B about 6 or 7 years ago. Call C G and J inc. a very large radiator factory just across the state line from you in Alabama.

2776 Wills Creek Road
Gadsden, AL 35904
1-800-223-4299

C,G, & J Inc.

I think your radiator is a Ford unit from the early 70's. You will have to give them the dimensions but they will build a radiator that will drop in. I paid $325 for mine.
Buy a fan to mount onto the radiator with a CFM of 2700 to 3,000. Forget the cute little do nothing fans that mount out front.
Dwight

[40k Later]

The below combination is what worked for me after a few years of running hot and not being able to enjoy my car to the point of selling.
I have a Northern Triple pass aluminum racing radiator 24" wide x 19" tall with a shroud from Northern that is an exact fit that covers the entire finned surface. I have a Spal extreme fan that was the game changer in the equation for sure. It advertises 3000 RPM and comes with no warranty and says not for continued use over an hour or to use in wet or dusty conditions. My experience is this... Ive driven my car at 104 degrees and the fan stayed on continuously, temp was laying on 210 for the entire time and didn't go any higher and I'm good with that. I have had it run continuously for a couple of hours while cruising around Phoenix in the mid to high 90's at night...no problems. In the cooler months I have a 180 degree thermostat, because it will drop to 160 degrees even with the fan off. In the hotter months I take out the thermostat for less restriction and let the fan temp controller turn it on at 200 and off at 180 degrees. You'll note my fan is mounted inside my shroud and not to the outside as I had no room for the fan to clear the steering rack. Club cobra thread at the bottom for fan endorsement

Hope some of this helps you. .

23Lb Radiator cap
Note with the radiator.... you need a 1:1 crank pulley/water pulley ration for high flow
Radiator was $200
Shroud was $70
Fan was a steal on Ebay for $130 (game changer)
Fan temp controller $35 Derale

I've had Griffin and BeCool Aluminum radiators, and 4 different fans including a Spal dual 11" fan and none of that worked. I've spent hundreds trying to get my car to cool and this combination has made my car very fun and worry free.








https://www.northernfactory.com/HIGH...DIATORS/209694
High Performance Aluminum Engine Fan Shroud Kit for 24" Radiator Northern Z40024 | eBay
Spal USA 30102113 16" High Performance Race Fan - Pull Curved | eBay
What SPAL Fan are you running?

[gleslie]

Thanks Gents, I appreciate all of the great info !
(I had let the heat issue take too much enjoyment out of driving it, now I know it can be solved without any major jirations)

[Danr55]

I live in Arizona where overheating cars are almost a way of life. For my Contemporary, I've found that a four core Hawes with a shrouded Black Magic 16 inch puller fan works well. My car runs about 185F with a 165 Thermostat in the summer. As long as I don't sit in traffic for an hour, it will do fine. My experience here with pusher fans was not at all acceptable. I know that several of the AZCobras crew have them, but I've found them to be less than optimal.