What Type, Brand Of Radiator Do You Have & Why ?

[FUNFER2]

What works best for you and why ?

[Tom Howland]

I have a Ron Davis aluminum radiator. I would not use this radiator again. Installed a larger electric fan. Made an aluminum shroud around the fan. Made aluminum shrouding in nose to direct air into radiator. Repaired radiator. All 4 corners failed where the tubes are epoxyed into the side headers. The radiator now does not leak. It cools the motor over 40 MPH without the electric fan. Under 40 with the fan. It all works well. I do not think it would work well on a racing track. I do not like the epoxy part of the radiator. Don't know if aluminum radiators are made differently.

[Ron61]

When I had my Cobra Roadster I took it to a local radiator shop and had one custom made for it. Others here that were using the Type in the first post had various problems but all the time I had the Cobra I never had a single problem,.

Ron

[Dwight]

If you know what radiator fits your Cobra then there are several places you can buy from, Jegs, Summit, O'Reilley's etc.

If you need a custom radiator you can have Brice to make one for you. They are a factory and make radiators for everyone. They sold me a '74 Mustang radiator that fit a Cobra I want working on. Cheap!

They have made custom radiators for me to fit various cars through the years. Brice has sold me aluminum tubing for air conditioning lines in my GT 40. I needed '7 pieces of two sizes.

Good people to do business with. C,G, & J Inc.

[Dwight]

I notices you have a Lone Star.

I think they used a Mustang radiator from the '70's. Just buy an aluminum replacement.

[FUNFER2]

A lot of Lone Stars have, like me, a Griffin. Since I made a shroud and bought a Spal fan I never had an issue. After sitting for 9 years it got me thinking about it. I did drain it back then and put it in the basement, so I'll need to flush it, or maybe even take it to a radiator shop to check it out.

[twobjshelbys]

My Cobra had a Fluidyne FHP30-COBRA (a variant of the base FHP with different inlet/outlet. My original Shelby-supplied radiator developed an electrolysis leak and after many email exchanges trying to find one and a coincidental question to Fluidyne customer support to see if it could be repaired, they (a Fluidyne VP) explained the failure mode and supplied me with a very low priced (probably their cost) replacement with a port for a "sacrificial anode" (much like is used in water heaters). Both Shelby and Kirkham used these but at some point changed.

I have found that Cobra radiators, especially this one, tend to be quite oversized and especially when combined with the oil cooler, tend to over cool the engine. I went to a higher temp thermostat to keep the engine running a little warmer.

[FUNFER2]

Although I've never installed one, a anode is a good idea, just like with our boats. Especially if a engine has a lot of different metals.

How about 2 or 3 core's ?
Metal or brass ?
Reverse flow ?
Percentage of antifreeze ?
Green, purple, red,....

No antifreeze, just house water or R.O water and a conditioner ?

Or waterless.

Evans coolant ?

[twobjshelbys]

The anode for an aluminum radiator is called for if the radiator "floats" electrically. On the CSX it was mounted by flanges with rubber grommets that provided little grounding. When Fluidyne made my replacement it was a small plug near the top (as I recall) that the anode fit into.

re: antifreeze: Whatever type the ENGINE calls for.

[keezling]

Called our radiator distributor and said send your highest capacity Mustang fox size unit. Got a Northern all aluminum all welded (non crimped) work of art. The 460 has never overheated in 12 years 60k miles.
Plenty of other Gremlins over the years, but the radiator just does it's job.

[FUNFER2]

This company ?

https://www.northernfactory.com

[hinoonaz]

I replaced the radiator with a fluidyne until it failed at the corners. A weeping look on the fins when I pulled it out. Replaced with identical aluminum from on line for a third of the cost. I mean identical as from an 89 mustang. The repair shop said they were not designed to be repaired. I'll just spend another 125 at some point for another radiator (two years ago). Shroud makes a big difference in cooling by not using the plastic mustang setup.

[keezling]

FUNFER2 I don't know if that's them or not. Radiator has Northern stamped on side tank. It was 12+ years ago now. It was sent to a dealership I was working at from a distributor. The parts counter guy made the call so I was out of the loop except for coughing up the green.

[FUNFER2]

Interesting guys.

[FUNFER2]

How about these questions.....

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

Although I've never installed one, a anode is a good idea, just like with our boats. Especially if a engine has a lot of different metals.

How about 2 or 3 core's ?
Metal or brass ?
Reverse flow ?
Percentage of antifreeze ?
Green, purple, red,....

No antifreeze, just house water or R.O water and a conditioner ?

Or waterless.

Evans coolant ?

[EM-0785]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

Although I've never installed one, a anode is a good idea, just like with our boats. Especially if a engine has a lot of different metals.

How about 2 or 3 core's ?
Metal or brass ?
Reverse flow ?
Percentage of antifreeze ?
Green, purple, red,....

No antifreeze, just house water or R.O water and a conditioner ?

Or waterless.

Evans coolant ?

Hi Kevin,

Fwiw...I have a 3” depth, 5-row, aluminum crossflow radiator. I went with a mix of 70% distilled water and 30% conventional green antifreeze & coolant, plus added one bottle of Water Wetter.

Brent

[Dwight]

Antifreeze now that is something we can talk about.

In North Ala we can drive our Cobras in the winter, on the sunny days of course. Sometime in temperatures in the low 30's. We do a Turkey Day Run every year and New Years day if it not raining or snowing. It's like those crazy people who jump into a river on New Year Day. Hummm, we must be crazy too.

We have found that a mixer of more than 50% antifreeze causes overheating.

So we run about 25% to 30% antifreeze year round.

Our shops and garages will be 40 degrees to 55 on a cold day. So no problem with car freezing up.

Now a radiator at 60 mph on a 34 degree day, I don't what the wind chill is but IT'S cold. Hell, in my book anything under 50 is freezing.
The dash gauge will read a little cooler than normal but not a lot, after you have driven for a while.

Distilled water is a must. We have to much limestone in our tap water.

If you drive a roadster on a cold day, all the people that see you know you are some kind of nut. But it's still fun

[mikeinatlanta]

Custom Ron Davis aluminum, electrically isolated, fully shrouded front and back, and with an anode. All mounts are flexible to isolate both electrical and vibration to reduce stress.

Reason: To prevent the same problems many owners have with hard mounted and grounded radiators.

[1985 CCX]

I use a Fluidyne, premixed 50:50 Prestone
The bottom pins are in rubber grommets and the top pinned with as I recall rubber grommet

So far 4 seasons no issues....
Previous car, same 4 seasons no issues but as for now not sure as car is overseas.

I so far have not had issues with the unit, seems to hold up however we only run 7 months a year in mostly mild conditions.

[FUNFER2]

Here in Nebraska, the winter can change quickly, temps one day could be 10° the next 40°.
With climate change (don't get me startedTrump) one winter is very warm and the next cold and a lot of snow. Last year I did not use my snow blower at all.

When it's a warm day, above 35°, I'll take it out, even if just driving around town, not much on the highway. Since I have a insulated garage door, walls and huge amount above the garage, it never gets below 40°. So, I only use 25% antifreeze and a conditioner.

On hot 90° plus summer days in traffic, my engine temps will go to 220°, so I'm going to install my dual fan assembly, hoping they will suck in air to aid in those temps. On cool days or nights on our highway, I turn off the fans because the temps can go down below 160°.

With the shroud I built it helps out immensely.