Champion 3 core radiator

I purchased the Champion 3 core aluminum radiator that was specifically designed to fit our Maverick's.....................but it did not...

The lower radiator outlet lays on top of the cross member and the opposite side needs to be modified to clear the end of the tank.

I could drill new mounting holes in the radiator to raise it and gain the necessary clearance but I am afraid that I will have issues later closing the hood.

Has anyone else had this same problem or is this another thing specific to the early 69.5 and 70 bodies???

I think I am just going to send it back as I am not happy with the initial fit.

Mike

 

Mine fit well but had to grind a small area for the drain.

 

Its not a 69.5 issue, its an oversized radiator issue. I just opted not to use the drain. Otherwise it fits fine and I feel its worth the cooling benefits.

 

i didnt purchase that exact rad, but its race rad built for fords and i also had to grind a bit to drop it in...along with welding a few tabs on it to mount it..all i do is remind myself these are mavs and comets which arent the most popular thing in the world so not much will perfectly fit as if we had a mustang or camaro. so id say just grind it a bit and be on your way unless you dont want to incase you feel it will look bad but mine looks great and i assume others do aswell.

 

I had same issue with tank clearance/drain plug, at bottom of rad on right side. A little clearacnig of the strut rod support fixed it. This is a typical fitment issue with the champion rads in our cars...Good luck!!!

 

I bought two of them. One for my '72 with the 6 cyl. and one for the '73 with the V8. Oddly enough the one for the V8 dropped right in with no clearance issues at all. The one for the 6 cyl. I had to grind a little on the cross support and after that it fit and is cooling like a dream.

 

Did you bend the part on the front??
Only problem with mine is the drain plug

 

What happened to the engine???? That car was together and running the last time I saw it.

 

Long story, but the transmission had a problem which led to some upgrades......


I see that most of you are only having issues with the drain plug. I would consider modifying the brace to gain clearance for that but the issue with the lower outlet still remains. There is no visible damage to the brace and it measures same height as the opposite side. I will check tonight to see if they possibly drilled the mounting holes in the wrong location. Does anyone have a pic or a measurement of how high the tank should sit when mounted in comparison to the top of the core support???

Thanks for all the feedback - Mike

 

Everyone has an issue with the drain. Like most everyone, I notched the crossmember to make room. I also put a street elbow in the radiator to turn the drain down so coolant is easy to catch when draining.

My radiator mounted in the original holes and the bottom hose JUST clears the crossmember. Wasn't sure there was going to be room to put the hose on but there was with just a small gap to the crossmember. They made these radiators as big as possible to get maximum cooling.

Its a little annoying to have to make some adjustments when the ad says no mods necessary but you'll love it if you do what you gotta do and install it.

The top of the radiator (not the cap) is about 1/2" above the radiator support.

 

Has anyone reported this to champion? They can't fix it if they don't know about it.
Let the supplier know!

 

Yes, I did. Sent them pictures showing the interference with the pet cock and close fit with the lower hose. They were surprised by the issues and sent me a plug to use instead of the pet cock.

I think most buyers don't see those things as big problems and just do what is necessary to install the radiator without saying anything. Personally, I'm happy with the extra capacity of the large tanks even though the cross member has to be notched. Love the radiator. It amazing how much heat it dumps.

 

I take it no one has issues yet with the air pockets at the top?

 

I got the radiator/fan combo for my 5.0L EFI converison. Not a single problem. No Drain issues nothing... but the whimpy straps to hold the fan on were horrible so I'm in the process of making my own brakets. I noticed a few have responded to Champion complaining about the fit. So I wonder if the radiators are from different manufactering "batches". That's why different people have different fits and issues.

 

Update -

After reading everyones feedback I made the necessary modifications to the lower support and the radiator now fits my Maverick. I was suprised that I did not have to remove as much material to gain the clearance as I anticipated. I am hoping that I will get the additional cooling benefits from the radiator as my stock one would allow the car to creep over 200-210 degrees when hot outside or in slow traffic.

Thanks to everyone that responded.

Mike