I am planning on buying a new radiator because my old one leaks badly and is causing overheating issues. My plan is to go with a Champion radiator but I'm not sure if I should get the 2-row or 3-row radiator. I have a 200 cubic inch inline six and I plan to swap a V8 after I graduate college (1 more year). Thanks in advance!
Agree ...... Maybe just find a used one for now to keep you going with the I-6. Get a new radiator when you do the V8.
Also does going with a 3-row help cool more than a 2-row? I'm pretty sick of having to turn my heat on to keep the engine temp down
The answer is yes! Sounds to me you may have more than a radiator issue with that little six cylinder! Have you checked the thermostat?
If turning on the heater will help cool it down, I doubt there is anything wrong with the engine or water pump... Likely problem is clogged radiator, fan too far from radiator, and/or no shroud... Don't forget to check T-stat but if upper radiator hose suddenly gets hot as temp rises to 190*(or whatever temp you have installed), it's probably OK... BTW be sure to also check the lower radiator hose, if the inner spring has rusted away it may be collapsing which can block flow into pump...
What many people are unaware of, is that the more "rows" a radiator has, the more air you need to move through it. Adding more rows without upgrading the fan could actually cause overheating when idling or traveling at slow speeds. So simply adding more rows and doing nothing else is not gonna make your engine run cooler. The stock radiator for 302s with A/C was a 3-row. I would imagine that fan would move enough air. Many of the 2-row aftermarket aluminum radiators cool as well as or better than the stock 3-row copper radiators, not because of the material they're made of, but because the aluminum radiators have bigger tubes inside.
Replace your thermostat buy one for the six after you graduate upgrade also replace both radiator hoses
Excellent post ................... Here is a great read from ECP to add to what Crazy Larry has posted. I am a firm believer the right 2 core is better than a "more" core .................. http://www.speedcooling.com/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=28
While that's true to a point, main issue is the thicker core creates a "air restriction" which means it's more difficult for the fan to pull through(especially if the is no shroud)... Result is fan pulls air from sides of radiator in engine compartment... With a good fan & shroud combo, adding a thicker radiator isn't a issue... BTW aluminum does have higher heat transfer rate than does brass(approx 2x, plus is lighter)... Brass was fine on older engines that didn't produce as much heat as more modern engines with efficient emission controls... Want some real thermo conductivity? Have a custom copper radiator built(silver is better, a tad expensive though)... Check out this table... http://www.engineersedge.com/properties_of_metals.htm
My point exactly, but some people install a thicker radiator without even thinking about the fan. I read the exact opposite; that copper/brass has better heat transfer, but aluminum construction can have larger tubes, as well as being lighter. .
Thanks for all of the input! I ended up getting a 2 core and it works great!.. except it blew the gasket on my water pump but I was planning on replacing that anyways.
