Okay the rad starting spewing antifreeze all over the drive way, looks like the tank to the core is shot, good erxcuse to tell the wife I need to get a new one, won't even mention the thought of a repair.... she wouldn't understand!!!
So I am leaning towards a big block 4 core radiator, around here it going set me back $375.00 & 15% tax. In Yankee bucks it works out to about 225.00.
Has any one put a BB rad in a SB car, (don't fotget I'm running Factory AC as well) and any problems you encountered?????
Thinking maybe an aluminum Griffin, $600.00 plus in Canadian dollars, Are these factory fit????
or is there some Trial and error fittings with the griffin aluminum????
Would like to hear from every body, Blondie has stay in the garage this weekend, will be looking to make the purchase come Monday.
Thanks in advance
Rob...

My '68 is small block w/ A/C. The Big block radiator is longer (wider) but the holes are already punched from the factory where it goes in the core support. Just move your bolts (right side as you face the engine. You will need to switch to a different fan shroud (if current factory one is in place).

My father owned a raditor shop so he custom built one with a hi-effciency 4-core that fit the smaller small block size. Nobody can tell, it uses the factory tanks and hangers, and keeps the car at 180degrees all day long. I don't know what the price would be for someone to do this for you - my cost was $0.
Good Luck!

I'm running a small block, but I went the route of a local rad shop installing a high efficiency 4 core in my stock tanks. It fit right in and I think I spent about $180.

In 69 there are only two 8 cylinder radiator shrouds one for all small blocks and one for all big blocks. All 69 big blocks and the heavy duty small block radiators are 23" wide, all standard duty radiators are 21" wide. All big block radiators are either 3 or 4 core. Small blocks are either 2 or 3 cores thick.

You can not use a big block shroud on a small block installation since the fan opening is shifted to the passenger side by an inch. The regular small block shroud works just fine.

Watchout when your buying Griffin or other aftermarket radiators since they measure their radiators edge to edge, not by the width of the core.

I had problems when I went to my 406SBC.I ended up using a 21" 3 core, with shroud ,from one of the parts houses <D&R,Ricks,Ect.> and have had no problems.

The best bang for the buck is the PRC series from www.streetrodstuff.com/Products (http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products)

They will custom make a two row aluminum high performance crossflow for about $350.

I have sent no less than 100 people over to www.streetrodstuff.com (http://www.streetrodstuff.com) and nary a complaint.

Talk to Dick Z over there.......quality product.

If you want more references go to www.chevytalk.com (http://www.chevytalk.com) and go to the performance forums or to http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi and ask about the product. I have one in the 69 small block (400+hp) air, hotatlanta traffic and climate....never comes off the thermostat cycling point.

I second the streetrod stuff PRC radiator. I had a custom made camaro aluminum that is oversized and utilizes the entire 22" of rad support opening for cooling fin area. It also bolts to the far set of bolt holes on the radiator support, and provides > 4 gallons of capacity ( engine + hoses + radiator. I worked with Dick Z to design this radiator for my camaro. Dick Z has the drawlings and specs for this oversized camaro radiator.


However, it was designed for an electric fan w/ no shroud.
good luck
joe c

Only problem I encountered was finding an upper radiator hose :cool:

Thanks for all the replies, I went with the big block replacement, compared fan shrouds, stayed with the small block, 2 inches to left are not covered by the shroud, fans lines up proper.
The lower left bolt hole is a blind hole opening 1/2 inch, looking for a colapse nut, but can only find it up to 1/4" bolt size, if I had next size up, 5/16 it should work.
The lower rad hose was no problem as the right side is the same, as far as the upper hose, it moved 2 inches' left, and about 1 rearward, looks like it will fit no problems, Will get back to you let you know how the Temps work out.
Rob.

I see you went with big block replacement radiator but I had to mention that I too went with the streetrod PRC radiator.
I think they did a nice job, it fit beautifully and seems to cool well. I haven't had the car on the road yet so can't say anything about that yet.
But, I have a new 350 engine which I found in the past tend to run a little hot in the beginning until they break in some.
It stay's right on the 180 degree thermostat.

WHOO HOO
Got the rad all bolted up, went for a spin, (running an open thermostat) the old girl never went over 150 on the temp gauge, Pushed it over 100 mph for about 5 miles, stayed right at the 150 degrees, If I tried that last year it was cooking at 230 degrees.
I sorta lied it climbed to 165 at the gas station while it was shut down but dropped right back to the 150 when restarted.
Who would have thunk it, the old rad looked perfect fins, tubes ect.
Com on July!!!!!! No more babying it all summer!!

Now this brings up a good question. Should we run a 160 or 180 degree thermostat? I have a 4 row radiator that can easily handle my 383, it keeps it at 180 all the time but I think I have a 180 thermostat.... Wouldn't it be best to keep my engine at 160 if I can do it?

I know 150 is not warm enough and I will have to put in a thermostat, I am leaning towards a 160 as most of the driving will be in JUNE JULY and AUGUST. The old Camaro under hood temp get pretty hot, why add to it, In the newer cars a higher temp is required to meet emmission tests.
My vote stay with the 180, if the car runs good.
Rob.

Thermostats do NOT control the ABILITY of your system to cool. They simply control the range of operation assuming the capability is there. If you designed/built capability in your system, you can pick any thermostat range and operate successfully there all the time!

I do NOT recommend a 160 thermostat at all. A 160 vs a 185 will not keep your system any cooler if you are constantly operating over the cycling/opening point of the thermostat!

And moreover, at 160 degrees the accummulated moisture will not get evaporated out completely and the lubricants are made to work better above 175 degree ambient coolant temperatures. I run everything above 175 and mostly at 185.

I say a 180*. A 160 is way too cold.

Originally posted by Mark C:


You can not use a big block shroud on a small block installation since the fan opening is shifted to the passenger side by an inch. The regular small block shroud works just fine.

Now, when you say "regular small block shroud works just fine" just what do you mean? I ask because I have a BB rad and tried to use a SB shroud and it was too narrow. There was no way to affix the lower part of the shroud to the radiator and I didn't want it flopping all over the place!

Please provide details on how to make the SB shroud work on a BB rad. I was very close to buying a complete radiator just so I could have a shroud that fits! You guys (once again!) may have just saved me a few hundred dollars!

Thanks!

DAvid

180

There are two "S" shaped metal clips that grab on to the bottom lip of the radiator and the front edge of the shroud. These hold the bottom edge of the shroud against the radiator. All the repro houses sell them.

Mark-

OK, I understand, I have the clips you are talking about. So the fact that the shroud is about an inch narrow makes no difference? What threw me off was the hooks on the radiator that the shroud slides into...the SB shroud wasn't wide enough to sit in there on both sides.

Looks like it's time to go back to NPD and return the BB shroud and get the SB shroud again!

Thanks!

The hooks on the side of the shroud don't matter on a HD radiator. I only have a hook on the passenger side hooked in, and the two little S clips hold the shroud on. Been that way for 20 years, and the shroud has never moved.

Base 69 SB Camaros came with a 21" wide 2 or 3 core radiator. When you moved up to HD cooling, or AC or an L48 (I think) the factory increased the radiator to a 23" 3 core model. The shroud remained the same (there is only one SB 69 shroud). The shroud doesn't cover the whole radiator, it leaves about 1/2" on the drivers side but that should not be an issue unless cooling is marginal. I think the shroud actually sits on the edge of the radiator tanks with a base radiator and uses those built in plastic hooks, and it sits directly on the core in the HD radiator and uses the "S" clips.

On the right side the shroud clipped into the clip, and used the large centre bracket at the top, On the left side ( short side ) of the shroud I didn't like the way it way pushing into the core,
Grabbed a piece of carboard to space the shroud off the core, On my shroud it curls under the bottom of the rad, I drilled a small hole through the shroud and rad support and installed a self tapping screw, It looked odd, so I also installed one on the opposite side, to make it look even, Repeated on the top of the shroud, pulled the cardboard spacer out.
The left side has about 1- 2 inches of exposed core out side of the shroud, hardly noticealbe.
Rob.

I was looking in the Classic Industries catalog and was wondering if anyone has tried the small block with AC shroud to cover the 23" core radiator?

Bowtieusa, I had that small block shroud on my 23 inch radiator before the EFI swap. Worked with no problems. It offsets towards the pass. side (if I remember right). I had no cooling issues with it.