Cold Case would probably be the most budget friendly, 2 row 1.25" tubes. Just checked their website and looks like prices have gone up in the last year. Looks like Summit has them for $388. I'd PM the Cold Case rep on here and see what he can do for you. It was eric_cspan last time I dealt with them through here.
A quickie about radiators.
Hi all,
I have a real quick question on radiators. I'm looking at replacing my 350 with either a 383 or 396 from BluePrint Engines. What radiator would you guys recommend? I won't be doing anything at the track, this is just for street driving and some "spirited" fun at times. Any info. you can provide would be appreciated.
Thank you,
RumRunner
I have a real quick question on radiators. I'm looking at replacing my 350 with either a 383 or 396 from BluePrint Engines. What radiator would you guys recommend? I won't be doing anything at the track, this is just for street driving and some "spirited" fun at times. Any info. you can provide would be appreciated.
Thank you,
RumRunner
1 - 6 of 55 Posts
If your research led you to believe that an electric fan only has 38% coverage, you're doing some bad research. The Vintage Air Monster fan is way more than that. My 600HP 454 with way more than 38% fan coverageI was wondering more about the internals and something that would cause poorer cooling. I've done a lot of work regarding comparison of the electric fans and the mechanical fan. For one the coverage area of an electric fan is minimal covering about 38% of the radiator with the shroud blocking the remaining area. Then you have the question of how much air the fan is pushing and do you have a condenser in front that's going to stifle air flow even more. In comparison the mechanical fan had a shroud that encompassed the entire flow from the back of the radiator. While I like the quietness of the electric fan I don't see it doing the same job as the mechanical fan and when you've got a 454BB you need better coverage not worse.
Anyway not knowing much about the internals and how they could skimp or what problems might cause poorer cooling it's one of the few areas I haven't been able to account for.
My plan for now is to go back to the mechanical fan and see where I'm at. Then if that works well I might try some redesigns of the radiator and the electric fan.
You're preaching to the wrong choir. We have beat this topic to death and I think most of us have come away with a much better understanding of the topic than it seems you've gotten from your research.They have different sized radiators. The 1st gen Camaro BB radiator is not very big and was designed for a 396 not a 454 or even larger if your dropping in a crate motor. There also weren't a lot of 1st gens running A/C because the impetus was for running them at the track so they wanted remove weight. Essentially large engines with minimal 37 amp alternators, etc. Today these cars are being made more for touring and creature comforts so there are differences that aren't so easy to overcome.
You misunderstand. The electric fan is as big as it can be for the radiator and anything else is covered by the shroud. That 16" fan is only accessing about 38% of the radiator you can't make it any bigger because it will exceed the dimensions of the radiator. If you go to a 2 fan setup you end up with even less coverage because you can't get fans big enough and 2 12" fans leave the shroud covering even more of the radiator.
The mechanical fan works because it sits back from the radiator and the shroud is a funnel not a sheet of metal blocking air flow. There are people that have used a Ford Taurus fan which is a high flow fan but it's also noisy. I don't know exactly what it's diameter is but again because of the limited size of the radiator you can only use a fan that's 16" without getting into fabricating some different radiator support.
There are a few guys that are experimenting with blocking out air flow before the radiator but I don't think the results are in yet.
It's a NECCESSITY once you go to a serpentine drive system, or a higher HP that'll turn some RPM and end up sending that OEM fan and clutch through your radiator. I fought hard to stay with the mechanical fan and clutch, Paid extra to have the serpentine water pump pulley machined flat to accept the fan mount.. in the end, 2 water pumps and 1 radiator later, i'm much happier and have better performance with the E-fansAluminum and E fan is cheaper and lighter, paid 200 bucks for a new fan and radiator for a wrecked C-6 vette. No way could you get a brass/copper and clutch fan for a reasonable price for a first gen. The old school work fine then and now, its just preference for the most part.
Beautiful day today here in NE Indiana. Going to be a high in the upper 50's damn near 60. Sand bass sounds fun, pretty much any fishing sounds fun right bout now, I wouldn't mind being on the big lake catching some King Salmon and Walleye or back down in the Keys catching a limit of yellowtails, maybe a mahi or two.Please elaborate…..I was actually just curious what Don was doing today.
Nice weather in this part of Texas, and almost to nice to be working, but I’m slow so it takes me longer to accomplish anything.
I would rather be finished and fishing for sandbass.
Seems someone is trying to tell us that everything we've actually done on this topic isn't going to work, even though real world results say otherwise.A lot of craziness being posted here imho.…
Don
1 - 6 of 55 Posts
Team Camaro Tech
A forum community dedicated to 1st generation Chevy Camaros owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, builds, restoration, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, reviews, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
fairfax1000
219 Replies
68Conv400HO
143 Replies
SoCal805
141 Replies
Recommended Communities
