got a question for anyone who might know. i going to buy a new aluminium radiator for my 340 duster and wondering if the 1 1/4 tubes would be the way to go. it makes somewhere between 475-500 horsepower but doesn't like to stay cool in traffic. it has a swap meet pickup georgia fit all alumium in in now but it just doesn't do the job. i have no idea what the specs are on it. just wondering if any one had some personnel experiance with a prob like this. i have a big electric fan on it and a high flow 8 blade mopar water pump on it and have tried washing and flushing the radiator. thanks guys :thumbup:
1 inch vs 1 1/4 tubing in rad
- Thread starter 345man
- Start date
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7demon2
Registered User #1824
the bigger the tube and the more tubes in it will make all the difference in the world aluminum or not. fan shroud will help alot as well
pauly v.100
Well-Known Member
I could be totally off base here, but I always thought that keeping the coolant in the radiator longer would cool better better than hustling the water through the tubes, thus the smaller tubes should be more efficient. also, there would presumably be more tubes in the radiator since they take up less space.
the argument against I guess would be that; (a) the larger tubes have more surface area for heat dissipation, and (b) the coolant can only flow as much volume as the thermostat will allow, unless its removed or opened up.
like i said, i'm probably out to lunch on this one, but when i replaced my thermostat after running (hot) without one, my crate motor's temp went down 5-10 degrees just by slowing the flow down.
the argument against I guess would be that; (a) the larger tubes have more surface area for heat dissipation, and (b) the coolant can only flow as much volume as the thermostat will allow, unless its removed or opened up.
like i said, i'm probably out to lunch on this one, but when i replaced my thermostat after running (hot) without one, my crate motor's temp went down 5-10 degrees just by slowing the flow down.
fstfish66
Well-Known Member
A large tube is equal to 2 smaler tubes,most rad builders will rate there radiator on horse power as far as it will cool up to a X amount of horse power,,,
you can have the best radiator in the world,,if the rest of the cooling system isnt as good,,the big dollar radiator dont meen squat,,,the distance of the fan placement related to the radiator can make or break how it cools in traffic,,
a fan shroud will help big time,,as well as a high running a decent water pump and thermostat,,and believe it or not the proper mixture of coolant,,50/50, by ading more anti freeze ,and less water,,or more water ,less anti freeze can alter how it cools,,i have been down this road,,i use a 4 row brass rad,,stock pump,cool flex fan blade 160 degree hi flow thermostat,currently no shroud and a blower motor runs 178 down the interstate,and usually less then 200 degrees in traffic,,
redoing the car,going to go with a large 2 row aluminum rad,hi-flow water pump made by evans cooling,and wil have a shroud build,,i hope it runs as cool,,as it doe currently
you can have the best radiator in the world,,if the rest of the cooling system isnt as good,,the big dollar radiator dont meen squat,,,the distance of the fan placement related to the radiator can make or break how it cools in traffic,,
a fan shroud will help big time,,as well as a high running a decent water pump and thermostat,,and believe it or not the proper mixture of coolant,,50/50, by ading more anti freeze ,and less water,,or more water ,less anti freeze can alter how it cools,,i have been down this road,,i use a 4 row brass rad,,stock pump,cool flex fan blade 160 degree hi flow thermostat,currently no shroud and a blower motor runs 178 down the interstate,and usually less then 200 degrees in traffic,,
redoing the car,going to go with a large 2 row aluminum rad,hi-flow water pump made by evans cooling,and wil have a shroud build,,i hope it runs as cool,,as it doe currently
340mopar
Sorgermotorsports
pauly v.100 said:
This is why you use a thermostat. You cannot have to big a radiator if you run a thermostat.
Chuck
K
krabysniper
Guest
Further evidence that aluminum is NOT a good replacement for a good old fashioned stock radiator.
No pauly, your not out to lunch, running without a thermostat and pushing coolant thru at high velocity prevents it from disipating heat to the air flowing past the radiator. Large tubes may have a larger surface area, but they also have a larger CORE area (ie imagine the fluid flowing thru the tubes as the rings of a tree, the core of that tree is not in contact with that surface area and can pass thru without disipating heat). A piece of pipe 6 inches in diameter will flow HUGE quantities of fluid and has a very large surface area, you think that will cool your vehicle (I am being facetious in saying 6" pipe, btw.) no, it won't. but 6 seperate 1" diameter pipes on the other hand have MORE surface area to fluid volume being passed thru it.
On the other hand slowing it too much sin't going to do the job either, it has to be balanced. The proper temp thermostat, and a good radiator, fan with proper shrouding, and a water pump that neither pushes the fluid thru to fast or slow. I am not anti-aluminum, and if that s what someone wants to put in their vehice, thats their biz, but I know from expierence that the original style radiator in our old mopars did the job perfectly for many many years, I see no reason to try to re-engineer it. I don't run a 500 horse small block or big block, but I do have a stout 360, I have a non clutch 4 blade fan that has a good 2" between it and the radiator with NO shroud, I have a stock 22" wide radiator that I had recorred to a three core. It keeps the car cool in slow traffic in the summer heat (85-95 degrees around here). I wouldn't want to be at a stand still in LA with this set-up (would need a good 5 or 7 blade clutch fan and shroud, then I wouldn't worry) but for what I have, the copper core RULEZ.
345man, if your running without a thermostat, or a gutted thermostat, start there, put in a nice new 180 and see where you need to go from there, if that dosn't do it you might want to consider a lower volume/speed water pump because it sounds to me like your pushing the coolant thru the radiator to quickly. Also I would suggest running WaterWetter in your system as it will help the coolant cool your engine better and help prevent corrosion caused by the galvanic reaction of dissimilar metals (aluminum radiator/heads/intakes, steel blocks) in an electrolyte solution (coolant). And stay on top of your coolant maintanance, replace coolant every two years minimum.
My .02 for the day.
No pauly, your not out to lunch, running without a thermostat and pushing coolant thru at high velocity prevents it from disipating heat to the air flowing past the radiator. Large tubes may have a larger surface area, but they also have a larger CORE area (ie imagine the fluid flowing thru the tubes as the rings of a tree, the core of that tree is not in contact with that surface area and can pass thru without disipating heat). A piece of pipe 6 inches in diameter will flow HUGE quantities of fluid and has a very large surface area, you think that will cool your vehicle (I am being facetious in saying 6" pipe, btw.) no, it won't. but 6 seperate 1" diameter pipes on the other hand have MORE surface area to fluid volume being passed thru it.
On the other hand slowing it too much sin't going to do the job either, it has to be balanced. The proper temp thermostat, and a good radiator, fan with proper shrouding, and a water pump that neither pushes the fluid thru to fast or slow. I am not anti-aluminum, and if that s what someone wants to put in their vehice, thats their biz, but I know from expierence that the original style radiator in our old mopars did the job perfectly for many many years, I see no reason to try to re-engineer it. I don't run a 500 horse small block or big block, but I do have a stout 360, I have a non clutch 4 blade fan that has a good 2" between it and the radiator with NO shroud, I have a stock 22" wide radiator that I had recorred to a three core. It keeps the car cool in slow traffic in the summer heat (85-95 degrees around here). I wouldn't want to be at a stand still in LA with this set-up (would need a good 5 or 7 blade clutch fan and shroud, then I wouldn't worry) but for what I have, the copper core RULEZ.
345man, if your running without a thermostat, or a gutted thermostat, start there, put in a nice new 180 and see where you need to go from there, if that dosn't do it you might want to consider a lower volume/speed water pump because it sounds to me like your pushing the coolant thru the radiator to quickly. Also I would suggest running WaterWetter in your system as it will help the coolant cool your engine better and help prevent corrosion caused by the galvanic reaction of dissimilar metals (aluminum radiator/heads/intakes, steel blocks) in an electrolyte solution (coolant). And stay on top of your coolant maintanance, replace coolant every two years minimum.
My .02 for the day.
thanks sniper. i already have the water wetter and a 180 degree thermastat. car runs on the highway on 80 to 90 day around 190 to 200 but when you hit a hill or traffic it starts going on over fairly quick. i am not running a shroud though just a perma cool 16 electric fan that flows 2950 cfm. thanks for the imput, all info or personnel experiance is a blessing to me to help with any prob i have. :thumbup:
340mopar
Sorgermotorsports
A fan or shroud change will effect the traffic senario but won't effect the going up a hill as long as you are going over 35mph. You need a bigger radiator for highway heating problems. If a radiator is sized right you wouldn't need a fan at all at speeds above 35 because that's about all fans generate for velocity.
Chuck
Chuck
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