Griifin

[harrisonm]

Anyone out there have any experience with Griffin Exact Fit radiators?

Very pricey, but have to get this thing cooled down a bit. Currently running factory type rad with Derale 2600 CFM fan. Just don't like seeing 195 degrees driving down the highway. Cools down in traffic.

Just a hair away from 600HP. 4 speed Demon.

They claim their 2 row 1 1/4 tubes would give me 30% more capacity right off the bat. Any info, as usual, greatly appreciated.

View attachment 1716269002

I bought a Griffin Exact Fit Radiator for my 69 340 Barracuda about 12 years ago. When I called Griffin for pre-purchase information, a guy told me that their Exact Fit radiators looked so much like Mopar radiators that some people painted them black and 'passed them off' as original. I bought on. It DID look quite original, and it was an exact fit. I painted it black with Eastwood Radiator paint. I also purchased their custom-made aluminum shroud with an electric fan. I think that was a mistake. I never could get it to keep my engine cool. In retrospect, I think the fan was probably just not powerful enough. I finally trashed the shroud and bought a repro 69 340 shroud which fit the Exact Fit radiator perfectly. I paired the new stock fan shroud with a high flow stock looking metal fan. It has worked well for 12 years. On a hot summer day, with my AC on, my engine runs between 195 and 200. It never overheats, and it doesn't overflow, and I am about 100 HP over stock with headers, so I am OK with it running a bit hotter. I'd like for it to run at 180, but I don't see that happening.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Because you’ve bought into all the drag racing hoopla. Running a street car sub 180° is entirely pointless.

People seem to think it makes more power, but that’s not true. Colder air coming into the engine makes more power, and on a street car the air intake temperature is not the same as coolant temperature. Coolant temp itself has very little to do with power.

Sure, in a drag car where you’re going to shut down after a minute and ice the intake. But on a street car with an engine compartment being heated by the exhaust manifolds or headers for miles on end? Nope.

No sir. I've not bought into anything except my own personal experience. What works for you works for you and what works for me works for me.

 

[Johnny Mac]

Anyone out there have any experience with Griffin Exact Fit radiators?

Very pricey, but have to get this thing cooled down a bit. Currently running factory type rad with Derale 2600 CFM fan. Just don't like seeing 195 degrees driving down the highway. Cools down in traffic.

Just a hair away from 600HP. 4 speed Demon.

They claim their 2 row 1 1/4 tubes would give me 30% more capacity right off the bat. Any info, as usual, greatly appreciated.

View attachment 1716269002

OLD video, but I run a Griffin, and SUPER happy with it. ZERO complaints.

 

[cosgig]

Is your radiator support to hood seal in place? How about your lower splash pan seal, and your hood to cowl seal? Without them in place, air cannot be trapped in front of the radiator, it just goes around it. Kinda like sucking through a straw with a hole in it. The idea is to trap air in front of the radiator, use a fan and shroud to create a vacuum and draw the air through the radiator. Kinda like a funnel, when you pour all the liquid into a funnel at once, the funnel backs up, if you swirl the funnel a little, it creates a vortex and sucks the liquid down. No seals, that flat shroud, and that electric fan are not drawing air through the radiator very efficiently! That’s my opinion.

 

[go-fish]

ECP 26" Aluminum Small Block Mopar Radiator - Big Cooling Tub​

All aluminum construction with a heavy duty 2-row core with 1.0" tubes (not a 3-row gimmick making outrageous 1000HP cooling claims). Beware of gimmick 2-rows with 1 row of 1.0" tubes and a second row of 1/2" tubes! MOST other 2-rows on Ebay are only 2-rows of 3/4" tubes, not 2-rows of 1.0" tubes!

This! I have one. Cools VERY well with a 190 t-stat. Direct fit, perfect, in my iron head Duster 340.
$350!

​

I use a Hayden Clutch:

CHRYSLER Hayden Automotive 2947 Hayden Fan Clutches | Summit Racing

340 in stock spool mount location, ECP 26” radiator, and the low profile Hayden high performance clutch fan. You can’t make this car run hot. 3/4” clearance to the fins. Very adequate.

 

[Ricks70Duster340]

ECP 26" Aluminum Small Block Mopar Radiator - Big Cooling Tub​

This! I have one. Cools VERY well with a 190 t-stat. Direct fit, perfect, in my iron head Duster 340.
$350!

​

I use a Hayden Clutch:

CHRYSLER Hayden Automotive 2947 Hayden Fan Clutches | Summit Racing

340 in stock spool mount location, ECP 26” radiator, and the low profile Hayden high performance clutch fan. You can’t make this car run hot.

Do you use a shroud too? If so, what kind?

 

[go-fish]

Do you use a shroud too? If so, what kind?

Yes. Factory repop. I forgot who sells those.

 

[Ricks70Duster340]

Yes. Factory repop. I forgot who sells those.

Thanks. I know Mancini used to.

 

[Ricks70Duster340]

ECP 26" Aluminum Small Block Mopar Radiator - Big Cooling Tub​

This! I have one. Cools VERY well with a 190 t-stat. Direct fit, perfect, in my iron head Duster 340.
$350!

​

I use a Hayden Clutch:

CHRYSLER Hayden Automotive 2947 Hayden Fan Clutches | Summit Racing

340 in stock spool mount location, ECP 26” radiator, and the low profile Hayden high performance clutch fan. You can’t make this car run hot. 3/4” clearance to the fins. Very adequate.

I have a friend on another forum that bought an ECP for his Challenger. Was supposed to be a direct fit, but was anything but. He was not happy with their (non-existent) customer service too. He bought the setup with the dual electric fans.

 

[go-fish]

I have a friend on another forum that bought an ECP for his Challenger. Was supposed to be a direct fit, but was anything but. He was not happy with their (non-existent) customer service too. He bought the setup with the dual electric fans.

The only thing I had to do was drill the holes for the factory locations.

 

[Ironmike]

Could it be this easy? Went out today, only a couple degrees cooler than the other day and rode around for an hour. Cruising anywhere between 40 and 65 MPH. Up a 2 mile fairly steep 40MPH hill. Really gave it a chance to get hot. Even went to the "spot", made a couple passes and came home.

It never touched 190.

2 things were different. 1: Drained out a gallon and a half of my 50/50 mix coolant and replaced it with straight distilled water. (Griifiin suggested this)

2: After looking at it, I removed my cherished MOPAR front plate. Seemed like it might be obstructing a little flow.

I know this all maybe hogwash but absolutely a difference. Also have no link to the Enginemasters episode, but if you have the Motortrend network, it's On Demand. Couple before and after pics below. Oh.... no factory hood seal, no rubber flaps on shroud. Really not much room for them on my set up.

 

[go-fish]

2: After looking at it, I removed my cherished MOPAR front plate. Seemed like it might be obstructing a little flow.

PM me for a 3D printed “Mopar” decal that is 7x3.5 and bolts to the front license plate holes.