started to mock this up. i'll be able to use all the mounting points i had with the champion. will just need to drill out the mounting flange on the radiator. should be able to get that done before it gets too hot in the AM. and i'm going to add a 1/2" fan spacer. with the clutch mounted right to the water pump, a couple of the fan blades wanted to just scrape the A/C compressor. since it was an old fan that already had a couple bent blades, i just tweeked the others to fit. but with the spacer i can move the whole thing forward and the new fan i have will fit.
new 26" copper radiators
- Thread starter kursplat
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in and working. decided to get a new set of hoses since the old ones were stretched pretty good from this rad being thinner. i let it idle for about 20min, 89' outside and it held right at 202'. still no shroud, that's next. tomorrow will probably be about 102' so i'll see how it does in that
charger426
Well-Known Member
That doesn’t look like 1.25” rows....looks like 0.63 like the 4 core champion I had.
it's not. it's 2 rows, 1 1/4" total thickness at the core
so 95' and climbing when i started, car sitting in the sun with the hood down, got to 210' just idling. also the new radiator cap i got started leaking from the top seal. when it cooled down enough, i put the champion cap on, and got it hot and pressurized again. no leak this time.
going to try to align it tonight when it cools down later and hopefully drive it tomorrow to see what it does. so far no issues with the radiator itself
going to try to align it tonight when it cools down later and hopefully drive it tomorrow to see what it does. so far no issues with the radiator itself
Sure looks nice !
autoxcuda
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Nice. Way to think out of the box.
Most aluminum aftermarket radiators fit poorly to the radiator core opening and give up precious room between the radiator and fan. They also don’t seal to the core support and air bleeds off wasted.
So with that radiator, will a 73-76 26” A-body fan shroud bolt and seal right up?
Just reference: Reseda Radiator did 4 core high density core (more fins/in, tighter tubes) for $450 in 2011. He had to supply tanks and sides. Cools a 472 cross ram Hemi with no shroud fine.
hard to see in the bottom pic (post# 30) i slit a piece of 3/4" hose and put it on the edge of the core support to fill the gap (about 1/2 what it was with the AL rad). i've been half-*** looking for that shroud, i should have pulled the one out of my 74' before i sold it
. looks like the mounting should be close if not right on. i'm not planning on driving around in traffic in this weather, since i don't have the A/C finished. going to do a wanted post, if that doesn't work i'll wait (and hope) for fall fling to maybe pick one up. i plan on sealing everything i can in the front.i've been going to reseda radiator for ~40 years off and on. grew up in reseda
I wonder if the fan shroud would be the same shroud as the factory fan shroud in my 1976 Dodge D100 ? Came out of a '76 D100 parts truck with air conditioning, on the factory 26" x 18" radiator.
Dodge shroud number: 3828289
I use the same 26" radiator and shroud on my engine run stand too.
Just picked up a brand new replacement radiator from Rockauto, 26" aluminum core with plastic tanks (165 + ship). Surprising it is an exact copy as far as all the mounting brackets are concerned, i was thinking I was going to have to redrill for the mounting to the core support . . but not.
My factory truck shroud bolts right up to it.
Like your copper replacement radiator very much too.
Dodge shroud number: 3828289
I use the same 26" radiator and shroud on my engine run stand too.
Just picked up a brand new replacement radiator from Rockauto, 26" aluminum core with plastic tanks (165 + ship). Surprising it is an exact copy as far as all the mounting brackets are concerned, i was thinking I was going to have to redrill for the mounting to the core support . . but not.
My factory truck shroud bolts right up to it.
Like your copper replacement radiator very much too.
charger426
Well-Known Member
ahhh ok.
the shroud would fit the radiator but the hole is in the wrong place. here's a good pic of the amount of offset i need. thanks for the idea though.
there's a bunch of 26" factory shrouds, but they moved the dang hole all over the place
might have a line on one though... George, what is the new radiator going in too. Thanks. Kim
Kim,
That new radiator is going in the 1976 Dodge D100 with the 318 and 727 auto setup. My copper original has been soldered a couple of times, time for new.
Thanks George. It looks nice. Kim
update: so i test drove this a couple times with it over 100', and it was fine moving, but stopped for a long light and it started climbing. got to about 220' and didn't look like it wanted to cool down even when i started moving again. i was already planning on a shroud but now it wasn't optional. many thanks to davescuda. sent me a near perfect one, part# 3691909.
finally had time to install it this morning. annoyingly, the shroud's mounting holes are about 1/2" wider on each side with it in the right position compared to the radiator's, vis-a-vie the fan. this shroud is correct for a 74' dart / valiant w/ 26" radiator so i'm going to assume it's the radiator is a little too generic. i'll probably make a mounting strip for each side, but for now i just ziptied it into place. too hot out and i'm in test mode with this anyway.
so it was closing in on 104' outside when i fired up the car. let it idle for about 40 min and it got to 210' and stayed there. shut it down for ~ 15 min to heat soak and it was at 221' when i restarted it. now it drops back to 210'. so the shroud does pretty well. i need to finish a couple other things and hoping to test drive it tomorrow
finally had time to install it this morning. annoyingly, the shroud's mounting holes are about 1/2" wider on each side with it in the right position compared to the radiator's, vis-a-vie the fan. this shroud is correct for a 74' dart / valiant w/ 26" radiator so i'm going to assume it's the radiator is a little too generic. i'll probably make a mounting strip for each side, but for now i just ziptied it into place. too hot out and i'm in test mode with this anyway.
so it was closing in on 104' outside when i fired up the car. let it idle for about 40 min and it got to 210' and stayed there. shut it down for ~ 15 min to heat soak and it was at 221' when i restarted it. now it drops back to 210'. so the shroud does pretty well. i need to finish a couple other things and hoping to test drive it tomorrow
autoxcuda
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Nice.
Maybe add a little bit of foam between gaps from shroud to radiator and/or radiator to core support
Just re-enforces how important fan shrouds are.
yup. i'll get back to it when it cools down. i did make a block off plate for the large drivers side hole in the support.
my rear end swap is done, (7-1/4 w/ 2.76's to 8-3/4 w/ 3.73's), so i drove the valiant to work yesterday. about 68' outside with the motor at 3200 rpm. temp got to 210' and held the whole way. on the way home it started climbing a bit the last 5 miles. got to ~118' by the time i got home. checked the oil and the dip stick had some cottage cheese on the end of it. like valve covers get when you never let the motor warm up, but just on the end. the oil above that looked fine. no milk, no bubbles, nothing else. weird... so i don't know if i'll have time to look at it this weekend, but i need to figure out what's up, and if it's adding to the heat.
just to close this up. i put about a 200 miles on this setup and it's warmer than i'd like, a steady 210' on the street and just idling (fine), on the freeway at 3200rpm, it gets to 220' (not fine) on a hot day. it does come back down in traffic though so i'm wondering if it's a little lean at cruse. i have the A/F gauge hooked up finally, just need to calibrate it when i put the car back together, again in the mean time i decided this is still going to be too close to the edge for around here once i get the A/C installed, so i'm putting the aluminum radiator back in with a contour fan setup. there's just not enough room to run the AL radiator, mech fan and a shroud.
conclusion? i don't know, probably could have got the temps down a little more if i'd optimize everything. i still needed to make sure everything in the front was sealed and add a chin spoiler. oh well, moving on
in the mean time i decided this is still going to be too close to the edge for around here once i get the A/C installed, so i'm putting the aluminum radiator back in with a contour fan setup. there's just not enough room to run the AL radiator, mech fan and a shroud.conclusion? i don't know, probably could have got the temps down a little more if i'd optimize everything. i still needed to make sure everything in the front was sealed and add a chin spoiler. oh well, moving on
Yes a chin spoiler will help when driving. Kim
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