Aluminum Radiator for a GN
- Thread starter Woody
- Start date
What's wrong with a $120 F-body rad? I've ran this in my car for 3 years now and absolutely love it. The cheapest and easiest upgrade to do. It has an oil cooler if you absolutely have to have one but I haven't ran an oil cooler on my car since 2002. I run a standalone tranny cooler with a fan on top of it. Put a dual fan setup on it and I even run a front mount intercooler and my temps are always around 160-165 even in hot humidity. It's your money but I can't see myself spending $600-$800 on just a radiator. 
http://griffinrad.com/
my griffin has oil and trans cooler. give them a call. i dont think its listed on the web site. its made for the GN.
my griffin has oil and trans cooler. give them a call. i dont think its listed on the web site. its made for the GN.
Bowling Green Racing
I think that is the name of the company, and I think his name is John. Well John just built me an aluminum radiator 3 core at a reasonable price with the oil cooler. I should have told him to face the oil cooler into the engine compartment it faces the old direct and I can't use it due to ss hose upgrade. But it has worked wonderfully aside from that.
I think that is the name of the company, and I think his name is John. Well John just built me an aluminum radiator 3 core at a reasonable price with the oil cooler. I should have told him to face the oil cooler into the engine compartment it faces the old direct and I can't use it due to ss hose upgrade. But it has worked wonderfully aside from that.
d0n_3d said:What's wrong with a $120 F-body rad? I've ran this in my car for 3 years now and absolutely love it. The cheapest and easiest upgrade to do. It has an oil cooler if you absolutely have to have one but I haven't ran an oil cooler on my car since 2002. I run a standalone tranny cooler with a fan on top of it. Put a dual fan setup on it and I even run a front mount intercooler and my temps are always around 160-165 even in hot humidity. It's your money but I can't see myself spending $600-$800 on just a radiator.
Ditto: Most of us here in Texas just call them oil heaters. I believe that the more heat sources that you can remove from the water cooling system the better. I know of no one who has not benifited by doing this.
If you absolutely do not want an F-body radiator, here is what I posted to help another member at another location. You can take what you need and apply it to your situation if you want:
This is lengthly, but; I think that it will give you a complete solution. Performing the following steps has created a system that after doing so, has dropped my engine temps from 215 to a maximum of 180. This, however, is while running the A/C in the 100+ heat of summer here in North (DFW) Texas. Running my engine in the stagging lanes actually cools it down after my run. Once is cools down to about 165 I shut it off. You should see the strange looks I get from the other guys while doing this.
1. If I remember correctly, the dual fans that I bought from Ramchargers are exactly the same units that are installed on the Dodge Stratus vehicles from the factory. I would stay away from the other versions like Flex-lite. They are very noisy, more expensive and most do not pull as much cfm as does the dual fan unit you are seeking.
2. Buy the RaceTronix dual fan harness kit. Even though the adapter will plug directly into the factory harness, it will eliminate the possiblility of the fans toasting your factory wiring harness from the high amperage. It is clean, plug and play and easy to install. The link to this kit is http://www.racetronix.com/RX-G7-DFH.html.
3. For about $210.00 I had a local radiator shop rebuild my stock unit. They replaced my stock core with a tripple row, large tube core. This type of core is as wide as a four row, but; it is less expensive and more efficient at flow and transfer of heat. The other, and possibly most important part, is to find a shop that will build you dividers (one on each side) inside the tanks. This will force the coolant to pass accross the radiator three times before it is allowed to re-enter the block. In other words, ask them to build you a tripple pass unit. If they don't know what you are talking about, then you probably shouldn't use them. I also had them solder four bolts to the exterior of the tanks. This allowed me to mount the fans flush against the radiator using the ears already molded into the fan shroud. Be sure to mount the unit as high on the radiator as possible to clear the factory steering box. Take your time to test fit this before marking your attachment points for the bolts. If performed properly, very little modification of the shroud will be necessary. I believe that I had to shorten the mounting tabs on only one side of the shroud and drill new mounting holes. Use a flat washers and nylock nuts to secure it in place. Be sure not to over tighten the tabs because it will deform the shroud and cause clearance problems with the fan blades. Very little pressure is needed to permanently keep it from moving in place.
4. The construction of a triple pass radiator requires that the transmission cooler portion of the radiator be removed. This will actually work in your favor. Less heat is transferred to the engine coolant from the transmission. In my opinion, the factory cooler is inadequate at best. Buy the biggest B&M transmission cooler that you can get from Summit, Jeg's or the local off road shop and mount it in front of your radiator. The B&M design is the most durable and efficient version out there. You will be dissapointed if you skimp by buying the cheaper Russel style cooler. You will have to remove the factory cross braces in front of the radiator to do this. Your transmission will thank you. I have had nothing but possitive results from this modification.
5. Replace the radiator cap with a new lever style pressure release cap. I believe that it is rated at 17psi. It is cheap insurance. Especially if you cannot remember when it was last replaced!
6. Unless you are using DFI, FAST, Big Stuff or etc., in order for you to benefit from having the 160 thermostat, you will need to install a chip that will turn your fans on at 160 rather than the factory 190+ setting.
I know that it sounds like a lot of work, but; I have found that this is a "set it and forget it" set up. I know of people that have bought the super high $$$ aluminum units and they are still not getting the kind of cooling effeciency that I am with this system! :biggrin:
Good Luck!
This is lengthly, but; I think that it will give you a complete solution. Performing the following steps has created a system that after doing so, has dropped my engine temps from 215 to a maximum of 180. This, however, is while running the A/C in the 100+ heat of summer here in North (DFW) Texas. Running my engine in the stagging lanes actually cools it down after my run. Once is cools down to about 165 I shut it off. You should see the strange looks I get from the other guys while doing this.
1. If I remember correctly, the dual fans that I bought from Ramchargers are exactly the same units that are installed on the Dodge Stratus vehicles from the factory. I would stay away from the other versions like Flex-lite. They are very noisy, more expensive and most do not pull as much cfm as does the dual fan unit you are seeking.
2. Buy the RaceTronix dual fan harness kit. Even though the adapter will plug directly into the factory harness, it will eliminate the possiblility of the fans toasting your factory wiring harness from the high amperage. It is clean, plug and play and easy to install. The link to this kit is http://www.racetronix.com/RX-G7-DFH.html.
3. For about $210.00 I had a local radiator shop rebuild my stock unit. They replaced my stock core with a tripple row, large tube core. This type of core is as wide as a four row, but; it is less expensive and more efficient at flow and transfer of heat. The other, and possibly most important part, is to find a shop that will build you dividers (one on each side) inside the tanks. This will force the coolant to pass accross the radiator three times before it is allowed to re-enter the block. In other words, ask them to build you a tripple pass unit. If they don't know what you are talking about, then you probably shouldn't use them. I also had them solder four bolts to the exterior of the tanks. This allowed me to mount the fans flush against the radiator using the ears already molded into the fan shroud. Be sure to mount the unit as high on the radiator as possible to clear the factory steering box. Take your time to test fit this before marking your attachment points for the bolts. If performed properly, very little modification of the shroud will be necessary. I believe that I had to shorten the mounting tabs on only one side of the shroud and drill new mounting holes. Use a flat washers and nylock nuts to secure it in place. Be sure not to over tighten the tabs because it will deform the shroud and cause clearance problems with the fan blades. Very little pressure is needed to permanently keep it from moving in place.
4. The construction of a triple pass radiator requires that the transmission cooler portion of the radiator be removed. This will actually work in your favor. Less heat is transferred to the engine coolant from the transmission. In my opinion, the factory cooler is inadequate at best. Buy the biggest B&M transmission cooler that you can get from Summit, Jeg's or the local off road shop and mount it in front of your radiator. The B&M design is the most durable and efficient version out there. You will be dissapointed if you skimp by buying the cheaper Russel style cooler. You will have to remove the factory cross braces in front of the radiator to do this. Your transmission will thank you. I have had nothing but possitive results from this modification.
5. Replace the radiator cap with a new lever style pressure release cap. I believe that it is rated at 17psi. It is cheap insurance. Especially if you cannot remember when it was last replaced!
6. Unless you are using DFI, FAST, Big Stuff or etc., in order for you to benefit from having the 160 thermostat, you will need to install a chip that will turn your fans on at 160 rather than the factory 190+ setting.
I know that it sounds like a lot of work, but; I have found that this is a "set it and forget it" set up. I know of people that have bought the super high $$$ aluminum units and they are still not getting the kind of cooling effeciency that I am with this system! :biggrin:
Good Luck!
Be Cool makes a radiator with both coolers. It's Part #66062 but it cost $739 I believe. I'm looks like the tranny lines might rub the A/c condensor but other than that it fits in place good with stock mounts and support. I'm rebuilding my engine now so the radiator has only been put in to see if it fits.
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
F Body radiator:
-89 with 5.7 tpi
-aluminum w/ plastic end tanks radiator for a 92 Z-28. It fit without any mods and weighs half what a stocker does.
-lifetime warranty and it weighs only 10lbs unlike the 26lb stocker
-87-92 Camaro Iroc or Z
Autozone#- 433918
DUAL FANS_ RAMCHARGERS STYLE:
98-04 Intrepid family
-89 with 5.7 tpi
-aluminum w/ plastic end tanks radiator for a 92 Z-28. It fit without any mods and weighs half what a stocker does.
-lifetime warranty and it weighs only 10lbs unlike the 26lb stocker
-87-92 Camaro Iroc or Z
Autozone#- 433918
DUAL FANS_ RAMCHARGERS STYLE:
98-04 Intrepid family
ScottyRegal
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2004
that racetronix dual fan install kit...what is that compatible towards?
whats the best dual fan setup to go with on these cars? that the racetronix dual fan harness kit will work well with?
whats the best dual fan setup to go with on these cars? that the racetronix dual fan harness kit will work well with?
Underboost
Mr. Dull
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Has anyone ever ran the F Body radiator: "Autozone#- 433918" with the stock fan wired on high speed & Does it bolt right in?
I have a 4 core that I bought in 2000 it has always ran hot I now have the RJC IC and wow it's around 200-220
If I bought the Fbody Rad and bolted it in with the stock fan wired to high speed would it work better than what I have now until I get the dual fans?
Thanks Guys,
Brent
I have a 4 core that I bought in 2000 it has always ran hot
I now have the RJC IC and wow it's around 200-220 If I bought the Fbody Rad and bolted it in with the stock fan wired to high speed would it work better than what I have now until I get the dual fans?
Thanks Guys,
Brent
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
Underboost said:Has anyone ever ran the F Body radiator: "Autozone#- 433918" with the stock fan wired on high speed & Does it bolt right in?
I have a 4 core that I bought in 2000 it has always ran hot
If I bought the Fbody Rad and bolted it in with the stock fan wired to high speed would it work better than what I have now until I get the dual fans?
Thanks Guys,
Brent
I can't see why the f-body rad wouldn't cool better than what you have even with the stock fan. You may be able to score the fan for next to nothing if you look around at the yards. Or, look at Auto Zone for a new one.
Try the rad first if that is the only thing $ will allow right now.
