Tripple pass radiator anyone?

[Blazer406]

My new Summit Racing has a triple pass radiator in it in 4 different widths for GM vehicles.

My 1st experience with a two-pass radiator is on a friends 540 CI BBC down in Houston, TX. It is a high dollar Ron Davis radiator that is supposed to be like NASCAR uses? Anyway.... 100 deg day.... 700+ HP BBC.... idling forever..... thing never gets over 180°. Only drawback to the two-pass is that the inlet and outlet are on the same side.... which would make for some custom hoses and definately would really stick-out as not stock. With the new 3-pass, you can get the offset inlet/outlet like the original.

My car with a f-body alum radiator and a RJC FMIC, will creep up to 200+ pretty quick on a 90 deg day with the stock cooling fan. Granted, I've never tried to seal-off the radiator better than the factory did to enhance airflow or install the dual fans I have sitting under my workbench.......With that said, I have noticed I have to be running 50+ mph to make the cooling temps start dropping once I get near 200 deg.....even though I am running a 160 thermostat. What that tells me is it takes some serious air to keep my car cool on a 90 deg day...... so much that I don't think any amout of sealing off+dual fans will ever really be enough to run the air on a 100 deg day and not worry about overheating. I'd have to be sucking air at (the equivalent to) 50-60 MPH across the radiator to properly cool the car.

With that said, I really was toying wih the idea of the two pass until I see the three pass...... I bet I can make this work and it not look any more out-of-place than the current f-body radiator does. Even better would be if the stock fan could still be used adequately. Better still is the price is around $210.

Any thoughts?

 

[psycho6cyl]

Any thoughts about by passing fan switch and have it come on high when you want it to? So say at 185 throw the fan on high~high usually kicks on when you use ac. May help.with keeping it cool. Unfortunaty idk bout 2 pass 3 pass. I got alradco set up...

 

[earlbrown]

You could always trigger the fan relay with the brake pedal. That way when the engine is warmed up the fan will already be spooled up by the time you get to the light.

 

[usetaboost]

I have a old late 90s duttweiller fm with an fbody radiator an stock fan. I got the resisitor bypassed also. I've never seen it over 190 and that's even after I beat on it. Running 200 isnt going to hurt these cars but the temps dont need to be inconsistant either. Look at newer cars. They all got dual fans and they rarely go over 200. I'd throw the dual fans in. You won't be out much.

 

[Paul69camaro]

It's been an extremely long time since I last researched this but I ended up installing a dual pass radiator in my 69 camaro, It works extremely well but I remember having to get a serious water pump (Stewart components stage 4) to overcome the added pumping resistance from the dual pass. Keep in mind that a dual pass requires 16x more pressure than a convention crossflow to get the same volume and a triple pass requires 64x more. That being said, on our buicks I would probably stick with the conventional style but get one that is thicker unless you an get a very high volume water pump.

Paul

 

[robzombie]

Sealing the sides of my FMIC and rad with foam noodles that can be bought for about five bucks or less has dropped my temps about 10*/15*, and recovery time is almost instant when the fans kick on. It used to take high speed, 55 mph plus to bring temps back down at any temp and fans would run constantly.

The fans now cycle on and off like they should.

I run a stock rad with dual fan setup. I haven't been over 185* [95*/AC on] since sealing the air gaps and took less then ten minutes to install. I just cut the length I needed and then cut it in half [ )] and slid it in there at the tank ends.

Cheapest and best cooling mod that I've ever done.

 

[turbo nasty]

As mentioned...box in the radiator