Have decided that it's time for a new radiator, so I'm thinking of going triple core. My EBII Fairmont is stock, and I'm also getting a transmission cooler put on at the same time.
Any advice in regards to the radiator? (There have been ample posts about tranny coolers already). Anyone done this upgrade? Anyone know of a reliable source/ shop in Brisbane? Any reasons why I shouldn't go for a 3 core?
I replaced my radiator a couple of weeks ago. it cost me $175 for the 2 core, i could have got a 3 core for $240. I thought (and was also advised) that there wasnt much point going 3-core. with a brand new radiator thats working 100% a two core is quite sufficient. a transmission cooler is a good idea though.
well...had the radiator split and flushed about 10 months ago. The car isn't getting hot, but it is going into the O and R of NORMAL with the aircon on. Got plenty of flow, fan is fine etc. Just figured, bugger flushing it again, 10 years is enough from a radiator, why not get a new one, while I'm at it, why not go the whole hog? I intend on doing other engine work later-on, so why not do the cooling now?
i put a 4 row alum rad on my ride and cut the overall dimensions of it in half.
so there is your advantage to using more rows for cooling.
and if you plan any mods later you want to be sure you have enough cooling capacity.
you can never have to much radiator unless it is to big to fit into your vehicle
cant see why u'd wanna modify the eb's radiator? Theyre bloody huge already! have it cleaned out properly will do. I woulda loved one of these for my supra, but they're just too big to fit in
Yep got one fitted years ago, from Natra.
Still have it now without any probs,being copper its stronger than the std unit, but is quiet abit heavier,not that its a drama
1. Copper huh? cool. Will see what prices I can get locally. Time for the retard question of the day...does copper rad. + alloy head = a need for specific coolant. i.e. is there any chance/ experience of unwanted reaction occurring? (I'm guessing that a 347 does not have alloy heads?)
2. heavy duty 2 core: How does this differ from a standard unit? Anyone out there gone this route?
3. Are there any brands that are recommended by my learned colleagues? When I buy I buy quality, and for the long term.
P.S. Thanks for the responses guys, seems I've finally managed to start a post that others care about!!
I can't see why the original radiator isn't good enough providing the system's clean.
The old lady's EA sedan pulled 4 ton up a steep (25 or 30 degree) hill every day for a week and never overheated, that was just a standard radiator.
Also, these radiators actually caused overcooling problems, i.e. Ford had to cut down the size of the holes in the head gaskets and up the temperature on the thermostat due to the radiator keeping the motor below operating temperature. I'd suggest, if she's running a bit warm and has been flushed, looking at the thermostat and possibly backflushing the block - did they do that as well, or just the radiator?
hey... im having the same probs with my EA, it is running on O and N when it used to run below the L... replaced the thermo.. checked the fan, fan clutch and waterpump... i flushed the radiator with a hose and ran the engine with a hose running though the engine into the thermostate housing and no difference... what should i do next... a friend told me to get the radiator professionally flushed by a radiator shop but i took the side tanks off the radiator and had a look and didnt see any dirt.. and i could look down the holes no problem.. is there more to a radiator that im not seeing....(sorry to ask in this post but im having the same probs..)
it may actually be clogged in the core. Which you cant really see. id take it out and have it cleaned/ looked at by a rad expert...then you can see if it was actually your problem...
where is the core ??? when i took the side tanks off i could see down the little flat holes on the side that the tank covered ... i was quoted $70 to get it profess cleaned thats 70 bucks i dont want to waste if that isnt the problem...
also i recently changed the head gasket.. machined the head but didnt replace the head bolts .. could that be it ???
Serveral things to keep in mind with radiators, the number of rows thick (two rows, three rows, 4 rows...) the size of the tubes, and the number of finns.
The higher the number of tubes and finns and the smaller the tubes are in diameter the higher the cooling capacity of the radiator. A heavy duty two core rad would have two rows of small tubes with a large number of finns.
The standard two core rad is adequete for a stock engine, but over time the small tubes in the core get restricted with calcium and other deposits which result in lowering the cooling ability, often a simple cleaning will solve this.
Any time you modify an engine more heat is created which should be countered with a larger or higher efficiency rad, most use 3 core HD rads, although a 3-4 core aluminum rad is the ultimate solution for race applications
I got a 3 row heavy duty radiator cause I am putting a turbo on, otherwise if the engines pretty standard I wouldnt worry unless you live in a hot area of Aust and use the aircond alot. Then spend the extra 100 bucks. It aint going to do any harm. In very cold climates there might be an issue but the thermostat is what actually controlls the temp in the engine.
Whilst you are at it why not update that old age viscous fan for an Electric twin jobbie from BPT Performance.
Theres quiet afew ppl here that have the thermofan conversion done , myself included & love it.
1. I replaced the thermostat about 9 months ago, but after reading some previous posts about dual acting thermostats I am going to pick one of these up next week.
2. No the block wasn't flushed. The original surge tank (had to replace it last week, $90 for a plastic bottle? Fudge me, although I guess it is running at 12-13 psi - still...) was nice and clean until the day I removed it, so my thoughts were that the system was pretty clean. However it may be a thought, will get a price from the mechanic tomorrow.
3. Have been thinking about the thermo's, I have emailed away for the info just now. See how it goes ($$$?) Also I'm a bit of a numbnut when it comes to electric’s, sooo...I'm not sure.
Now that we've talked about this for a while...I think I may get the existing radiator flushed (again) and sink the money saved into the thermo conversion kit, seems to be the most logical path.
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