question about NAPA radiators for a 71

[Brett 21441]

Hello everyone,

I am wondering what the differences are in the replacement radiators from NAPA for my 71 Fleetwood are…. I would like the best I can get, and dont mind a modification or two if it is minor.

Napa has

Power Flow Radiator w/ standard cooling and A/C

Modine Radiator w/heavy duty cooling and heavy duty trans cooler

Modine Radiator with heavy duty cooling but  w/o heavy duty trans cooler

Modine w/o heavy duty cooling but with heavy duty trans cooler

Not sure if this URL will work but here is a try..

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NAPAonline/search_results_cat.d2w/report?ENG=167C7

Thanks everyone!

Brett

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Brett,

Personally, whenever I have to replace a radiator, I always go for the best radiator available, that is the biggest, most heavy duty one that will fit.   If one isnt available, I will have one custom made.

Go for the Modine Radiator w/heavy duty cooling and heavy duty trans cooler.  

You can never have too much cooling, for water or Trans Fluid.

The cooler you can keep the transmission fluid, the longer the transmission will last, and the actual water temperature in the engine is controlled by the thermostat.

The reason that there are different types is that if the factory can get away with supplying a smaller radiator to do the job of normal driving, then they will go with the cheapest one.   If someone then wants a Towing Package, then the buyer pays for the extra cost of the bigger one, and so on.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Michael Stamps 19507]

I would also suggest finding a good local radiator shop staffed by old timers and have them rebuild your core.  They have seen it and done it and most of the time can do it cheaper.

Stampie

[Brett 21441]

regardless of price, which would be the best in terms of cooling and durability? How do they rebuild a core?

Thanks,

Brett

[Michael Stamps 19507]

As far as a new one Id go with what Bruce said.  I dont know how they do it as Ive never watched.

Stampie

[Porter 21919]

Get the heaviest duty capacity radiator you can buy. I overheated my six year old 1990 SBC Chevy towing a boat, installed the heavy duty Modine radiator after that, it has always run much cooler on the temp gauge ever since. I flush it out numerous times every two years and it has held up very well after nine years, 155K mileage.

Always listen to the Tassie man, he is a crackerjack mechanic / modifier / race car builder / RHD convertor. Watch out for Stampie though, the jury is not out yet on him.

LOL,

Porter

[Mike #19861]

 I agree with Bruce. Go for the best available. More cooling is always best.

 I have used Modine rads in the past and they are always good quality and prices are competitive with the rad shops.

 When a rad shop recores the rad, essentially they replace the core in the centre and attach your old tanks to them. But you still have the old tanks and trans cooler.

  Mike

[Brett 21441]

For another $75 I can get a water pump and T stat from MTS:

http://users.elknet.net/mts/page9.html

I already have new hoses... this would make the cooling system all new except the dreaded heater core!

Do you think this is a good idea? Is this water pump and tstat a good one? (listening Stampie?)

Brett

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Brett,

The only way the radiator places rebuild radiators is to replace the core, and utilise the original top and bottom tanks, or left and right tanks if it is a Cross-flow variety, if they are any good.

The tanks virtually never give a problem, and if you only want your radiator cleaned out, then they remove the tanks and clean out the water passages through the core by both chemically cleaning it, and rodding it.   By that, I mean, they simply insert a special rod that dislodges any gunk that will limit or block the flow of water, and physically push it out of the tubes.

The trouble with most radiators is that the actual transfer tubes become brittle after many years of road vibrations, and being bombed by bugs and road grit, that they might still hold pressure, but not for long.   And, further, the cooling fins between the transfer tumes are even thinner, and although no water passes through them, they become blocked so no air can get through to cool the whole shebang.

In my many years of build Hot Rods, performing engine transplants, and conversions, etc, I have become a great friend of the local Radiator Shop, and they know just how fussy I am, and that when I come into the place, they have to do another unusual job for me.

The main thing with increasing the cooling capacity is to get the largest core that will fit the tanks, and if necessary, increase the size of the tanks.

Once I took the radiator support of a 37 Chev Coupe that I was building and said, Here is the place where it has to go, there are the mounting brackets and there is where the filler, inlet and outlet pipe (and size of each), has to go, and I want to cool a street driven 600hp 427 BBC and run thermo fans.   Well, we sat down and devised a plan and ended up with a beautifuly fitted 3 core radiator that held 15lbs pressure, and never once looked like overheating, even when towing a caravan in 104 degrees F crawling traffic.   The original radiator actually worked well, but it wasnt a pressure variety.

As far as the Heater core goes, it would be more protected from road grime than the radiator, but I would still be getting it checked.   Especially the water control valve.

Hope this helps,

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Michael Stamps 19507]

For a stock engine I wouldnt go that far.  There is an off the shelf NAPA waterpump that has the disk for somewhere around $30.  I dont have the information on it handy right now and Im leaving for the weekend in the morning but remind me and Ill look it up for you when I get back.

Stampie

PS - If you are running a stock engine I think you are thinking too much into this.  If you really need a new rad because yours is bad then get the heavy duty one but dont go spending money to fix a problem that doesnt exist.