Trying to find out which brand of aluminum radiator, other than Harrison, best cools a SBC C-2. I've used an older Harrison in my non-AC '64 300hp 4sp Conv but it still ran too hot (~200 plus) for my comfort level. I welcome comments from anyone desiring to share their experiences with a Be Cool, Griffin, or any other brand of aluminum radiator they have used. By the way, my clutch fan has been rebuilt, fan is original equipment, water pump works fine, heater coil is free from any blockage, and the hoses are new. Thanks in advance.
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Re: C-2 Radiator
For my money this is the best you can do. I run a DeWitt dierct replacement aluminum in my 66 air/coupe. Runs 180* ALL the time.http://www.dewitts.com -
Re: C-2 Radiator
I too have replaced the radiator in my 63 with the direct replacement aluminum radiator from DeWitt. It now runs about 180 degrees all day long.Comment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
This discussion has occurred seemingly countless times among Corvette owners on this and other sites, and the best solution is the DeWitts aluminum reproduction.
If you special order it with the correct date code it will likely pass NCRS judging without points deduction, but this costs a little extra and takes more time for delivery. It also bolts right in without any integration issues because it's identical to OE, and no other replacement radiator will provide as much heat transfer capacity.
Over the years radiator tubes clog up with deposits due to the high silicate content and other inorganic salts in traditional "green" antifreeze that precipitate out onto the tube walls. This slowly reduces the heat transfer efficiency, so the car eventually starts running hot and finally starts overheating. A traditional brass radiator can be disassembled by removing the side tanks to "rod out" the tubes, but the construction of the aluminum radiator is not reparable in the field. This is a price you pay for the high performance heat transfer that this design provides. A similar sized brass radiator has considerably less heat transfer capacity and "bolt-in" brass clones often result in hot running or overheating.
It's actually quite amazing how many Corvettes still have their original Harrison aluminum radiators, but many of them are probably living on borrowed time.
If you use a modern hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) anti-freeze like Zerex G-05, which has a very low dose of silicate and follow an appropriate change schedule the new DeWitts will likely last longer than the original.
Inoperable or inappropriate vacuum advance cans are a common cause of idle and low speed hot running/overheating, so make sure yours is functioning properly and of correct specification before you order a new radiator.
Corvette cooling systems were very well engineered, and, when new, overheating was rare on SBs. The best way to correct a hot running or overheating issue is to restore cooling system capacity to original performance with OE or OE equivalent components.
DukeComment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
Another plug for the DeWitt's correct replacement radiator.... My fan clutch is toast, and the car still never gets above 200* idling in the garage for almost an hour (outside temp 90*). Verified with an IR gun.
BTW, New fan clutch finally shipped from GMDP yesterday.Comment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
I have a Be Cool Harrison on a 0.060 rebore 66 BB. It never goes over 200* in 100 degree Ca. traffic. (I sweat in traffic but not motor) DonComment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
The BB radiator supports are designed for larger frontal area radiators, and all (except L-78/88/ZL-1) had OE brass radiators, so a replacement radiator or core with similar thickness and tube and fin spacing should provide adequate cooling for a BB.
The L-78/88/ZL-1 aluminum radiator has the same basic construction as the SB aluminum radiator, but a little more frontal area, though not as much as the brass BB radiators.
In the case of SBs, many "bolt-in" brass radiators that have the same frontal area as the OE aluminum radiator may not provide adequate cooling in worst case conditions, and I'm sure this would also apply to L-78/88/ZL-1.
DukeComment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
If you have removed your radiator and it is clean inside - the problem is not your radiator but your water pump. Most rebuilder use a stamped impeller that is has a lot of clearance between it and housing. The cast impellers deteriate over time and can cause the problem.
But wait - before you spend a lot of money on this problem - get a good refrigeration thermometer and tape it to intake manifold out let below thermostat, next check the temperature in the coolant recovery tank. If they read hot then it is a water pump or radiator problem. Most often it is a bad temperature sensor. Start with the least expensive and work you way up. But make a lot of measurements before you shot gun the problem.
Larry LinderComment
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Re: C-2 Radiator
Note that the coolant in the expansion tank comes from the "cold" side of the radiator, having already passed through it, and that reading is only useful in terms of comparing vs. the coolant temperature at the upper radiator hose, to determine the temperature drop across the radiator.Comment
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