So I bought a Superbird about two months back and it was overheating a little so It turned out the radiator had a small leak and when I drained it to inspect it had gunk clogging it up. I sent it out to get a new cooler 4 row core and should be ready for pick up in the next hour or two.

I also researched and found a lot of reccimendations to use the following:
“50/50 mix of water/antifreeze,....again I'll recommend the Zerex G-05 brand antifreeze (just 1 gal. the rest water, should be close to 50/50) with 8-10 oz. of Redline Water Wetter added,(Autozone).”

Would that be the best to use? If so then for the water mix would it be regular water or would it have to be distilled?

Why do you need water wetter when you are using anti freeze? Distilled would be best.

I would have just had the radiator rodded out and not messed with a 4 core, I doubt that would cool any better.

On my dad's bird he has a Griffin alum radiator, water wetter and a pusher fan. At a stop, it hovers around 220* - 230* Get it moving and it will stay around 200*. It does not like the summer or standing still.... This is just how they are. Good luck!

Luis welcome aboard. I would suggest distilled.

Here is how I keep mine cool.This is the after market gauge in my bird,it reads exactly the same as the one in the cluster.That temp was taken about two years ago at roughly 60 mph and 78* outside temp.I have never seen a temp above 195* under "any" conditions.The radiator is the original 956 with a four core,180* stat,fixed seven blade fan and shroud and 6 blade a/c pump and all nose cone seals intact.If everything is as it should be including all nose seals intact,you don't need water wetter or anything else.If you have any doubts,come see me and I'll hand you the keys!

Water wetter helps, no miracles, but worth 3-5 degrees.

I don't believe so when used with antifreeze. When used with just distilled water it does make a difference.

A new glenray radiator usually does the trick.....some of the new rads and cores are so thin and light that they do not seem to work. Can confirm a local here has same setup in a bird, 956 rad, fixed 7 blade fan and it never sees 200, I have driven it runs 180 all day down the highway, also a standard bore motor.

It also has the original style 180 robertshaw fullflow thermostat, some ideal style stat are very restrictive.

I would suggest if you found gunk in the radiator and that gunk included fine rust, pull the starter, knock the frost plugs out, pull water pump housing and flush that block out. These cars sit so much they rust in the water jackets even if antifeeze is green. Just did my own sbird block was full halfway up frostplugs, never ran hot, always had green antifreeze.

Install one of these in the upper hose & clean it out ever so often.
It will save your new radiator.
CLICK HEAR FOR LINK

I think distilled water is expensive, inconvenient and unnecessary. I would flush the cooling system real good (maybe twice) with a product from the parts store. Be sure to rinse good. Run some antifreeze to keep it from rusting. Make sure your nose is sealed up good. I put on a new stock fan clutch and I think I used a fan from a New Yorker or something that looks the same but is 1" larger. You can only do this if your motor mounts are tight to keep the fan from hitting the fan shroud. It won't run hot when you get done.

I am a firm believer in the work that Bob and the folks at Glen Ray Radiators have done for me in the past. Cant go wrong.
Matt

Why don't we ever consider the fuel mixture? If it is lean it will run hot no matter whaT. I had it happen. I bought the correct numbers carb for a 440 R/T. Installed a kit and put it on there. The car ran hot all the time. But it ran nicely, didn't seem lean. Turns out it had the wrong jets inside. I knew this car ran cool before the carb change.

Having built more than a few BBlk and HEMI Daytonas and Superbirds from stock to 600+ HP strokers, I've dealt with all the heat issues, assuming your fuel mixture isn't on the lean side, if your running stock exhaust manifolds, check the heat riser, flush the block/hoses/etc, as far as the radiator I prefer the 5 row micro tube core stuffed into either stock/aftermarket repro 26" tanks, for thermostats, 180 degrees is a good start, make sure your lower hose has a spring in it, I usually run the Zerex G-05 (that's where you probably picked up the recommendation?)50/50 mix, water/distilled/DI/RO, and I find the Red Line (8-10 .oz) water wetter is good for another 10-15 degree decrease in running temp, also make sure all the internal nose seals are in place as well as the foam radiator top/bottom tank seals, factory shroud, and if you still have the factory clutch fan, ditch it in favor for a 5-7 blade fixed factory fan (for all those purist/clutch fan advocates, the factory had a recall in late 69 early 70 for all Birds to have the clutch fan replaced w/HD fixed blade because of overheating issues)make sure the blade sits at least 50-75% inside the shroud...

To test how effective your nose seals are, at idle your airflow/suction should be able to hold a piece of standard 8X11 copy paper against the front lower grille with no assist from you, if it can't, work on the seals/shroud/fan blade until it can...

Mike

Pass David Pearson?

This is the Chrysler bulletin about the fan change.

The correct 7 blade HD fixed blade fan is p/n 2863223 and the 1.06" spacer is 1851959


Jim

Alright thank you everyone. I do have the correct 7 blade fan. the 956 radiator In my car had a 4 row copper core added. I did get the zerex g-05, some distilled water, water wetter. And a 180* stant superstat thermostat. I’ll do it all tomorrow and see how it goes. I know my timing is slightly off also so I’ll have to fix that. But I think it should be good. Temp was getting to 200-210 after about 20 min or more of driving but it was in the 95-110 degree range those two weeks I drove it here in Southern California. Either way I would park and let it cool to not risk anything. I think with all these changes it should be good. At least I sure hope so.