Will a 22" radiator work?

Quote:

---

Don't mean to stray off-topic but why do people use a horsepower estimate/value to gauge how much cooling they need?
OK, you have 600hp on tap...How often do you use it? What duration of time are you making 600hp--maybe 11 seconds tops? The rest of the time (assuming a street driven car here) the engine is producing less than 200hp doing some form of 'regular' street driving.
Cubic inches makes a lot more sense, because that relates to the amount of swept-area and piston/head surface exposed to combustion chamber heat. Bigger engines will put more total BTU's into the block/heads.

Thats said, a LOT of RB's are running around just fine on 22" rads, including mine.
A good three core brass, or an aftermarket aluminum, and a shroud, a good fan, water pump and you should be fine.

---

Quote:

---

Don't mean to stray off-topic but why do people use a horsepower estimate/value to gauge how much cooling they need?
OK, you have 600hp on tap...How often do you use it? What duration of time are you making 600hp--maybe 11 seconds tops? The rest of the time (assuming a street driven car here) the engine is producing less than 200hp doing some form of 'regular' street driving.
Cubic inches makes a lot more sense, because that relates to the amount of swept-area and piston/head surface exposed to combustion chamber heat. Bigger engines will put more total BTU's into the block/heads.

Thats said, a LOT of RB's are running around just fine on 22" rads, including mine.
A good three core brass, or an aftermarket aluminum, and a shroud, a good fan, water pump and you should be fine.

---

Quote:

---

Actually, HP is a better criteria, which is why it is used more often than cubic inches. Making HP is more directly linked to heat than engine size. When you make HP, you make heat. If what has been said on this thread is true, there really is no need for 26" radiators - in any application. Factory built radiators were never designed to cool an engine at it's peek HP continuously. They also were never designed to cool a 600HP engine @ idle - where the original engine was only making 50 HP, while the 600HP engie is now making 100HP. The point is, that at any RPM the 600HP engine is going to be making more HP ( HEAT )than what the original radiator was designed to handle. IMO, your 600HP motor wont be making it with a radiator that was designed to handle a 300HP motor.

---

Again, I am not going to be using a radiator that was designed to handle a 300 hp motor. I am going to be using an aluminum radiator. Not stock. Now what does 4" of surface area vs. the dissipation properties of aluminum v. copper vs. the addition of cores do for my cooling results? I dunno. That's why I asked. I'm no genius, I just figured someone had a similar setup and could steer me in the right direction.

I am running a 22" aluminum Griffin radiator in my 500 hp small block Cuda with absolutely no trouble at all right now, so it is not an open/shut case as you suggest. Another 100 cubes/100-150 hp, and sure... things might be different. I am leaning toward thinking it'd be okay... but I am open to ideas.

Quote:

---

Nothing wrong with trying it. It's not like you can't back up if it don't work.

---

Just $/time...

I don't want to do this twice. That seed of doubt is eating at me a little.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Nothing wrong with trying it. It's not like you can't back up if it don't work.

---

Just $/time...

I don't want to do this twice. That seed of doubt is eating at me a little.

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Sorry if I got you in a quandary. That wasn't my intention. I was under the impression you already had the 22" rad in hand. Please don't cut up your core support based on my opinion. Maybe you should call Griffin, Becool or Fourseasons ( Mancini )and get their input. I've been where you are at. First I took my stock 26" 2 core rad and had it recored to a 3 core unit. Slight improvement. The car would run on the stat at cruise ( 50 -60 ). Anywhere else it would start to overheat. Then went to a small ( $180 ) aluminum rad. Another slight improvement, but basically the same story. Finally went with a large ( 600HP rated ) aluminum rad - problem fixed. Stays on the stat at all times. I can make round robin passes at the track and don't have overheat problems. I'm making no where near 600HP.

---

I called Griffin. They said being that it was a non AC car, 22" MIGHT work with 650 hp (by the way they gauge things based on 1st hp, then cubes). Then they asked me where I lived. Turns out, Houston is pretty hot. Go figure. So he said I could roll the dice, but he'd go with a 26" radiator and be done. The price is the same, its just that the bummer is I have to cut the car and spend $125 on the conversion piece.

So that's what I'll do.

Quote:

---

If you go with the 26" radiator you want to cut the opening up to look stock, or just to take full advantage of the added cooling? If the vendor does not think a 22" will suffice, then go with a 26" by all means, with a shroud, but leave the original radiator support opening intact. You will not, of course, be getting the full advantage of a 26" flow by, but the added capacity and supplemental cooling will make a difference. I have a 26" with a shroud in my original 22" opening (383 4-bbl) and it cools fine. If it does not suffice then trim the sheet metal.
Dan

---

That sounds appealing. Do you have a pic of yours so I might see what it looks like? Are the mounting locations different for a 26"?

I'm not even sure where I'd have to cut... I don't have an example (or any pics) of a 26" opening here.

Anyone got some pics that would educate me?

Quote:

---

Talk to the guy's that make the rad. They will know best what there rad can handel. a 22 from one manufacturer may work fine and then again a 26 from a different company may not handel it. I'd talk to the rad company or some speed shop owners who build race cars. They'd know what works keeping a big horse motor cool.

---

Quote:

---

Here is a photo showing the relative placement of the 26" radiator to the radiator support.

---

Edit: I got it figured out. Here's the pic I pulled from PGClassics website. I am just going to do the conversion.

Quote:

---

My stock 22" radiator for my 512 stroker would not keep it cool. Also tryed a 26" stock radiator also would not work. I called U.S. radiator and got one of there 22" 4 cores, does not go over 180 degrees. works great. cost around $600.00 though.but looks almost stock.

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Talk to the guy's that make the rad. They will know best what there rad can handel. a 22 from one manufacturer may work fine and then again a 26 from a different company may not handel it. I'd talk to the rad company or some speed shop owners who build race cars. They'd know what works keeping a big horse motor cool.

---

Did that a little while ago. They told me to go with the 26"

---