440 Cooling in an A body

Posted By: toyotajeep

440 Cooling in an A body - 06/30/11 02:56 PM

Hello,

I am finishing off the last few details on my car. It runs a bit hot if you keep driving it for long. It takes awhile, but once you get up to 15 miles or so, it is in the 210-215 range. And that was with the temps in the 70's.

The engine is a largely stock 440 and the radiator is a 3-core 26" model out of some Mopar, maybe a truck?? It fits well.

Timing does not make a difference in temp. I have a 7-bladed fan and clutch in it.

Here is my question:

Should I get this one rodded out and reuse it? Do you think it has the capacity to support this engine?

Or get one of the Champion Radiators and just buy it new and be done with it?

What is the approximate cost on either option as far as you know?

Thank you for your help.

Rob

Posted By: R/T1968R/T

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 06/30/11 03:09 PM

I had the same problem with my 440 valiant. Cruising it was fine, however when you were at a stop was the problem. I first had a BB factory radiator in it....couldnt use the clutch type fan because there was no clearance, it ran hot. Next I used an electric fan with the same radiator, still hot. Next I used a small be-cool radiator with the electric fan....better, but still hot....added a pusher fan...still hot. I finally went for the large be-cool radiator with dual fans....works great! only problem is it cost $$$ and i had to up my electrical system because of the two fans and my electric fuel pump.Go to Bigblockdart.com and see what other people are using.

Posted By: 70HemiGTX

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 06/30/11 03:54 PM

I put a Champion in my Dart. Haven't driven it much yet, but just running it to get it set up hasn't been bad. I only have an electric pusher fan on the rad. I often don't even turn it on until it reaches 200* or so. I doesn't really go over that. When I start the fan it doesn't take very long to be back down to 180*. I'd put another Champion in again if I had to replace a rad.

Posted By: radar

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 06/30/11 04:21 PM

Another vote for an inexpensive aluminum radiator. I bought two off eBay with electric fans- ones a northern with a louvered aluminum shroud and dual spal fans and the other is a champion with a single 16" 2500cfm fan. The champ is on a mildly hot 318 and the northern is on a stroker smallblock. They both work better than I need them to.

I am a fan of aluminum radiators but I don't see the reason to pay for a be cool unless it matches your polished roots blower or something.

Posted By: STLDuster

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 06/30/11 05:09 PM

I am running a stock bore 440 with headers in my '74 Duster. I used a 3 core radiator out of a '73 Fury. We had to redo the radiator mounts, it took some work but it ended up fitting great. I re-used the stock fan shroud (with a little bit of trimming to the bottom).

I am running a 19" 7 blade fan with a non-thermal fan clutch. I ended up with about 5/8" to 3/4" clearance between the fan blade and the bottom tank of the radiator.

As it is, with the 160 deg. Thermostat (it was the only one I had on the shelf at the time of assembly) I am very satisfied with it and runs consistently around 180 deg.

This is an old picture, I have since hooked up the vacuum advance and ditched the motorcraft filter.

Hope this helps!

Posted By: toyotajeep

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 01:31 AM

I did some calling today. I can get my own radiator tanks pulled and have it rodded out locally for $90.

Or I can have a 2-core Champion Radiator delivered for $180.

So the question is scrap the stocker for $30 and spend an extra $60 and get a new one, or just fix the stocker.

I am going to have to think about it.

ROB

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 02:37 AM

Quote:

So the question is scrap the stocker for $30 and spend an extra $60 and get a new one,

That'd b my choice in a heartbeat & I'd even go a bit more & get a Champion 3 row

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 01:03 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if you still have the same issue after the rad change , unless that rad you have is blocked or you don't have any air flowing thru it when driving a 3 core 26" should have no problem keeping a stock 440 cool in 70 degree weather.

Have you had the rad flow tested ?

Posted By: STLDuster

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 01:35 PM

Quote:

I wouldn't be surprised if you still have the same issue after the rad change , unless that rad you have is blocked or you don't have any air flowing thru it when driving a 3 core 26" should have no problem keeping a stock 440 cool in 70 degree weather.

Have you had the rad flow tested ?

Posted By: toyotajeep

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 02:00 PM

No I haven't had it flowed. I do believe that it is blocked based on what I can see looking through the neck.

Posted By: 62maxwgn

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 02:07 PM

And has the block ever been cooked ? I've played with a lot of cars and combinations and never had an issue with cooling and stock components as long as they were all operating to specs.I have never seen a need for aluminum radiators (unless you don't have one) or electric fans unless there are space limitations.

Posted By: Exit1965

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 02:18 PM

Do you have a shroud now? I also had creeping temp problems until I added a good shroud, to my Summit aluminum radiator (I used a shroud off a Ford Aerostar, very good fit).

Posted By: Dcuda69

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 03:10 PM

Quote:

(I used a shroud off a Ford Aerostar, very good fit).

Can you elaborate on this? What year Aerostar? Pics? I have a summit rad in mine...works OK just really need some type of shroud.

Posted By: toyotajeep

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 03:11 PM

I don't have a shroud. I'm sure there are some little things I can do, but it does gradually build temp. I haven't driven in in the last three weeks and it is warmer now.

A shroud, a good flush would probably do it.

I am possibly selling the car though, so that is a consideration too.

ROB

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 04:41 PM

Quote:

I don't have a shroud. I'm sure there are some little things I can do, but it does gradually build temp. I haven't driven in in the last three weeks and it is warmer now.

A shroud, a good flush would probably do it.

I am possibly selling the car though, so that is a consideration too.

ROB

If you are selling the car spend as little as possible , get the rad you have rodded out .

Posted By: Exit1965

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/01/11 08:38 PM

Quote:

Quote:

(I used a shroud off a Ford Aerostar, very good fit).

Can you elaborate on this? What year Aerostar? Pics? I have a summit rad in mine...works OK just really need some type of shroud.

Not sure the year, mid-late 80s if I remember right. Its been a few years, so I don't even remember why I selected one from an Aerostar, I think I was looking to get one roughly the right width/height that was easy to remove from the junkyard, and it was both.

Before I put the Aerostar shroud on, I tried a chrome universal half-shroud, but adding a real shroud did the trick. I am also using a Jaguar clutch fan and a big fan off a '66 VIP. (The fan and clutch were there before the Aerostar shroud and I was still running hot).

As you can see it required a bit of trimming, but nothing major.

Posted By: toyotajeep

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/15/11 05:30 AM

I had the radiator cleaned out-rodded out and I found a shroud in my parts stash that fit fine. It works great.....granted it is a little cooler today than the last day I drove it, but it wouldn't go over 170 that was with a 10 mile drive and some "testing".

Tomorrow I will put some miles on it, and it will be warmer than the last time I drove it with it overheating.

It looks good and seems to work good.

I will let you know how things work out, but thus far it looks like success.

Total cost was $90 for the whole deal.

Thank you as always, ROB

Posted By: 383man

Re: 440 Cooling in an A body - 07/15/11 05:38 PM

This is the stock 318 AC rad in my sons 400 Dart. We had it recored and added a row and it cools great. Even in super hot weather it never goes over 200 as it runs in the 170 to 190 area depending on how hot out. Ron