Guys, forgive me if this has been asked a bunch of times before, let's give it one more shot.

IMO the stock radiator in my IROC is barely sufficient to cool the engine, and on really hot days (95 degrees and up), it just doesn't cut it. IMO there is insufficient excess cooling capacity in the system to handle the real hot days of summer.

Does anyone make a replacement radiator that installs without needing any modifications to the car, that has extra cooling capacity? I don't want to have to mod any brackets or the fan attachments.

Thanks!

 

If it cooled from the factory ok, why not now?

Dual fans, single fans, clutch fan?
Radiator Type?
Thermostat?

BTW, about the only "Quick change" radiator is the aluminium replacements from the parts store.

 

The colling system is basically stock except for one of those Robertshaw hi-flo 180* tstats. It's an IROC, so it has dual electric fans, stock radiator with the plastic end tanks. It cools ok when the weather is reasonable, but has always struggled to stay cool when it's hottern'hell outside. If the outside air is triple digits, it runs a bit hot. Mind you, it's not boiling or the needle is not going into the red zone, but it is staying close to 220. I'd like to be able to keep it under 200 on a 100* day.

Maybe a 2-row core replacement?

 

cheapest would be a replacement 3 core metal radiator from modine or other aftermarket. You will probably have to look it up for an older model. I have one in my camaro with a 406 and have no overheating problems. There are other alternatives like griffin, but are exspensive

 

cheapest would be a replacement 3 core metal radiator from modine or other aftermarket. You will probably have to look it up for an older model. I have one in my camaro with a 406 and have no overheating problems. There are other alternatives like griffin, but are exspensive

 

I have a Northern (like the Griffin) 31x19x2core with the Duals, 195 stat and i hit 220 all the time... Im putting in a new stat to test if it goes lower. Id say if it its 220 in traffic (stop and go) that its fine.

 

Yeah, 220 in traffic/stopped is expected because you have no airflow through the rad, and the fans don't kick on until it's up to 230 or so.

But what I have is the thing running that hot on the freeway, and the air dam is intact. It will eventually cool down from that a bit if I can hold 60 mph, but it takes forever on these 105* days.

If the outside air is no higher than 85 or so, the car always runs well under 200 on the freeway.

All I need is a bit more heat exchange capacity to handle the triple digit summer days. I'll look into a Modine 3-core.

Thanks guys.

 

Kragen sells a 3-core stock replacement for $176. I'm going to order mine today, takes them 2 days to get.

Everyone else only has single core replacements and the cheapest was CarQuest for $138.

 

i have a be cool radiator and i can tell it was definately worth it a little pricey but fit right in without any mods. it is a little tighter now against the engine, but it is always coool. i think it was 550 for it. but look around find what is best for u.

 

umm......maybe it has something to do with the computers or something, but why not just install a fan switch so you can turn the electric fans on whenever you want?

 

I don't think the fans would do much for you when you're driving down the highway at 60 mph. You have plenty of ram air at that speed. What is needed is simply more heat exchange capacity at *all* speeds.

I've seen those BeCool rads in magazines, they look great but are pricey as hell. They cost more than twice what I can get a 3-row Modine for. Do they cool twice as well as a Modine? Will they last twice as long? I suspect not. They may be good rads, but the bang for the buck ratio is not very favorable. Kind of reminds me of Groove Tubes, they cost twice as much for basically the same thing.

92, let me know how well the Kragen unit fits, and if it works much better than the stocker.

 

K, no prob. I ordered it today for $179. I should have it friday for a saturday install and it's about 105 daily out here so I'll be able to tell you accurately since I was just driving it Tuesday with the stocker...

I can't remember the company that makes it but trust me, if it were a typical kragen part I NEVER would have ordered it, lol. Their shiz generally sucks a$$...

 

I understand that he was saying he was running hot while at freeway speeds, in which case the fan wouldnt help, but if they dont kick in until 230, wouldn't it make a difference if you had the fans maybe running from like 120* or so?
I usually turn my electric fan on once my temp gauge starts to move.....with a 160* thermostat, a new stock replacement radiator, and a lower radiator hose with a NASTY bend in it (Surprised water flows good through it, one of those universal hoses thats a little too big, haha), i NEVER go above 180*, even on the hottest day in traffic. Thats on a carbeurated 355 though, I dunno if the tpi/tbi cars are much different....

 

Yes, I'm sure it would help if the fans kicked on at a lower temp when stuck in traffic. I have one of those Jet fan switches, but have been a lazy *** and havcen't installed it yet. It will turn on the pass side fan at 200, which should help immensley when in traffic.

Regardless, it won't do diddly when im driving on the freeway, going uphill, and it's friggin 105 outside. The interior of Cali gets bloody hot in the summer, if it weren't irrigated, it would be a desert. The fan switch certainly is part of the solution, but a higher capacity rad is the remainder of the solution. My engine has the stock factory oil cooler, which seems to me to be virtually useless. Thank *** for Mobil1 T&SUV.

 

The Kragen radiator is the shiz for the price!!!!!!!! It fit perfectly, came with all the correct fittings, and was even painted matte black to look like it's stock! I would 110% recommend this radiator to anyone simply wanting the best stock replacement available.

Here is the breakdown:

3-row core
TransPro Ready-Rad Plus
Ordered through Kragen for $176.99
Kragen P/N: PA 6549547, TransPro P/N 438918

It came extremely well packed with the liquid-solid foam molded packing in a cardboard box. It had ZERO damage. I simply had to install 1 of the supplied fittings for the heater hose and in it went.

Enjoy!

Alex

 

Great to hear that it went in well. Now the more important question is how does it cool? Any better than the stocker?

 

 

Well I have about 100HP over stock and I run a 180 degree thermostat, I also tune my own chips. Honestly you couldn't say if it cools betters because that's not how it works, either it keeps your engine at the desired temp or it doesn't. My stock one did and so does this one.

I can speculate a little. Before I know my secondary fan worked, now it doesn't, I'll have to see if there is a relay. With just the primary it stays exactly where I want it, just as the stock one did. The catch on this theory, the secondary was still using the stock sensor in the passenger head which tell it to kick on at 220 but my engine never gets about 189 according to my laptop. It does go on when the A/C is turned on also though.

So for a real answer to your question, you would have to find someone who is making allot more power than stock whos current colling system is in perfect order but their stock radiator runs warm because of the extra HP and heat, then they switched to this one and if it brings the operating temp back down to stock then you know it cools better...

 

I posted a topic about this a while back with no responses. Glad to see there are some people on here that are trying things.
My 88 Iroc with stock L98 runs cool unless I sit still with the air conditioning on and it is 90 plus degrees outside, the temp will climb past the 220 mark at which point I turn off the A/C and the fans will eventually bring the temp back down but it takes a while. If the car is moving down the road it cools fine with the A/C on or off, just when sitting still the temp climbs with the A/C on. Both fans work fine and I have a 170 thermostat and the Jet fan switch to turn on the secondary fan on at 200 and off at 185. This did not help my problem. What I want is to be able to sit in traffic with the air on and not have to worry about the temp even coming close to 220, but I can't do that. Once moving it is fine though. This led me to beleive the stock fans don't pull enough air sitting still or the stock radiator is simply not big enough to suit me. I suspect these temps are normal for a car like this but for me I like to see them a little cooler, just personal preference. I was seriously looking into the aluminum drop in unit for $500 as I don't want to mod anything on my car either as mentioned above. I would rather fork out the dough than to cut on my car. Now I see there is talk of a 3 core stock replacement radiator from Modine? This has me interested. I assume the stock radiator is a 2 core? I never really bothered to check. I would like to see some real world comparisons between the stocker and the Modine 3 core unit. Glad to finally see some people on here that are striving for the same thing I am Larry.

 

Not to be a pest but ..... could you maybe toss up a pic or two of that Kragen rad ? I need a better rad ...but don't wanna pay the huge price of the other guys like Be Cool , etc.

 

Sorry but I don't have a digital camera with me. It looks just like the stock one but painted matte black...

 

Its copper/brass 3 core right? Me thinks there was something else wrong with you system.