What is the best radiator for a 500 HP street drivin Z28? I have dual electric fans now and am sure that if both the fans are on they move enough air. My car is not on the road, but I am just wondering if the a new stock radiator works OK for my set up. Thanks.

T-56 tranny

 

bump.........c'mon anyone?? I am dropping my motor in within a week or two. Thx in advance.

 

I use a Griffin 31X19 with the two 1 inch rows.

 

Thank you for the reply. And this fits about right? I can cut and weld and stuff, I just want to get a better idea. Also do you drive your car on the street a lot?? Thanks.

 

It does fits pretty good and you just have to trim the hold down a little bit. I don't drive mine on the street a lot.

If you do a search on the Griffin rad there should be lots of posts including pics on it.

 

Also, Be Cool makes a really good radiator that I'm sure would do the job. Or, depending on how crazy youw ant to get, call up C&R.

 

I don't want o spend an arm and a leg so I will just go with Griffin or be cool. I think I will be riding around the 500$ range. Ugh....You guys think that a new stock one will be fine for a while. Like in the spring, before it getts really hot, (not that it every really does around here, MA)

 

Whether or not the stocker would be ok depends a lot on what the rest of the cooling system is composed of, including air draw over the radiator.

I'm inclined to say, yes, it will be ok, though. Just keep a watchful eye on it.

 

yeah, just a good stock set up really. Car is lowered but it will have both dual electric fans on whenever I want. SO that should do the trick

 

depends on what kind of heat the motor makes. I've got 430 under the hood with a stock rad, no problems. The more friction insid the motor from tight bearings and high tensile strength rings the more heat you're going to have to get rid of. More compression, more heat. Solid or mech lifter, more heat. Non-roller rockers, more heat. Mine takes about 40 mins to get to 160 sitting idle with no fans on. Once the thermostat opens it drops to around 120 and takes a while to get back up the 160 agian.

 

wow thats seems really cold. At least when thinkin of a stock thirdgen. They seem to like to run at 200. And so do other cars I have seen or close to it. Isn't 120 kinda low?

 

exactly, you're thinking stock.

 

Another thing is oil coolers. Engine oil picks up heat too, remember.

Also, a good water pump really helps.

 

yeah I plan to have both of those things too

 

Then you should be fine.

 

I have a 500hp 406. It ran way too hot with the 3x.5" row Modine I had in it so I got a 31x19 Griffin like Blackroc's (was about $189 US). It fit in the stock location (on an angle) with the stock hold down. My car runs much cooler with it but with a stock type water pump and stock electric fan it still gets warm (220ish) on the 7 mile trip out to the track. My engine makes a ton of heat though. I am at 150 in a minute or two on the first start of the morning and at 180 after about 2-3 blocks. I am putting a higher flow pump on this winter for sure.

Dialed_In: Your car seems to run very cool. It drops to 120 while driving around with the stock rad??? Do you have a mechanical guage?

 

i know the cold motor is not stock, but that still sounds cold regardless.

OK, I will look into the griffin radiator after I run the stock one for a bit. Thanks guys..



Any pics of these other radiators?

 

My C&R:

 

crap my comp won't load that pic for some reason

 

This thread has some good pics of the Griffin rad installed with flexalite fans.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...iffin+radiator

 

Thanks a ton. I think i will buy that radiator and then eventually get the fans. $ is tight now that I am finishing up the car and I need to buy soooo many little parts. I think the stock set up with both fans should be ok for a while. I would love to go to that set up once the motor is all dialed in.

 

I am not 100% clear as to what kind of radiator it is? Is it a "race" one? I am looking at jegs.com. looks like it is only 200 bucks

 

The jegs part number is 475-125272-x 31X19 with two 1 inch cores.

 

Thanks a lot. i will go with that one

 

I have a 406 that runs 11.20 @ 120 mph. I'd say it make at least 500 hp. I use a new stock radiator from Autozone and it keeps it cool. Also, I just upgraded to a 3.8 Taurus fan. Two speeds. I only have the high wire hooked up and today was nearly 70 degrees so in traffic at stop lights I let the temp go up to 220 and then kicked on the fan. Immediately the needle started to drop at a rapid rate. This fan kicks major butt. You'll need a 40 amp relay and a 40 amp fuse. It pulls some amperage but worth it. At a junkyard it was $35. Previously with the dual fans that I had on there if it got to 220 and I kicked on the fan it would just hold it steady and not allow it to rise. The Taurus fan pulls so much air for so cheap. 4000 cfm is what I have read.

 

I run a 31x19 Howie-same as griffin for all practical purposes and was $179 from Performance Autobody here in town-local dirt track warehouse. To make it fit and look "factory" you will have to modify which consists of cutting out the stock lower radiator support and dropping it approx 3", then heating and beating the front "frame horns" to allow for the extra width to sit down in there. I chose this route to gain more clearance between front of engine and radiator, and the factory look also.

As far as cooling, I used to run 350hp 355 and the stock set-up with a single electric fan. It got hot, upgraded to dual IROC electric fans and it helped keep it around 180*, 220* in summer heat in traffic.

This all new set-up in sig has trouble building heat, if guage gets over 150* I start getting nervious, but 180* during 100* ambient temps and 80% humidty stuck in bumper to bumper traffic was the only time it'd get that hot-and town car cruises wher you move 10' every 5 minutes. Another one of the best things I ever did to the car.

Leave the stock junk to stock motors, your going to make some ponies, so be smart and go overkill ONCE!!! Your wallet and sanity will thank you-cuz you'll never have any problems.

 

I will go that route then. Thanx IHI.

ps-IHI, I just got my 383 last night. I tried intalling it......in short, can you just have the motor sitting in the bay, with no tranny? Mine seems like it really wants to lean back.

 

If your running solid motor mounts-yes, but some sort of support is still recommended even with solid mounts just to keep from stressing the mounts or the k member.

If your using poly/rubber mounts, your going to need and put a floor jack under the oil pan to help keep the motor proped up, otherwise it'll do like you said and really tweak things.

 

Fewww. Ok I did that, and I double checked it before I headed out for work today. I have all the parts I need to put in the new spohn TQ arm and cross member. I also have a flywheel and a spec stage 3 clutch with pressure plate. The hydros are not hooked up for the T-56 yet.


Do you recomend that I put the flywheel on first then get the clutch in there and stuff so that I can put the tranny in and the TQ arm, so that the engine doesn't have to be resting on the jack? Is it allright to toss in all those other parts without the tranny's hydros in place yet. I feel like it would be ok.

Man I am nervouse, so many expensive things I don't wanna mess up.

 

It would be alot easier installing the flywheel,cluth,pressure plate,etc...while there is ample room on back of motor.

Dont worry about hydr lines until your ready to plumb unless some will be very hard to get at once everything is in place.

 

Nice. I think i will go that route this afternnon then. Get all that stuff on there. And hopefuly get the tranny in there, But so I don't have to use that jack on the oil pan. Thanks for your help.


ps-Have u ever installed a spec stage (any #)? The stage 3 looks sorta differnt than the old 91 centerforce set up, due to the T-56. If you have (or anyone else) I have a couple little Qs. Thanks again. Allway appreciate the help

 

Regardless you'll still end up using a floor jack/bottle jack on the oil pan for any trans installation, otherwise your making things 200x's harder on yourself since getting at certain bolts will be nearly impossible-it's done all the time, just cut a board that will span the pan and dist. the weight. Definately a non issue as far as damage is concerned.

 

Ok, will do. My pan has a big kickout, so it makes that part easy. Stuff is getting annoying IHI, maybe you can help me out. I have the car sitting on the ground now with the motor intalled on the mounts and the only jack I have holding up its *** so it doesn't sag. I want to jack the car up so I can get the tranny in and other stuff. Do I just really need to 2 jacks? And jack the motor and car up at the same time? Also last night I installed the flywheel and I was going to install my SPEC stage 3 clutch but the ARP pressure plate bolts were WAY too short. Any idea where I can get the right lenght ones? Have you ever run anything from SPEC? There is a bushing that slides into the crank and I am not 100% sure which side goes in first, pretty sure the non-tappered side goes in first. Thanks for anyhelp you can give.

 

We've often used a peice of 2x4 laid across fenders with a chain or ratchet strap attached to the rear of the motor and over the 2x4 for support to free up a jack-before we got another one. I would figure out a way to proper th motor by hanging it like I described-so long as it's safe.

Never torn into the newer clutch stuff, used to play with the older mechanical linkage years ago, but even then not alot of that either-maybe 4-5 manual trannies in my experiences, so somebody else will be better to answer. Best bet-go to tranny section of the forum and ask your ?'s