Ok guys...any info would help..literally. Ive tried everywhere. I called griffin directly...there 7000 units backlogged!! Ive looked at northern and there rads just dont seem to look right. Drain plug is on the wrong side..ect. Be Cool is like mucha mula $$$$, and at this point im bout to say screw it and buy the damn thing but, if you look at this pic, theres like mounting fins on the bottom and top. From my understanding, by putting this in, its going to raise the rad up, and also, how does the stock radiator shroud that the dual fan setup gets attached to go on? The rad isnt flat so it cant sit on the top and i dont think you can bend these fins on the top down cause they look like there welded right on. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

What exactly makes Northern so weird exactly? My radiator doesnt even HAVE a drain plug...

 

i dunno...i was looking at it and it just seems like having the drain plug on the opposite side would make it not sit in the tray properly, and the tranny cooler fittings just dont look right, almost like there is something missing.

 

For that Be-Cool rad, here's some install info.

Automatic Transmission Application, Natural Finish
134-62015
Fits 1982-92 Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Small Block/Big Block
Core Dimensions - Extra Large, 27''wide x 18''high

Overall Dimension - 33''wide x 19''high

Designed for up to 1,000-HP applications.

Uses long top mounting plate. On the lower part of the radiator cradle there is a metal seam that runs vertical on each side of the opening. Take a hard rubber hammer and flatten this seam. If you use the stock electric fan, it must be spaced back 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch towards motor. Use supplied 3/4 inch aluminum spacer between top plate and radiator support. Use 1/2-inch PVC and larger bolts to space bottom of electric fan assembly. Also, grind bottom fan legs 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch to clear radiator support brace. Uses long top mounting plate. Install spacer plate between upper radiator support and top mounting plate. Use (4) 1/4-inch x 1/2-inch bolts and nuts on spacer to bolt to top mount. Use stock bolts from spacer to radiator support. Bend down top of radiator support 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch at engine side to make top mounting plate even over top of radiator. Install Be Cool part #134-72010 for heater hose as needed. Use liquid Teflon on fitting to lubricate and seal pipe nipple. Use new 12-15 psi GM style radiator cap or Be Cool radiator cap (part #134-70001 or #134-70002 for natural finish or part #134-71001 or #134-71002 for fully polished finish) to professionally complete your installation.
Use (2) 1/4-inch male pipe thread x 5/16-inch female inverted flair fitting (Be Cool part #134-72001). Use liquid Teflon on fitting to install. Install 1 each in radiator transmission cooler fitting.

Hope there's an answer in there for your question.

 

From what ive read the northern one and the becool. Still need some cutting of parts and bending this or that. I dont want to go doing that to my car. IM still looking at the new one from summit as a direct fit i need the factory cooler as well i want ot run it inline with the ext. cooler i have now.

How hard can it be to make a direct fit one for these cars? Part number sum-380455 is the one IM looking at its 244.88. But it does say it requires a summit auto trans line adapter kit. Doesnt say how much the kit is.

 

just my own experience with a Be-Cool was that it was an easy install but didn't last for ****. a lot of money for a hunk of metal that developed an "unrepairable" leak and ended up in the scrap bin...

 

well...im glad that i didnt spend that $500 or what dollars on a be cool. I will let you all know how my new rad fits, and ill def post pics cause i know that everyone will more then likely want to see how it looks and sits in the car. I just ordered the summit direct fit. Was under $300 and that includes shippinng and a 16lb cap with it. Guy i was on the phone with seemed like he new what he was talking about, told me also that nothing else was needed with the rad, is a direct fit replacement, includes the tranny cooler, no kit required, and no special fittings or anything needed. So when it comes in ill be sure to let you all know

 

I'm going to get the summit one too (next month when the $ is available).. Let me know how it works out, take some pix if you don't mind...


Ryan

 

yea, ill def post some pics of it....cause i know that alot of people on here are very curious as to the statement "direct fit". I mean, that be cool one is over 500 bucks, and from the info someone gave me in a post on here you got to def do some modifications in order to get it to fit, and i really dont want to start hackin away at my car. Soon as its in ill snap some pics for all you peeps.

 

Sounds good thats the one IM looking at too.

 

I just purchased on of the summit derect bolt in units I have to give them a call becouse IT IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A DERECT BOLT IN! it is about 1/2 inch to long just bearly gose between the fraim rails the lower hose fiting is up agenst the frame (cant put hose on) the tanks are to far apart for the mounting pads on the botom and the top no way will the top braket and fan mount fit. I MEAN NOT EVEN CLOSE the mounts miss by about 3/4 of an inch.
and ity is about 1/2 inch to tall. and it looks like the ac condencer will have to be tilted back about 1/2 inch at the top. BUT IT SURE LOOKS GOOD

 

I guess if it fits between the rails its "direct fit".

Summits pretty good about things so i would give them a call. Let us know how it goes.

 

do you have any pics of what your having trouble with?? Cause id like to know what im going to be up against...

 

no pics at this time. I called summit today. I talked to a guy in customer service. At fist he inecated that I was doing sompthing wrong. But after I talked to him for a wile he started to look at how meny returns thay have had on these radiators and started to read some of the resons for return.
He was suprised to see all of the same problems that I had explaind to him.
He was very nice but did not have any real ansurse for me outher than to return it for refund or exchange for a beecool at more than twice the price!
he seid he was going to turn this over to there tech. department becouse there is definatly a patern of problems. I told him I personaly have the resorces to cut and weld to fix the problems he wonts me to get back to him with my solutions. I think the best fix is going to be to cut the botom 2/3 ds of the driverside tank and nerow it about 1/2-3/4 of on inch. like the shape of the stock radiator. then tilt the top af the a/c condencer back twords the front of the car. a few other mods and I think it will work and look fine
scot

 

which radiator are you using? Can u put up the part number from summit? Cause i called there yesterday to see when mine was coming in, sapost to ship on monday, but i talked with a guy in the tech dept and he said that hes got no reports of any of them not fitting properly or the connections not working out...so any help would be awesome dude....sorry your having so much trouble...hope i dont run into that crap...

 

summit part #sum-380455 chevy camaro/potiac firebird 1982-92 26.250 x 17.250 $244.88 I am going out to the garadge to look at the part # on the box and mesure the radiator just in case my little pee brain is trying to install the wrong unit DA. or some one put the wrong part in the box. I will also see if I can get some pics to show you.
scot

 

ok I confirmed I have the corect radiator I have been installing a 12 bolt in my car I have not spent any time on this radiator yet. I dont think it will be all that big of problem to make it work. IT IS A NORTHERN RADIATOR. I am including a pic of what I see as the main problem that is the left tank is to wide and shifts the hole thing to the pass. side 1/2 inch to mutch. Nothing a big hamer could not fix. I think I will be a little more gental and cut and reweld the tank. I no a lot of poeple ar using these radiators but if there fit is as bad as mine then the must of jumped threw a lot of hoops or have a very ugly install.

 

thanks for the pics, yea....now i see what your talking about....and guess what.....i ordered the same one you have.. ......the only thing that makes me feel a lil better though is the fact that my current one i have in the car right now...doesnt look like your factory one.....so i odnt know if thats a good thing or a bad thing..lol. But when i get it in(should be here on like tues)...ill def let ya know how it goes. Good luck with tryin to modify it...hope it works out for ya!

 

Keep me in the loop on your install as well... I am still thinking about this one... w/the procharger I don't have ANY room for the radiator to move back or towards the cowl or the pulley will hit the hose.... Kinda worried about that one....

later

 

Unless you are making some serious power, a stock aluminum replacement radiator with a good 2800cfm fan will cool that beast down. I belive that the stock 3 row radiator can cool a lot more than any of us are willing to give it credit for. Run water in the summer, that will do the trick!
If you are still stuck on an aftermarket radiator, I'd have to go with either a summit brand one or becool one. I have had the best experience with these on my 79 bird! Summit is just another brand repackaged. Sometimes that brand is more expensive than the summit. Weird! And good too!

 

I have a big small block and I have been using the stock 230,000 mile rad in my car with 0 problems... yes I have cleaned and flushed it but it cools fine.. for a slow 10 sec N/A street car

 

Is there a specific 3 row rad to get or do our cars come w/the 3 row..> I thought they where all 2 row???

 

You guys are whining too much about hammering the lower radiator shroud and cutting little bits off of the plastic upper factory shroud. You don't have to fab any parts, you can use a factory single fan with washers to space it not even about 1/2'' further outward. Jesus, it took me 2 hours to install the northern with a pair of dykes to cut the upper shroud to fit, a hammer and a piece of scrap pipe to get the lower should to accept the what is it, a 1/2'' of extra clearance! Oh wait, you have to drill a 1/2'' hole as well so the drainplug can clear or you can just cap it with some fittings you can buy at home depot and say screw drilling the hole. Loosen you panties and just take the thing out and see what clears and what doesn't and make it work. I wrote a whole article on installing the northern, do you guys need a manual to do an oil change as well with color photos? I did this as an inexperienced 19 (or was it 18?) year old working before I got any technical training or really got into working on my camaro, this isn't rocket science here, quit making it so damn hard.

 

I don't have 1/2 clearance..... that's why I am trying to do this right.... procharger pulley/belt are too wide and you CANNOT move the fans inward more than oh, I don't know, an 1/8" of an inch........ AND, I have dual fans so not exactly the same...
**
Everybody's cars aren't the same, regardless of whom made them and what model they are, nothing is the same, that is why we have this board, to solicit help/input from others in unique situations.....right??

 

If you don't even have an extra 1/8'' of clearance you won't even be able to fit an aftermarket radiator unless you used thinner aftermarket electric fans as your only hope. The core for the northern can fit right at the inside edge of the lower fan shroud, it's the welded beads for the tanks that I had to make room for there. See what how much clearance you'd have knowing where the radiator sits, you can position aftermarket fans to work, hopefully, then make brackets out of scrap sheet aluminum to retain it.

 

My BeCool rad had those "fins also.They are for the rubber isolators that mount on top/bottom of your stock radiator.If my memory serves me right.I had to trim the bottom ones so the rad would not sit too high.This lowered the rad just right, but.I also had the raise the top two.I did this by adding the sections i trimmed from the bottom pieces.Besides that the thing went right in.The pass side is very tight, but no interference problems.The top shroud sit stock height.I think the cooling fan was a little too close (or closer) to the rad than to stock unit, but no biggie there just added a couple spacers(washers).

 

I believe that the aluminum replacement ones are 3row. Even if not they are more than adequate to cool your motor.
Get yourself a good fan instead. You wanna keep that beast cool when its idling and the stock fan aint gonna do it.