For those of you who don't know Summit Racing has Griffin 31x19 1.25" tubes on clearance currently, until 4/17/10 [marked down $70]. Not a bad radiator at all for $200! http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GRI-1-55272-X

What radiator hoses did you use for these? I haven't checked the lower but the upper doesn't fit. Infact the outlet isn't even the same size as my old copper radiator.

Upper mount was made by hand today... I don't have a sheet metal bender sadly so my hands are killing me now. Back needs to be adjusted a little bit tighter, but it's going to be integrated into my double electric fan shroud. That black thing covering it is a 26" bike tube from Walmart I just wrapped around it to prevent it from dinging and scratching. I haven't decided if I'm going to cut it and adhesive it to the bottom, upper, and 1/2 way up the bottom sides or just leave it like that.

 

ya i notice the other day that it was on sale too, i bought mine for $289 31x19 1.5" tubes not the 1.25" tubes, with tranny cooler built in. im sure everything is the same between the two except for core width and tube size, i used both stock upper and lower hoses, and they fit fine, the upper took a little persuading to get it on, but it does go on and hasn't been an issue for me.

 

K, I guess I'll try to force it on there a little more. Did you run into any issue with the routing of the upper hose? It looks like it's going to be really close to the serpentine belt.

 

i dont remember off hand how close it is to the alternator pulley, but it never even crossed my mind about it being an issue, so it can't be too close, maybe like 3-4 inches. actually the picture you posted... looks like you got a totally different setup, my stat housing comes off just about straight toward the front of the car and then 90's left and then 90's back to the radiator, your hose looks different, so i dont know

 

What fans You running? I got the same Rad.and made top plate out of aluminium like you did. I got a pair of torass fans. Just work tomuch to put it all in.

 

My top plate is made out of steel. I figured it would be better like that since I planned on hanging the fans and shroud off it. I didn't like the idea of having to bend the metal that precise by hand to hang it off the core of the radiator.

My fans are 12" Permacools electric high performance fans. There only rated at 1650 CFM each, but I think that should be plenty. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRM-19010/ that's basically the type of fan there. Mines a little older so must have changed the specs or CFM flow since my 12" fan doesn't flow that much. The 12" fans I couldn't find but basically the same design except they have 4 feet they aren't boxed mounting flange like that. There pretty tight in there I had to offset them on the shroud.

I'm still in the process of finishing the shroud. It's pratically done, except for the fact I need to do the mounting bolts to the upper and lower mounts and make a few additional pieces to close in the gaps left by the short upper mount.

I actually started making the transmission cooler mount out of aluminum angle stock to sit in the groove in front of the radiator and use the 3 OEM screws with nuts to hold it inplace. With any luck I'll be able to make another bracket to mount the 10" fan of the cross bracing in front of the transmission cooler.

Also I did manage to get the OEM upper radiator hose to start after messing with it for 15 minutes. I eventually just took the other end off the thermostat neck cause I wasn't going to take it back apart again to take the radiator out.

....

Also I had to make the fan shroud kicked in to go around the lower hose and the steering box. I'll get up pictures once I'm done.

 

Sounds like a winner to me. I'll take a pic when I get mine done still have to make bracket to hold the bottom of the fans. How much horse you put out

 

Transmission cooler mount is almost done. I just have to run the hardware store and get 3 nuts to fit the bolts that come thru from the air dam.

As for hp estimates. I don't really know yet. The 383 solid roller has less than 100 miles on it. Most of that was just spent getting other stuff tuned/fixed [carb adjustments for better idle, messing with pro-ratchet shifter, driving to morton buildings in the middle of no where to use lifts for 4" exhaust... etc].

When I first decided to build the motor back in college (around 5 years ago) I was hoping to get into the low 11s. Then the build changed and grew more wild (changed mind from 355 to 383 then from Vette heads to AFR 210cc heads.. etc). Then life kinda took over several jobs, moves, marriage, and a house purchase sidetracked me for awhile. I'll feel a little sad if I don't at least get 500 HP at the motor now. I did gap the rings for a nitrous shot. :-D

 

Yeah life gets in the way fun LOL that 4 in pipe is a real mother f ***** but no one else has the same sound I have Hooker super comp 3" y-pipe 4"out the back with hd50 flowmaster sounds great
That set up sounds like a real winner low 11's should be no problem

 

Yeah life gets in the way fun LOL that 4 in pipe is a real mother f ***** but no one else has the same sound I have Hooker super comp 3" y-pipe 4"out the back with hd50 flowmaster sounds great
That set up sounds like a real winner low 11's should be no problem

 

Got my Rad in so far it stays on the first line would post up a pic but still to new I might spam LOL

 

My trans cooler mount is in. I got pics on my cell phone. I couldn't get the speed nuts to work on the original air dam mounting screws. There just wasn't enough room once I got the angle stock in there. I went ahead and drill 3 new mounting holes and used 1/4" bolts with lock washers. Seems to be pretty solid.

I put the radiator back in place. I plan on drilling the fan shroud and mounting it this weekend. Hopefully get that done get it filled up with destilled water to flush the coolant system. Then I'll get it up on ramps to solder fan wiring and figure out how I want to mount the 10" fan on the front of the trans cooler.

 

Am I totally missing what your asking for, but the sizes of the hoses needed are listed on the Overview page/link you posted.

Stock
Inlet = 1-5/16"
Outlet = 1-9/16"

Griffin
Inlet = 1-1/2" (1-1/2" ID Hose)
Outlet = 1-3/4" (1-3/4" ID Hose)

 

Thanks I didn't know the stock sizes and of course when I go to parts stores and ask for a certain size they want to know the vehicle and year. Starting to get totally fed up with parts stores. I just tell them '90 Firebird 350 with a 383 Carb and watch them have a seizure behind the counter when they can't find the option on the computer. Even when I provide the exact part numbers they want to know the vehicle first.

Radiator and fans are in. I end'd up just putting the stock size hoses back on after some prying and cursing. Soldered the connections for the fans, but lights are dimming slightly when I flip them on (probably did that before I just didn't notice). It should work for now but I'll probably do a relay kit and a temp switch eventually.

Radiator and fans work well. Got up to 195* sitting still no fans/wind, flipped fans on, back down to 180* in less than a minute (thermo is a 180 or 160 I can't remember).

Water pump pulley studs are too long with the new setup. I only have 1.5 inches of clearance between studs and fan. I'll be running to get replacement water pump pulley bolts tonight.

Bought a prestone hose connection flush kit (allows to hook up garden hose to heater hose with a valve to backflush whole system). I tried just using the normal fill with destilled water cycle the system until hot, let cool, and drain, but decided I should just flush out all that Dexron Cool crap and go back to some yellow antifreeze (Peak). Pics to come once I'm done. Wifey took the camera over the weekend else they would have been up sooner.

Noticed I fried the starter ground wire on the header...

 

I'm picking up the flush kit from Prestone as well. Although mine will be hooked up to my water pump return line to the rear manifold water crossover since I no longer use the heater core or any of those lines.

That or I may just remove my upper hose and place it in a bucket. Then just keep filling the radiator/overflow tank with water until its all water coming out. Then drain radiator, fill/flush (according to instructions) with Prestone's line of Super cleaner, Super Flush, Anti Rust, Sealer and Treatment products and to finish it off with 50/50 for a super clean and ready cooling system.

Have fun

 

Yeah the kids at autozone are so funny " what do you mean it's not a 5.0l / 305"

 

@I H8 WWD: Yep Prestone kit worked well except the yellow splash tube didn't fit. So I used my great engineering and grabbed an old upper hose off a shelf of the garage and put that inside the radiator cap opening then put a old lower hose on it to get it all the way out past the fender so nothing got on the car and pooled up.

@Blown84Bird: LOL My all time favorite trip to AZ was "Do you have any piston stops?" Answer: "What's a piston stop?" Followed by my friend, who is building a TT stroker Mustang, saying "Ahhh it stops pistons...". We didn't get any service at all after that.

Here's the pictures as promised. Fans are offset to fit in there without rubbing. Used aluminum bar stock in a few places rivet'd to the back to help with the deflection. I also braced all the corners. I'm not to worried about the top and bottom gaps. With the fans on I felt little to no suction off them on the backside, but a ton on the front of the radiator. I used rod connectors and 1/4" threaded rods with jam nuts to recess the fans. There about 1/2" gap off the radiator so they won't bounce and touch it. But if they do by some chance I put some old heater hose that's plastic tied to help prevent crushed fins.





And the new Transmission cooler mount. Going to wait to see what my temp is like, I might work in the 10" fan too. I imagine it'll cool a lot better now without heat soak from the motor though. It's an aluminum 1/4" thick setup that I put together with cushion clamps to hold the cooler. It attaches to the car with 3 bolts through the lower mount that go just behind the air dam. It's pretty darn strong since it's angle stock at the bottom and I linked the sides together with the top bar. I couldn't have made it much better unless I get a welder. :-(

 

Hey looks Good. But do I spy zip-ties