More cooling for my T/A

[VillaTA]

In my every present quest to tinker with and improve the reliability of my car, I was considering adding a new aluminum radiator. I do feel like my car seems hot. I don’t know how hot cause I haven’t installed a water temp gauge. But after 30 mins or so I get a warm firewall. And after some mild driving the other day, I could hear some pressure coming out of my rad overflow hose stub (my overflow hose is not installed currently). This motor has less than 1,000 miles on it since being rebuilt. Unfortunately, I don’t know who did the work or what components were used. I guess I just have some anxiety about doing damage.
I read about the factory shroud not fitting Champion radiators. I’m just looking for an easy upgrade. Any thoughts on brand suggestions is appreciated.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

You need a temp gauge or a infrared thermometer at least to check the temps for real , a warm firewall means nothing ! Do you have proper insulation pads on the firewall under the dash even ?
Next thing to check is if the clutch fan is working correctly , it should be relatively free turning when cold but tight when warm , if it is not tightening up you are not moving enough air ..
How old is the rad , just having professionally cleaned may help or simple recore using the original tanks .
If you decide to do an alum rad it should not mount solid to the body , alum will not stand up to much flexing & will fail over time , a welded rad will hold up a lot better than a epoxied rad but you will pay a lot more . If you look at any modern car the alum rads are mounted in rubber isolators to prevent flexing .
Lastly all new engines run hot as they are tight & seating the parts over a few 1000 miles they will run cooler .

 

[VillaTA]

Thanks @Chryco Psycho

 

[moparleo]

The sounds you hear could be due to a faulty radiator cap as well. It should hold 16 psi and should be tested. Also it is beneficial to install a coolant recovery bottle with the proper radiator cap. This will catch the coolant as it heats and expands and when the car cools down it draws the coolant in the bottle back into the radiator keeping it topped off at all times. This how all modern cooling systems work.
If you want to run a Champion radiator and have questions on shroud fitment, just contact them . They are very helpful people.
As Chryco said, you need to verify that your fan clutch it operating properly and also have the proper fan blade. Factory thermostat is 190°. Also there are different fan clutches depending on final gear ratio . This is because of the higher rpms that the engine will be running at with lower gears. Look in your FSM for more details.

 

[VillaTA]

The sounds you hear could be due to a faulty radiator cap as well. It should hold 16 psi and should be tested. Also it is beneficial to install a coolant recovery bottle with the proper radiator cap. This will catch the coolant as it heats and expands and when the car cools down it draws the coolant in the bottle back into the radiator keeping it topped off at all times. This how all modern cooling systems work.
If you want to run a Champion radiator and have questions on shroud fitment, just contact them . They are very helpful people.
As Chryco said, you need to verify that your fan clutch it operating properly and also have the proper fan blade. Factory thermostat is 190°. Also there are different fan clutches depending on final gear ratio . This is because of the higher rpms that the engine will be running at with lower gears. Look in your FSM for more details.

I take it that an overflow bottle wasn’t stock equipment in 1970? Is there a direct fit item available? Will the 74 bottle kit work?

 

[70chall440]

A overflow bottle is different from a recovery system, Leo is talking about a recovery system (I believe) where is the radiator can push out and recover fluid. This requires a proper bottle and cap. I do not believe any of the E bodies (70-74) had an actual recovery system, do some research about what to use and how to set it up, its not super complicated but you have to use the right components for it to work.

 

[moparleo]

There are many aftermarket recovery systems out there. Even in aluminum. A recovery system requires a 2 way radiator cap to allow coolant to flow into the recovery container and then back into the radiator. Not common until the mid seventies.

 

[VillaTA]

Still thinking about whether to replace. My car’s radiator looks like factory but has no serial numbers or factory marking on the top like others that I’ve seen. Assuming it’s a cheap aftermarket. I saw the year one OEM model. Is this What originally came on my car?

Premium quality reproduction 26 radiator 2998974 for 1970...

 

[floyd]

That Year One radiator is most likely sourced from Glen Ray. That’s a very high quality reproduction. I recommend you reach out to Bob at Glen Ray and buy direct. They attend all the major Mopar shows and you can avoid paying shipping. They are one one of the best vendors in the hobby IMO.

Glen-ray Radiators - All New Licensed Mopar Chrysler Dodge Plymouth Radiators

 

[moparlee]

That Year One radiator is most likely sourced from Glen Ray. That’s a very high quality reproduction. I recommend you reach out to Bob at Glen Ray and buy direct. They attend all the major Mopar shows and you can avoid paying shipping. They are one one of the best vendors in the hobby IMO.

Glen-ray Radiators - All New Licensed Mopar Chrysler Dodge Plymouth Radiators

I agree. I have had two original radiators re-cored by Bob. The quality is second to none. All dents are removed from the tank and the original side rails with the date code are maintained.

 

[MoparCarGuy]

So many things that could be wrong without knowing what exactly you have.
Sounds like you may have a Modine replacement radiator which should not be a problem unless it is blocked or clogged.
A properly set up factory cooling system should have no problem keeping your T/A cool. The 26" radiator was the same radiator used on A/C cars and the largest available in the E-bodies.

Can you post a picture of your current radiator/shroud/fan and the pulleys?

 

[VillaTA]

Pics attached

 

[VillaTA]

More

 

[VillaTA]

Just realized how uncool it looks to have a “made in Korea” fan belt.

 

[MoparCarGuy]

Everything appears to be in order. Your pulleys look correct, you have a fan shroud, and the fan to shroud depth is correct.
You may be chasing a non-existent problem. Old V-8s have hot engine compartments and that heat transfers to the firewall, footwells, and trans tunnel. Like others said, you need to know the actual temperature of the coolant before you troubleshoot the cooling system as "running hot". It may be fine. I wouldn't think the temps in Ohio are anywhere near the temps here in Florida.
If you do find it is running a bit warmer, say 215°F or higher, ensure you are running a 180°F thermostat and check the coolant and coolant level. You are running 50/50 antifreeze/distilled water for good heat transfer and corrosion-control, right? The coolant level should be about 1" below the radiator neck.
Also, try running a product called Water Wetter that decreases the surface tension of the coolant for better heat transfer (conduction). This product is proven to aid efficiency and could get you back in the 180-210°F zone.

Post the coolant temps once you find out what they are.

 

[MoparCarGuy]

Just realized how uncool it looks to have a “made in Korea” fan belt.

A little hand sanitizer (alcohol) on a rag will make that lettering go away.

 

[Challenger RTA]

Everything above I agree with.Help me understand some thing.Your driving with out a working factory temperature gauge or want to install another one? One way to reduce engine temp is to turn on the heat full blast.see if it reduces the temperature. You might concluded that you cooling system is not up to snuff. Did you try a simple flush to see what come out? sometimes timing or running lean. same but different. one can effect the other. can and will make it run hot.

 

[moparlee]

Is that a 5 blade fan that you are running? Should be a 7 blade.

 

[MoparCarGuy]

@Challenger RTA is right. If you really are "running hot", it makes sense to flush the system. It all depends on where you want to start and where to reassess as you go.
There are a lot of items that need to be checked if the problem persists. In order of difficulty, you might begin with:
Easy
1. Correct Radiator Pressure Cap and working properly.
2. Coolant level and proper 50/50 mix. Consider draining & flushing the system now or later.
3. Add Water Wetter if temps are just a bit high (over 210°F but not soaring to 220° or more).
4. Squeeze the lower radiator hose to see if it has a spring installed to prevent collapsing. If not, this can be an issue and means you are moving down this list.
More difficult
5. Drain & flush the coolant system. Don't refill if you are doing more items below.
6. Verify 180°F thermostat is installed and working properly.
Quite difficult and more $
7. Your rebuilt engine should have a new pump installed but, if unknown, remove it and inspect the impeller. Consider replacing the water pump if anything is suspect.
8. Consider removing the existing radiator and either have it checked/flushed or replace it with a new radiator. Highly recommend Glen-Ray as a vendor.

There are few places in this list that you can stop and reassess the temps but an accurate temperature measurement with a gauge or tool is absolutely necessary.
We see all kinds of things on this forum that turn out to be simple fixes but there are those times where it turns out to be a very difficult fix.
Difficult items to fix:
Air pockets in the coolant system that just refuse to go away.
Engine block with water jackets slap full of rust that impede heat transfer and waterflow.

Good luck and let us know how this progresses.

 

[VillaTA]

Is that a 5 blade fan that you are running? Should be a 7 blade.

I looked around. Can’t find any with correct factory markings in stock.