# Suggestions for an Aluminum Radiator



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

Gotta switch out the OEM for an aluminum due to the heat here. Anyone have any suggestions beside Be Cool? Rather not spend 600+ for one. Summit doesn't make one so I'm back to looking again.


----------



## FNG69 (Nov 15, 2009)

mark7radiators.com .. A couple of members have gotten one of these & been real happy!! Have one on my list when I get to it. They are out of Bay City, Michigan.. Les


----------



## mikes06goat (Jan 13, 2009)

What year and engine is your GTO? Auto?


----------



## mikes06goat (Jan 13, 2009)

These are the people that make summits radiators. Check out their website. If you find your application call summit back and tell them to look harder. Even give them the part number. I bought one from this company for my firebird then my brother bought one from summit and they turned out to be the same exact radiator. Even had northern stamped right on the side.

Northern Factory Sales, Inc...Your Source For Radiators!


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I'm thinking about talking to the fellas at Mark 7....my biggest fear in life is overheating in traffic with the A/C on!....and spidersarty:


----------



## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

I run an Affco with 2 1" cores and stamped (not fabricated) tanks. Cost me like $200 from my local radiator shop. The also have a really trick dual fan setup with an aluminum shroud for around $250 if I recall. Mine does'nt have hookups for an automatic trans and I don't know if they are available that way.


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

Factory 389, non tripower, for now, M/T


----------



## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

That is a nice looking car, does it have air conditioning? That should be a consideration too. The Affco does have a stock look to it too, if that matters, so you could paint it black and it would look pretty stock.


----------



## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

xconcepts, it's 107 degrees here today, and it gets hotter. I'm running stock, original issue Harrison 4 rows in both my GTO's, and they don't overheat. Both were re-cored 12 years ago or so. I'm not even running a shroud on the '65. Do you have other issues? BTW, I define overheating as blowing out coolant and steam, and temps 240 or above. If it's puking coolant, there is a problem. If it's running 210-215 and not puking, it's fine.


----------



## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Eric, there's a great line in an old Woody Allen movie: Diane Keaton goes into the batrhroom, screams, and tells Woody "There's a spider in here!" Woody, straight faced, strides past Diane, and as he enters the bathroom, says: "Relax. I've been killing spiders since I was 35." Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny......


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

Well she was running 195/200 in Texas right before I got her back from my dad. Trailer'd her to AZ last week and started her up. The TStat froze and she went up to 230, started puking, I had to replace with a 180 nonlock one. After replacing she creeps up to 225 after about 15 miles and while I was waiting to open the garage she went up to 235. So nothing has changed and there is no leaking from anywhere. So I am figuring it is just the 15 or so degree change in temp here. 

Would any of these radiators work? Ones 1 inch top and side smaller (Griffin)and ones .375"longer and 1.25"higher(Summit


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

geeteeohguy said:


> Eric, there's a great line in an old Woody Allen movie: Diane Keaton goes into the batrhroom, screams, and tells Woody "There's a spider in here!" Woody, straight faced, strides past Diane, and as he enters the bathroom, says: "Relax. I've been killing spiders since I was 35." Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny......


A spray can of starting fluid and a BIC lighter...my weapon of choice:rofl:


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

SERIOUSLY : I have always been told that agood shroud, and tight pump impeller/divider plate clearance is VERY important. I had a 455 once that used to run 210-220...never blew it's cap. This was years ago, before you could readily get custom radiators, etc. I am going to try Mart 7 radiators and a Lincoln markVIII electric fan. Good luck, Eric:cheers


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

I'm going to go with a universal radiator and a 92/93 taures electric fan. Fans a beast, can run at 4500cfm's no problem on high or ~2400 normal. Called Mark7 and they wanted 650...more than I have to spend right now to get her back on the road safely.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I heard the taurus fans were real good also. Supposedly the mark VIII ones are a closer fit. They both draw a lot when starting...you will need a good relay! There is a whole thread on PY forum in the cooling section that discusses this. I saw Mark 7's web site, real nice looking stuff, I figured they would be pricey. good luck. Eric :willy:


----------



## Chris Holabaugh (Jan 18, 2009)

I put in a Rodney Red in my 65 with a 462 and it works great. I painted it black so it looks stock. Be Cool will not fit unless you do some cutting. Just remember to get the proper bottom brackets for it fit in. I also added a shroud with a stock declutching fan and it all fits.


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

I was able to get a taurus/continental fan assembly for 37 from a junk yard. Found a Griffen aluminum thats an overall 19x26. I measured the current one and its an overall 21x27, with the core 17.5x25. So I need to do a little fabrication, but its a larger radiator than the current one and the taurus fan will fit.


----------



## AMT1379 (May 11, 2010)

> xconcepts, it's 107 degrees here today, and it gets hotter. I'm running stock, original issue Harrison 4 rows in both my GTO's, and they don't overheat. Both were re-cored 12 years ago or so.


What does re-coring cost vs the cost of a new radiator?


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Not sure, but the original Harrison tanks are "gold"..........Mark 7 = radiator porn IMHO.:cool


----------



## GreenMachine (Jul 1, 2010)

I have the BeCool Alum Radiator and Elec fan kit that was about $1,100 4-5 years ago listed for 67 GTOs. I bought it as a last ditch frustrated effort to end overheating...best thing I ever did. That fan is annoying as hell sometimes b/c it's so loud, people literally think I have a blower. haha but man does it save my ass in So Cal heat. I forgot the name of the fan but I asked my buddy at his shop to swap it out and put in something less noisy and he refused. That electric fan that comes in the kit is supposedly one that they use on big HP cars and the fastest rpm fan on the market (at that time). So Cons: noisy, Pros: everything else. I just posted about it on the sticky overheating thread if you want more info about how it performs.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Great to know! see if it is a Lincoln Mark VIII fan....4000 cfm flow !:cheers


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

buddy of mine has a 72 Nova with the Taurus fan, not noisy at all and you cant beat $37.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

VERY similar unit. Vintage air sells a 4000cfm fan also.......


----------



## hookemdevils22 (Mar 27, 2010)

i went mark7 with ford contour elec fan and hayden controller (the advanced one that keeps it running for 30 sec after shut-down and does the pulse-width modulation to start the fans at 60%). works like a charm - about 195 max in 110° phx heat. it does heat up on the highway, and i haven't tried it with a/c yet, but i'm happy so far. btw, i had to modify the stock non-a/c radiator brackets (minimal mod needed). i didn't buy the 4-core radiator brackets that places like APE sell.

btw - the contour fan fits the gto radiator perfectly, and flows something like 3400 cfm. don't take my word for it, see for yourself:




























You can see here where I cut about 1/4" back from the bottom of the shroud.


----------



## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

thats a very tidy looking setup. how much would you say you have in the whole thing, controller and all.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Hook, Sweet looking set up! How much does it heat up on the highway? what about A/C? do you have it wired to stay on when the A/C compressor is on? Eric PS Your shroud MIGHT be too restrictive at high speeds as the cooling air can only exit thru the 2 fan ducts......:cheers


----------



## hookemdevils22 (Mar 27, 2010)

the mark7 radiator was pretty expensive (~$750), but being in AZ (115° in the summer), I figured it was necessary. i see APE and others sell HD copper radiators for much cheaper, and I may have gone that route had I known beforehand. It took some mild bending of the rad mounts and cutting of their rubber isolators, but nothing major. I've got a 25-mile highway drive home from work, and it does slowly heat up to about 220° by about the 20-mile mark, at which point i usually pull off and take surface streets (for roughly the last 5 miles). it stays dead nuts at 195° (fan turn-on point) on the street, maybe climbs a touch over 200° every once in a while. I agree that the shroud is probably restrictive on the highway, but it's nothing a little overdrive can't fix!  not 100% sure the highway rpm since I had trouble with my Speedhut tach (they're fixing it under warranty), but it sounds like it's turning pretty good at speed.

The controller is a Flex-a-Lite variable-speed, PN 31165 ($100 through Summit). I thought about a DC controller, but with the lead time, and knowing I needed to get the thing on the road fairly quickly, I went the FAL route. Like I said, it modulates the fans to kick on at 60%, and ramps them up as necessary. This prevents the voltage spike that these Ford fans are known for. The only downside is the temp probe - I wanted a screw-in type like for the temp gauge, but I settled for this. The DCC one is ultra-thin, as I understand it, so it works better. I may buy a similar control for my '71 LSx Nova (right now i have the taurus fan, which fits perfectly, controlled by the OEM computer through a 150a bosch relay). I found the fans at a junkyard for $50, and disassembled and cleaned them in our bathtub (g/f wasn't around, haha). The brackets were leftover from a trans cooler kit I had installed years ago.

To sum it up, I've got about $150 in the fan and controller. About an hour of trimming (if that), and you've got yourself a nice setup for MUCH cheaper than any aftermarket setup. And wiring was a breeze, too.


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

Put in my Griffin aluminum universal, there was NO modification needed. It dropped right in and used the same fittings the original used. Got the taurus fan in and it looks good. Wiring will need a little work as they are not wrapped yet, but I sit idle at 210 and cruse at 190-195!!! Sitting idle for more than 5 mins I was up near 230 before the swap. 

All in all, for 191 shipped for the radiator, 37 for the fan and about 50 in parts got her below 210. I'll have pics tomorrow.


----------



## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I must be really lucky, or just ignorant. I have idiot lights and don't know what temp I'm running, but have never had an over heating issue at all, even idling in heavy traffic. Stock fan and shroud with an A/C radiator.


----------



## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

I was nearing 225 today on the way home but I know it has to do with the heat here(105 but feels hotter). In the morning when it is cooler I stay below 210.


----------



## hookemdevils22 (Mar 27, 2010)

wow $191 shipped. that's phenomenal.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I think that the reason things heat up on the highway is partially because: The radiator wants to flow more air than the electric fan shrouds will allow. I am gonna try putting 2-3 "doors" in the closed off areas of the shroud. I will make them hinged at the top, and only able to open in(toward) the engine. They will, by nature of air pressure, stay shut at low speeds, and "blow open" if forward ram air velocity exceeds what the fans will flow......... Rukee, Yes, you are fortunate, but you are using what the boys at GM proscribed, plus a little more (no A/C), don't mess with it !!!!:cheers Eric
MY BRAIN HURTS !


----------

