cut the 26" rad support for an even wider rad?

[Mike DC]

                            
The stock (larger size) rad support hole is 26" wide.  But the 2nd-gen front framerails are spaced around 30 inches apart.  

Radiator 101 teaches that increasing the front surface area is way more effective than adding more rows behind it.  So why not cut the hole even larger than stock and cram in an even wider rad?  


The jump between the two factory sizes is a 118% increase.  Moving up to 30" would be another 115% jump.  That seems like it should be significant.  (Although the grille areas in the bodywork still haven't grown.)    


Any thoughts?  

[A383Wing]

I got no problems with 26" two row aluminum rads in my cars....

I don't think the frontal grill area wold need to be bigger...

What Mopar rad is bigger? I'm thinking if all this has to be done, other issues would need to be fixed first

[justcruisin]

I don't think anyone would argue that a radiator with more surface area will cool better but I think you would be in the minority if you want to cut the radiator panel. I have just ordered an aluminium radiator for my car. It has the 22" rad and I ordered another 22" bolt in deal. The one in it is modified with a 2 row core with tubes on 3/8 spacings and cools OK but on a hot day stuck traffic it creeps up, It has never been past 195 but I'm sure left sitting it would keep going. I want a radiator that will maintain thermostat opening temp, wishful thinking maybe! Engine is 440 to 500hp.

[A383Wing]

my 2 core rad has a pair of 1" water tubes in it...holds more water than most standard 3 or 4 core rads

[Mike DC]

    
Street driven 500" stroker + air conditioning = no such thing as too much cooling system.  

The car currently has a stock 22" rad support that will need to be cut or replaced just to fit the bigger stock rads.  I wouldn't mind cutting the existing support a few inches larger & fabricating some mounts to fit a better rad. 

I was hoping there would be a reasonably common application like that.  But so far an hour of looking online hasn't produced anything near it sitting on the shelf.  Everything is either too small, too big, or doesn't have the Ford/Mopar flow orientation.

     

[2Gunz]

You have an aluminum radiator?

I used to have trouble in the California sun and traffic.

I installed a $150 aluminum radiator from ebay a few years back and havent had trouble since.... it gets just past the thermostat temp and stops.

Short of the aluminum radiator the rest of the cooling system is stock.

[myk]

my 2 core rad has a pair of 1" water tubes in it...holds more water than most standard 3 or 4 core rads

I was going to post an ebay link to the 'rad that you're using, but they seem to be out of stock at the moment.  I think that particular radiator would solve many problems...

[John_Kunkel]

   
Street driven 500" stroker + air conditioning = no such thing as too much cooling system.  

I agree, cut the core support for the largest radiator you can. If you still have the battery up front, the battery tray will limit the core size.

[Mike DC]

  
After doing some investigating Im leaning away from trying to go bigger than the 26" Mopar rad.  There would be room for a little more if I had the rad custom made.  But as far as I can tell there is nothing off the shelf that would be a huge improvement over stock.

The crossflow rads are more efficient than the OE-style downflow ones.  But a crossflow rad means the fluid tanks are on the sides.  That design change consumes all the extra inches of room that could be gained from cutting the factory rad support hole wider than 26".  The 2nd-gen framerails are about 31 inches apart but a 31" wide crossflow rad still only has about a 26" wide core.  

On the other hand there seems to be quite a bit of aftermarket options for replacing the stock 26" rad with the same size aluminum version.  

[2Gunz]

I have just a 440 and no AC.

With the stock rad the car overheat in 90+ degree weather in stopped traffic in just a few mins.

Changed it to a dirt cheap Ebay aluminum one and it now its fine.  I have a flex fan and no shroud.

At the same time I purchased an electric fan to replace the stock pully driven one.... I never installed it because it doesnt need it.

Im no expert, but I feel like a good Aluminum radiator with a kick ass fan and a shroud should cool it just fine.

Here is an interesting read........

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0211_aluminum_or_copper_radiator_for_your_car/