Radiator, recore or replace.

[Chris_Pisane]

I have the original UH radiator in in my car,69 z/28. The engine is  fresh,  rebuilt .060 over,  bone stock 302 otherwise.

It has a heating problem I suspect is the radiator. I  dont know if I should recore my original, or buy an aftermarket. I dont really want to devalue the original.Would it be wiser to remove the original radiator,keep it original in the garage,and use an aftermarket in the car? Or does it not devalue the UH radiator by recoring it?

Actually I used to work in a radiator shop/body shop  for a couple of years while in college. (nasty work,in my opinion) I dont want to try a boil out because old radiators usually didnt come out so well most of the time.

If it gets down to an aftermarket,whose is the best for performance and original appearance?

Looking for some opininions,thanks Chris

[Brandan]

Chris,

I would say it is all personal preference.  You can always put the original in the garage and put in a nice aluminum one.  That would solve both problems.  Personal choice really.  How stock looking is the car?  Are you trying to keep a stock look?  Is it overheating or running too cool?  Option include changing thermostat or radiator...adding cooling fans.  It all depends on how stock you are trying to keep her.  Non stock looking go with an aluminum one.  If is is still running hot add a Be-Cool electric fan or a cluctch fan or even a fixed fan with a spacer to get close to the radiator.  Some of the newer fixed fans will run really really cool.

(I went with the original radiator with a flex-lite seven bladed fixed fan with a spacer.  I run extremely cool with a 160 thermostat.  I should probably change it to a 180, runs a little too cool) 

Choices choices choices.....

Let us know what you decide. 

[Chris_Pisane]

It is overheating. It is very, very stock. aluminum radiator or electric cooling fans are not an option. I have checked all the obvious.Thermostat and fan clutch are new,and good. About the only thing that isnt new or rebuilt is the radiator. The radiator isnt all heavy like its full of calcium. It did seen to flow,but you can only see the top tubes.I really dont need help troubleshooting the problem on this one.

I guess the real questions I should be asking are these. If I recore my origianl radiator am I destroying a valuable piece.Who makes a factory fit radiator that looks closest to an original that cools the best.

Thanks Chris

[GaryL]

Absolutely recore and keep the original. If you have an overheating problem you need to work it out. Do a search here and at Team Camaro on the topic. Timing and tunning can have a big part to play in how cool an engine runs. I have a Heartbeat City Harrison repro radiator and I have zero temperature problems, even in 100+ degree heat. They may sell you a core or there are other places that have original looking cores. Ask Jerry MacNeish where to go. I am sure he gets that sort of thing done.

How do you destroy the value of something that does not work?

[x77-69z28]

part of the problem may be that the engine is .60 over. these small blocks dont have a lot of meat on them. definitely recore, dont get rid of the original tanks.
good luck

[Chris_Pisane]

I checked out the heatbeat city radiator just now. It looks really nice. Thanks for the info.

Car is tuned and timed correctly.Trust me I dont need troubleshooting advice.

I know .060 over wasnt the best situation. The only other was sleeve every cylinder.

There are plenty of local shops that recore radiators, its not a big deal. chances are the core is not going to look like the original.

This is a factory JL8 car,so I am picky.

I have had lots of expensive  mistakes made by good intentions of others. I have made bad moves myself  early on, thinking something was junk and pitched it. Not knowing someone would be rebuilding them 5 years down the road.I dont throw any original part away anymore.My garages are proof of that.



Actually I am hoping Jerry M will answer this one,thats why I posted here.

Chris

[Steve68]

Chris

Unless you are 100% sure the rad is the cause of the overheating problem you might whant to check this out before proceeding with changing it out,

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=2680.msg17250#msg17250

Steve

[wtexz10]

Chris,

I had a similar issue several years ago with my 350.  I took a measured approach and had the radiator boiled out and repainted at a locat radiator shop.  The rad did not need recored and it has been 6 years since the car ran hot.  With a 170 thermostat it runs around 180.  Oh, and I live in HOT West Texas.  Run a good 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water.

Kris

[maroman]

A good friend has a radiator shop. A good one can tell you how your radiator is flowing and whether in their opinion it would be the cause. An infrared scope could detect a cold spot{ blocked} when the rest of the radiator is hot{open}. That being said, only a GM core will look like a GM radiator. He recored mine with his favorite core, it works qite well, but it doesn't look like a GM core because it's manufactured differant. Check everything else, do NOT go to an aluminum radiator. He says they have less surface cooling area and sometimes cool even worse then a GOOD copper/brass. It's just an opinion!

[JohnZ]

I'd have it re-cored, using your original tanks, upper and lower plates, and tags. A "flow test" will only tell you if it's blocked or not - doesn't evaluate heat rejection capability at all, which is what matters. My '69Z apparently had excellent cooling system care while in the hands of the original owner from whom I bought it, as it still has its original "UH" radiator and runs at 170*-180* regardless of ambient temps.

[GaryL]

Chris

Unless you are 100% sure the rad is the cause of the overheating problem you might whant to check this out before proceeding with changing it out,

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=2680.msg17250#msg17250

Steve

Ditto on this one. One of the best mods you can make.

[Chris_Pisane]

I decided to keep my original radiator intact so I  bought a new one from Tamraz. After a few minor issues due to sitting for a year without driving it,I got it running perfect, and it runs cool. I then decided to do the modification where you tee into the vacuum to you chocke pull off, and then to your vacuum advance that is listed in this thread. When I did this, it started burning really rich and smoking out the exhaust. I gave it a rev and it backfired.

Then I changed it all back and it quit smoking and ran fine again. What did I miss.

Thanks,Chris

[rich69rs]

Chris,

I did the same thing a couple of years ago.  My original radiator (327 base '69 RS coupe) is hanging on the wall with a new one in the car.  Over the years, my experience with recores has not been stellar, so I chose the route of a new one (OER) from Classic Industries.

[JohnZ]

I decided to keep my original radiator intact so I  bought a new one from Tamraz. After a few minor issues due to sitting for a year without driving it,I got it running perfect, and it runs cool. I then decided to do the modification where you tee into the vacuum to you chocke pull off, and then to your vacuum advance that is listed in this thread. When I did this, it started burning really rich and smoking out the exhaust. I gave it a rev and it backfired.

Then I changed it all back and it quit smoking and ran fine again. What did I miss.

Thanks,Chris

What is your initial (base) timing (vac advance disconnected and plugged)?

What is your total timing (initial + centrifugal) and at what rpm is it "all in"?

How much advance is added to your initial when you connect the vacuum advance?

Changing the vacuum advance source from "ported" to full manifold vacuum should have no effect at all on mixture, and shouldn't cause any backfiring (which is usually caused by overly lean mixture and/or retarded timing).