Said radiator was still sitting in my scrap pile.. seams Northern was making them for summit racing at the time.. figured it'd been a ~2hr job to cut the tank open clean weld the broke tubes puts me over $300.00 in labor
Aluminum Radiators in 2024
- Thread starter Sweet_Johnny
- Start date
Mine was a bit long and needs corrected in places but when the forum comes together as a community as opposed to people talking at each other we all learn.
I've gotten the champion CU162 rad twice, and only twice, due to me boiling the thing to over 300f and it popping a seam at the drivers side tank. Plus I broke the overflow nipple and teenage me did a terrible job repairing it. Plus their billet cap is cool. Keeps my 350 at 180 even on 100f 80% humidity iowa summers.
I ran 2 griffin'$ over the years and they both failed where the tube meets the tank.wasn't cost effective to repair
I've been running the summit version for a few summers with good luck.🤞
I've been running the summit version for a few summers with good luck.🤞
Good to know. Would you say that the Griffins were worth the initial cash outlay? Or would you just buy a cheaper version like the Summit one if you could go back?
not to say Griffin's a bad company as they've been around forever,it was long enough ago where i don't remember how big the price gap was but after i experienced 2 bad unit's under 10 years,it was enough for me.i will say this though that griffin outlet diameter was 1-1/2" and the stock lower hose on these cars are 1-1/4".it wasn't happening. I ended up sourcing a f-series UPPER rad hose that fit like sex after a little trimming one end.that hose deal was B.S if you ask me,for the money you spend on a direct fit unit and you gotta source a hose elsewhere..
I wouldn't have thought to use an F Body upper- that's some creative problem solving! I believe the A Body hoses are 1 1/2", the '78 is anyway. I think 565bb used A Body 307 hoses on one of his builds too. I definitely agree that if it says "Direct Fit" then the stock hoses should work. How was the fitment to the water pump? I thought those were 1 3/4" and the T-stat was 1 1/2"... did you make the the 1 1/2" hose fit or do I have my numbers wrong?
The lower hose being the outlet that feeds the h20 pump was the ill fitting size on that radiator that I was referring to.i said f-series as in a ford f250 upper radiator hose.my overall measurements might be off as it was years ago but there was a good 1/4" difference because that stocker from the pump to radiator outlet wasn't happening.upper hose to t-stat fitment was straightforward.
Ahh, my mistake. I was thinking Camaro hose with 1 1/4 & 1 1/2" ends. Thanks for clarifying.
Similar threads
