Direct fit radiator not fitting

[Rodney Bullock]

I took my car down to the local mechanic to install the aluminum radiator I paid all that money for. He took all the stuff out and now tells me that it will not fit. I guess the reason is it's 3 inches thick. The original radiatr is 2 row and kind of thin. This huge radiator is for cars that do not use a belt driven fan. I use a belt driven fan with a electric fan as a back up. A lot of guy's here use the electric as the main one. You guy's with the modified cars do you use just electric, does it make you nerves? Can a 2-3 row core cool a V8?

Edited May 22, 2011 by Rodney Bullock

[Don Coatney]

What car??? What engine????

I am not using a belt driven fan on my flathead Mopar 6. I have a pusher electric and I stay cool enough that my engine is intact after 40,000 plus miles.

[Mark Haymond]

Rodney,

I have seen lots of v8 hot rods running with electric only fans.

My 99 Corvette has a stock ONE ROW aluminum radiator!

The replacement aluminum radiator I just got for my 47 Plymouth with the Dodge 318 came with THREE ROWS of fins, so I figure that and my pusher electric fan will keep everything cool.

[dezeldoc]

You might have to move it to the front of the core support to get it to fit. not a big deal. as to the electric fan only that will work fine as long as it moves enough CFM, i like to see 2800 CFM or more.

[chopt50wgn]

All cars on the road today have electric fans. The best advice you can take when using an electric fan is to run it through a relay. Having it hooked to a relay will save your fan and the switch.

[Andydodge]

Rodney, On my 1940 Dodge sedan I have a 2row radiator that is a modified late model core mounted vertically on its side with custom made upper & lower tanks. I run a 318 Poly V8 with a 16" wide aftermarket electric pusher fan mounted in front of the radiator. The engine oil uses a remote oil filter and has an oil cooler from a late 60's Morris Mini Cooper mounted in front of the radiator on the sheet metal piece behind the grille. I do not run an engine mounted fan, I use a 180degree thermostat and the electric fan is controlled purely by a manual switch on the dash. In normal use driving around town and on the highway I do not use the fan, but in stop/go traffic I watch the original 1940 Dodge Temp guage that is connected to the V8 intake manifold by the 1940 sender unit and once the temp rises above 190 I turn the fan on and you can see the temp drop. I have also removed the lower sheetmetal pieces that bolt onto the sides of the chassis to allow more airflow through the engine compartment...............If i do not turn on the fan once it gets hot it will boil, but the electric fan controls this.........get the biggest electric fan you can, mount it in front of the radiator, thro the engine driven fan away, get the radiator mounted properly and run a thermostat..........then everything should be o/k..andyd

[Andydodge]

Also rodney, you say the radiator won't fit?........then it must be the wrong size!!...........lol.........Mopars from 1940 to at least 1948 use a heavy gauge pressed metal radiator surround that the front body sheetmetal bolts onto and that the radiator fits onto. The correct sized radiator will have a metal bracing piece on either side of the radiator that is soldered onto the radiator sides then this bracing piece just bolts onto the radiator surround........its either the right size or not......sounds like you got the wrong size one........lol........andyd

[Don Coatney]

I recommend you get a thermostatically controled fan relay. The one I use is adjustable as to what temperature the fan turns on and off automatically. I also have an over ride switch so I can turn my fan on manually should I feel the need to do so.

[Rodney Bullock]

I should have said it was for the 1940 Chevy, I have a 2 row in there now. The direct fit was for a street rod 1940 Chevy and it was a 4 row. Way to big. All my friends have like you all a electric fan. The cars they drive do stay cool. I am very old fashion I like the bely driven fan. Some guy's came over this morning and were going to try and replace the water pump with a short one. I did not want that since the chrome one I had was very pricey. I did not want to change everything.

The radiator shop came over and measured the opening and are now making a radiator (3row) just for the car. I am ready to just park that thing. If I had built it I would have made that radiator work. So much for buying somebody elses dream right;)

[martybose]

I should have said it was for the 1940 Chevy, I have a 2 row in there now. The direct fit was for a street rod 1940 Chevy and it was a 4 row. Way to big. All my friends have like you all a electric fan. The cars they drive do stay cool. I am very old fashion I like the bely driven fan. Some guy's came over this morning and were going to try and replace the water pump with a short one. I did not want that since the chrome one I had was very pricey. I did not want to change everything.

The radiator shop came over and measured the opening and are now making a radiator (3row) just for the car. I am ready to just park that thing. If I had built it I would have made that radiator work. So much for buying somebody elses dream right;)

I liked the engine driven fan until the day that without any warning it threw a blade at about 2500 RPM and sliced through both the fender and the hood on the passenger side of my 47. It was very eye-opening, considering how thick those pieces of metal are! I now prefer electric fans!

Marty

[dezeldoc]

Rodney, don't forget it is not just the water pump you will be replacing, it will be all the bracket's and pullys also. i have 3 41 Chevys and if you move the rad in front of the core support it will fit and it is not a hard job at all.

[Rodney Bullock]

You have 3 41's that's heaven:) I like the 1940 because they still have running boards. The hood opens frontal as well. All the guy's at the cruz spot likes 38' 37 and 39. To me those bodie styles are to narrow inside a 40-41 has lots of room.

Your right I would have to change all those things to accomadate the Radiator. If I had built it your right I would have put the core support in a different place or moved the motor back a little. The car has a mustang II front so I could have been real creative.

[kbuhagiar]

You have 3 41's that's heaven:) I like the 1940 because they still have running boards. The hood opens frontal as well. All the guy's at the cruz spot likes 38' 37 and 39. To me those bodie styles are to narrow inside a 40-41 has lots of room.

Your right I would have to change all those things to accomadate the Radiator. If I had built it your right I would have put the core support in a different place or moved the motor back a little. The car has a mustang II front so I could have been real creative.

Pictures?

[Rodney Bullock]

You want to see pic's of the car or the radiator because the radiator is on it's way back to summit. I know we have a lot of new members so if it's the car I can get some posted for you.

[kbuhagiar]

You want to see pic's of the car or the radiator because the radiator is on it's way back to summit. I know we have a lot of new members so if it's the car I can get some posted for you.

Pictures of the car (even though it is slightly OT), if its not too much trouble...thanks!

[Rodney Bullock]

I have been working on a coupe(chevy) for a while now. I like coupes as I have a 1940 Plymouth coupe. This thread was started because I wanted to get better cooling out of the car. Here are sme pic's of the car.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Doesn't the name "Direct Fit" kinda seem to mean... it will fit!!! Marketing today:confused:

[Rodney Bullock]

I wonder what happened to the pic's

[RobertKB]

I have been working on a coupe(chevy) for a while now. I like coupes as I have a 1940 Plymouth coupe. This thread was started because I wanted to get better cooling out of the car. Here are sme pic's of the car.

Rodney, time to put the Stovebolt 6 back in!

[Rodney Bullock]

RobertKB If I could find it Poof! right back in there:) You know it would be that 216 chevy 6 Good motor. I had it in the truck. I like the V8 it gives me a small thrill driving it. I don't know with gas going up I just might change

[Don Coatney]

RobertKB If I could find it Poof! right back in there:) You know it would be that 216 chevy 6 Good motor. I had it in the truck. I like the V8 it gives me a small thrill driving it. I don't know with gas going up I just might change

The 216 shiverlay engine has splash oiling and babbot bearings. You need a 235 with pressure oiling and insert bearings. I believe you can bore and stroke this engine to somewhere over 300 cubic inches. I also believe you can get a 12 port cross flow head. One of these engines would put your wimpy V-8 to shame.