Champion aluminum radiator

[BobT-47P15]

Thanks Ed.    I guess i could be used on a P15 with a non pressure cap if no better choice available.

[1941Rick]

 Did you perchance mention this to the manufacturer?

I did talk to them...the first rad was way to small and it took some time to get the right one........Went up to a 49 plymouth and it was a better fit....had to cut recesses for the rad support bolts and cut the 90" elbow off.....all is fine and happy with how it cools

[ol'skool]

I would like to see the pics of the  41    champion  radiator,,,,,when  u get to it,,,,,

Installed the radiator and front end sheet metal.  No problems with clearance.  Had to open up a few of the holes in the radiator flange to line up with the bolt holes in the radiator support.  Good fit.  Nice radiator.  The only thing I noticed with this over the Champion radiators is it isn't polished as nice as the Champion Radiator.  The welds weren't cleaned up either.  Other than that, no issues.  I can live with it, this is a driver, not a show car.

 

 

[fstfish66]

looks great,,,thanks for the pics,,,for  my  40  dodge  i would need one wit h the  rad  cap  out  on and  extened tube because  of the way  the  radiator housing covers the top  of the tank

[CoronetGuy]

How's the NAPA 703-1412 4lb. cap working out for so far Don?

[Don Coatney]

Cap works out great.

[CoronetGuy]

Thanks Don, for those looking, I found the Autozone part number for the 4lb cap. It's 7004. Made by Gates I believe. Not in stock at my store but I will be picking it up tomorrow.

 

EDIT: The cap I got from Autozone is actually a Duralast brand. Installed it and took the car out for another test drive. It was much more happy with this cap installed, than the 16lb one. Thanks for the help Don!

Edited March 13, 2015 by CoronetGuy

[BobT-47P15]

Installed the radiator and front end sheet metal.  No problems with clearance.  Had to open up a few of the holes in the radiator flange to line up with the bolt holes in the radiator support.  Good fit.  Nice radiator.  The only thing I noticed with this over the Champion radiators is it isn't polished as nice as the Champion Radiator.  The welds weren't cleaned up either.  Other than that, no issues.  I can live with it, this is a driver, not a show car.

 

IMG_2395.jpg IMG_2400.jpgIMG_2401.jpg

There's the answer to any  lower price between Eagle and Champion radiators........................

[Mikec4193]

I was gonna buy one of these for my current 1952/53 Chevy truck and then I found out they were made in China...I was like "man o man"....I may have to go with US Radiator....they are twice as much but at least the money stays on this side of the pond....

 

here is the link to the Dodge one

 

http://www.usradiator.com/dodge-truck-1948-54-all-radiator.html

 

my 2 cents

 

mikeC

[CoronetGuy]

Edited my previous post

[belvedere666]

reviving an old thread.

I'm looking for an alternative to the original radiator.

I have two originals, both with small leaks.... but the cost to recore them is CRAZY.

The last post here was over a year ago and i see that it started a few years ago. How are the champion radiators holding up after a few years? i was just told by my local radiator guy that they were "crap" and to stay away from them. That they would deteriorate and rot from the inside. he had a lot of bad things to say and suggested that i go through US Radiators. the price difference is astronomical!

I would have to go through about 5 champions to equal cost of the US one.

Now that some time has passed... how do you all feel about the quality and longevity of these things?

[Don Coatney]

Does your "radiator guy" own stock in US Radiators?

[belvedere666]

56 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

Does your "radiator guy" own stock in US Radiators?

pretty sure he doesn't.

i would imagine he would benefit more from having me buy a champion so i could bring it to him to fix it. How is yours holding up? what coolant/water mixture are you using? would the ideal mixture differ if i'm in sunny southern california?

i've seen a lot of rust dust in the radiator and the thermostat housing. i'm assuming previous owners used straight water.

Edited November 13, 2016 by belvedere666
misspelling

[Don Coatney]

I use a 50-50 mix on antifreeze. I have had no problems with my Champion radiator.

[belvedere666]

I just installed a champion aluminum radiator. 

I haven't thrown a thermometer in it to read how hot it actually is, but the  radiator itself is REALLY hot to touch. Considerably hotter than the stock one would get.

when i released the cap and checked the water it was hot but not nearly as hot as I though it would be compared to the heat of the radiator.

is it normal for an aluminum to radiator to be that hot?

[Don Coatney]

Anything over 120F feels very hot to the touch. What is your temperature gauge telling you?

[belvedere666]

2 hours ago, Don Coatney said:

Anything over 120F feels very hot to the touch. What is your temperature gauge telling you?

I believe my temperature gauge in this car isn't working.

I'm going to have to check it out again tomorrow with my replacement gauge, if I can get the old one out of the block without breaking the coupler nut that goes into the block.

before I put in the aluminum  radiator it had the original one. and it wasn't running a thermostat. I picked up one of the thermostats that you mentioned in another thread. The 180 degree one, I believe.

Today I replaced the water pump and replaced the upper and lower hoses and switched the 16lb cap to a 7lb.

[belvedere666]

Note in the 1950 Plymouth radiator that champion  says will fit:

New mounting holes have to be drilled to fit the support bracket.

i chose to use the original holes at the bottom and drill new upper holes.  champion is a little shorter and even though it bumped it up, it stands about an inch shorter with more hood clearance.

also, the neck at the top is a little shorter and requires about an inch more top  radiator hose for a perfect fit. Maybe 16 inches of you  have the straight up thermostat housing with the external bypass.

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by belvedere666
Misspelling

[Plymouthy Adams]

for the record, there is a bit of difference between will fit and direct bolt on....the cost of a generic will fit with some user intervention is the main selling factor as a dedicated bolt for bolt direct swap would be quite expensive as it has but the one application and anticipated sales would not justify the tooling.

[belvedere666]

6 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

for the record, there is a bit of difference between will fit and direct bolt on....the cost of a generic will fit with some user intervention is the main selling factor as a dedicated bolt for bolt direct swap would be quite expensive as it has but the one application and anticipated sales would not justify the tooling.

I figured as much. I was mostly trying to state what the changes would be once you got it home.

[sser2]

"they were made in China"

What is not made in China these days?

These aluminum radiators are available for almost any car, and come under different names, or no name. They are hand-welded and look good. There are rumors that standard radiator caps sometimes do not fit tight, but this was not a problem with the one that I have used in one of my cars (not Mopar) for over 3 years.

Aluminum radiators, no matter who makes them, will corrode if plain water is used as coolant. It should be at least 30% antifreeze. All current production antifreezes have corrosion inhibitors for aluminum.

I just bought one of these radiators for my '37 Plymouth for $124. Not exact fit, but custom fitting shouldn't be a problem.

[Dartgame]

I plopped in one of the two row versions in my 52 ply. Other than a little filling of one of the mounting holes this was a perfect fit. Its been in the car now for 1.5 years and no troubles. Cooling is plenty enough with stock mechanical fan. I doubt 3 rows are needed unless you are running a small block. It was $165 to my door, and a direct fit.

Edited December 2, 2016 by Dartgame