Does anyone know if V8 archie is still in the business at all. I am thinking about getting one of his 4 core radiators for my v8. I have heard nothing but good things about using them Thank you
I still dont get all these huge radiators. Corvette radiator is almost identical to Fiero . I had both on the floor in front of me at once replacing them. Theyre both 2 rows. Worked fine on 383 Corvette engine in my Fiero, and the L-98s in both my Corvettes.
I still dont get all these huge radiators. Corvette radiator is almost identical to Fiero . I had both on the floor in front of me at once replacing them. Theyre both 2 rows. Worked fine on 383 Corvette engine in my Fiero, and the L-98s in both my Corvettes.
At least three things in life you can never had too much... money, closet space and cooling in a Fiero. You live in nice and temperate Ohio. Try driving a V8 Fiero in Houston rush hour traffic when it's over a hundred degrees and the a/c is working overtime. You might want a little more than the Fiero radiator.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 04-20-2016).]
At least three things in life you can never had too much... money, closet space and cooling in a Fiero.
Agreed. But increased AIR FLOW cfm thru the core will benefit more than increased volume of coolant in the core. A better fan for more air flow and getting the fan going before the cooling system hits 235F helps a lot.
When sitting still (no natural air flow) thermostat will be completely open at 195F, coolant will circulate continuously and everything including coolant in radiator will rise to 235F before fan's stock switch kicks it on. Since the thermostat is wide open, it is the fan and switch controlling engine temp now and only as cool as switch will allow.
An easy fix is to change fan temp switch to a 210F/200F keep coolant in radiator closer to the engine thermostat temp.
In extreme cases with a swapped "hot" engine, it may be better to have the temp controller for the fan on the radiator outlet. Some cars do this so coolant temp in radiator can be kept at or just below engine temp more consistently.
Below is pic of BMW temp switch on radiator outlet. ECM uses this reading to control radiator fan.
I agree with airflow over number of cores. I did a lot of research, and found that a 2 core radiator, with 1" cores, actually cools better than a 4 row with 1/2" or 3/8" cores, because it will allow more airflow over the coils. I installed a 2 row American Eagle ( champion made) in both my El Camino and my Fiero. They both do an excellent job of cooling here in Vegas ( 115+ OAT with AC on), even with a stock Fiero Fan. Note that some 2 row radiators will actually have a 1" core and a 1/2" core. It is better to find one with two 1" cores.
------------------ '87 GT in process, including GA / Seville brakes, Poly Suspension, '95 3800 Series 1 SC ( 225 hp ) 4t60e.
I agree with airflow over number of cores. I did a lot of research, and found that a 2 core radiator, with 1" cores, actually cools better than a 4 row with 1/2" or 3/8" cores, because it will allow more airflow over the coils. I installed a 2 row American Eagle ( champion made) in both my El Camino and my Fiero. They both do an excellent job of cooling here in Vegas ( 115+ OAT with AC on), even with a stock Fiero Fan. Note that some 2 row radiators will actually have a 1" core and a 1/2" core. It is better to find one with two 1" cores.
I had a 350 V8 Chev Monza Spyder. I never had cooling problems, but the radiator had sprung a leak. I decided to go with a radiator with more rows thinking it would be even better for cooling. WRONG!
The car had an engine mounted fan (not electric), so I now had insufficient airflow at low engine speeds for the increased volume of hot coolant. Worked OK when movement forced air through the radiator, but it was hell in stop-n-go traffic.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 04-22-2016).]
The problem is the rad is angles and once the air is behind it, it has no where to go,, heat rises and when in traffic.. there is no airflow under the car to pull the hot air out.. hood vents fix this more than more rows in the heat exchanger. The 2nd gen t/a's in traffic under hood temp is 25-30* lower than the firebird that didn't have the fender extractors.. in traffic..
WHen i built mine i had a friend in a radiator shop. Swore to me up and down he could build me a custom 3 core that would cool better than any 4 core. And cheaper. I had hood vents and a constant running fan. and electric water pump.
The other thing that helps with cooling is a trunk vent. I added a trunk vent to my 4.9-powered Fiero, somewhat like the mustang vent, and the car runs much cooler. It runs cooler when the car is moving, doesn't help when at a traffic light.
aha
