Radiator dilemma

im currently in the process of putting my front end back on after rebuilding the engine and noticed the rad had some crud in it. Since changing the engine to a V8 I thought I should re assess the rad situation and I’m at a loss with trying to work out how many cores it has etc. However, I have noticed a difference in rad sizes in comparison to one I had ‘knocking around’ from a landy I’ve taken apart in the past (you can clearly see which is which). Is the black one a repro? It seems a lot thinner and I was ?its efficiency.

It’s an old G reg 2a, with a 3.5 n/a V8.

Any help would be great.

Many thanks.

The black one is the later design, it should be fine. They do sometimes vary in how many cores, I have a 3 core one on a 3 ltr diesel and its very effective, it replaced a 4 core one that failed and seems to have been over specced.

rob1miles said:

The black one is the later design, it should be fine. They do sometimes vary in how many cores, I have a 3 core one on a 3 ltr diesel and its very effective, it replaced a 4 core one that failed and seems to have been over specced.

Click to expand...

Thanks rob.

I recently filled both with water and the early one got wet in all kind of places it shouldn’t... which made the decision for me! Haha.

V8’s produce more heat than a 2.25 if you plan to lane/off road or drive it hard. I’d go with the best cooking you can get.

A Series rad ‘can’ be used. But is really a little undersized for the V8. Just look at the size of any rad the factory fitted for the V8 across the many varied vehicles it was used in.

Maverick2518 said:

I’m at a loss with trying to work out how many cores it has etc.

Click to expand...

Maverick, you have put the big rad in good. But to help you with part of your original question.
With 1 radiator you have 1 “core” it may have 2,3 or 4 rows of flat tubes back to front. ( specials maybe more).
The term has been mixed together for years and is widely accepted to say I have a “4core rad” ie 4 rows of tube.

Now of course you can get a 2row rad with tubes twice as wide as the standard and made of aluminum which would be similar in size to a normal 4 row. But this can be different. Rads can get very technical when you get to the special stuff

To determine what you have count the tubes front to back of the rad, this can be done in your case simply by looking in the top rad cap. But don’t panic if you count 2 if they are about 25mm or 4 if they are about 15mm.

Hope that has cleared the mud up a bit for you.

Bigger is not always best but with the 2 choices you had “bigger” is better.

J

300bhp/ton said:

V8’s produce more heat than a 2.25 if you plan to lane/off road or drive it hard. I’d go with the best cooking you can get.

A Series rad ‘can’ be used. But is really a little undersized for the V8. Just look at the size of any rad the factory fitted for the V8 across the many varied vehicles it was used in.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

I’ve done a bit of thinking, measuring, and eBaying recently. And the plan in the future is a power steering conversion, so I think when I do that I may fit an after market mustang rad... maybe.