Cooling a 57 Rancho

[lotsafords]

Need your help guys:

Recently had a 68 GT390 (S code) built with a 30 bore and installation of 262 isky cam and adjustable hyd lifters and 600 cfm holly, recurved dura spark with pertronix.   Using original rodded 57 radiator.  Originally I invested in a cooling concepts electric fan and shroud.  Engine has about 15 hours on it.  My concern is that when operating the vehicle at freeway speeds acording the gauge (sunpro) I'm running 180 to 190 degrees.  In town with traffic 200 to 230.  When I check it with my infrared gun at inlet and out let I only get a minimal drop in temp, maybe 7-10 degrees.  Also when I check at the sending unit it registers 160 to 170.  This morning I stopped by a rad shop looking for answers and they told me that my gauge was off by about 40 degrees.  Ok that sounds reasonable until after driving through traffic and turn the car off it pukes into the recovery canister, this indicates to me that it is boiling.  I'm running distled water with water wetter and a 13lbs cap.  Presently utilizing a 6 blace flex fan.

Its hot in Fresno and I need to get this thing to cool off so I can run the air.

All suggestions will greatly appreciated even if not used.

Thanks
Jack 

[Frankenstein57]

You guys have had some heat out there this year. If you have a stock four or five blade fan, try it. Shouldn't cost you anything to try. When we dirt tracked FE motors, the more fan blades, the hotter they ran. That was alot more rpm, we thought the big fan blade acted like a wall. The stock radiator was designed for a 292 in 57, is it original or a recore? They used to handle our 427 ok. I bought an aluminum radiator for my 57, its for a fox body mustang, I haven't tried it yet, but it fits in there good. I slipped it in my 58 ranchero,fits good although its close to the battery. I plan to put the 57 battery in the back. A radiator like that will require you to fab some new mounts. Should hit the stock radiator hoop ok. The good part is it was $ 200 to my house. Keep us posted,  Mark

[lotsafords]

Thanks for the info.  Where did you purchase the aluminum radiator?
After talking with the radiator shop they asked me to bring it in again and they are going to test it and if plugged will redo the rodding job or recore it for me using the high efficency core.

Anyhow it looks like maybe i'll be making some progress soon.

Thanks
Jack

[Hoosier Hurricane]

Jack:

Re-do the rodding job??  Shouldn't have to be re-done.  I have a feeling they only soaked it in their tank and checked for leaks.  Maybe needs a rodding job it never got.  I had a '57 radiator recored a few years ago with a bigger core, it worked great.

John

[shopratwoody]

I had the high eff. core done in mine recently. It cools the 429 well,but I don't have air.
Ron

[lotsafords]

I appreciate the responses.  Should know something this afternoon as I droped the radiator off this morning.  I it probably never was rodded and that's why they were so will to redo the job.  Just a feeling.
Thanks again.
Jack

[lotsafords]

Just hear the bad news.  22 tubes or about 12.5% of the radiator is completely blocked and they cannot get them to come clean.  They have offered to replace  with a new 4 row high effiency core or $200.00.  Sounds fair to me what you guys think?
Jack

[57AGIN]

Jack:

How have you been since the Fun Ford Weekend in 2008?  Your T-Bird looked great, but I'm still partial to your 57 Ranchero you drove to the ohn Force Holiday show in 2007.

I think I'd recommend letting them replace their original botched soaked or rodded out core with the new 4 row HE core.  To upgrade to one of the new aluminum radiators is pretty costly, you've seen mine a couple of times.  But, with your setup you probably don't need to go too radical.  Hurricane Hoosier, with his supercharged 312 is probably generating a lot more heat than your mildly reworked 390 does.  But, everyone whose responded so far has a lot more experience in cooling their 57's than I do.  I'd wait for their responses.

Bob
57 AGIN

[Ford Blue blood]

Just hear the bad news.  22 tubes or about 12.5% of the radiator is completely blocked and they cannot get them to come clean.  They have offered to replace  with a new 4 row high effiency core or $200.00.  Sounds fair to me what you guys think?
Jack

$200 is a great price and it will bolt back in place, no fuss, no muss!

[Frankenstein57]

Amen to that, $200 and bolting it right back in sounds like you are back in business. I'll dig up the name of the rad shop that I bought the aluminum one from. I'm on vacation, boating in Greenbay all day. later, Mark

[shopratwoody]

Let them do it. That's less than half price. I personally don"t think aluminum rad is an upgrade. Too
hard to repair etc...
Ron

[bagboy]

Don't use 13# cap -7lbs on large tank fords .seven blade fan will help

[lotsafords]

Don't tell me that I just put a new 13# cap on.
Thanks for all of the responses it's great to get all the help.
Jack

[Frankenstein57]

Not saying an aluminum rad is an upgrade, just an option. The one I bought is an American made all welded piece, The company is dynamicracing@aol.com part# 350189538886. Aluminum gets a bad rap from cheap Chinese crap with caulked on tanks. They run aluminum radiators in 800+ H.P ford  outlaw dirt late models, no probleemo. Very few guys here are fixing there own radiator, they walk them into a radiator shop. Mark

[bagboy]

Here is my setup: 351w /aod/4;11 4row rad 7blade fan[corectly spaced]custom fan shroud.runs 180-190 on 100' day.Old ford don't let air out very well,louvers on inner fenders a good idea.Shrouds are avab.too