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What radiator are you using for your swap?

rescuediver1982

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I am getting ready to start my 5.7/545rfe swap into my 73 satellite sebring (Roadrunner clone). I am picking the 09 Charger motor and trans up next week. My question is what radiator are you guys using? Should I get an oem style Charger radiator or use a universal style champion aluminum radiator? What fans and/or shrouds? Also are you guys using trans coolers with your 545's?
 
I am getting ready to start my 5.7/545rfe swap into my 73 satellite sebring (Roadrunner clone). I am picking the 09 Charger motor and trans up next week. My question is what radiator are you guys using? Should I get an oem style Charger radiator or use a universal style champion aluminum radiator? What fans and/or shrouds? Also are you guys using trans coolers with your 545's?
What upgrades to the motor? Is factory with some bolt ons, if so I'd just use the factory set up with a cooler thermostat.
 
The Champion 4-row I'm using didn't fit just right, but I re-drilled some holes and lowered it about 1" and it's fine. It cools pretty well for an inexpensive radiator. I'm using a HEAVILY modified factory (plastic reproduction) fan shroud that I massaged with a dremel cutoff wheel & made some little attachment tabs with aluminum sheet.

It's important to see what side your inlet/outlet are on your new engine. The top/bottom hoses may be on different sides. If so, then just pick a similar body style (say a '65 b-body or '78 b-body or whatever) with the inlet/outlet on the correct sides for your new motor.

You may know this already, but Mopar radiators come in two basic widths, 22" & 26", and usually the radiator core support hole matches the radiator size (not always). If you've got a 22" core support and want to run a 26" radiator, you can a) put it in and have 4" partially blocked, b) trim your core support to a larger opening, or c) replace it with a 26" radiator core support.

For transmission coolers, I've had good luck with the over-the-counter ones you buy at your local parts stores.
 
I am getting ready to start my 5.7/545rfe swap into my 73 satellite sebring (Roadrunner clone). I am picking the 09 Charger motor and trans up next week. My question is what radiator are you guys using? Should I get an oem style Charger radiator or use a universal style champion aluminum radiator? What fans and/or shrouds? Also are you guys using trans coolers with your 545's?

I replaced my OE 22" rad with a Champion and things went down hill from there. My cooling system became ineffective at idle and speed. Took it to a long time friend who just retired from a 35 year rad business to get an opinion on what was going on. He said it was a "3 pass" but the inner tubes were to narrow and not wide enough and suggested I put the factory rad back in to see what resulted. I did, and "holy $hit" what a difference. Temps came down and were more than manageable in any situation. The OE rad apparently has wider tubes even though it's only "2 pass" and the effective cross length of the tubes was even more. I run an electric fan with a fabricated shroud and a Dakota Digital controller and even though the engine is 600+ horsepower that little 22 inch rad works like a charm. The best rads you can buy use convoluted tube and if you stretched them straight would yield about 20% more in length per tube. Of course your gonna pay top dollars but I suppose you get what you pay for. For a cooling fan you can't beat the price or performance of a Derail Tornado 16". Their very low profile and make very little noise when running and come as a two speed unit. To take advantage of the two speeds you'll definitely require a controller capable of two speeds or just join the "high/low" wires together for constant high speed.
 
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My champion radiator works great with a stock fan and shroud but would heat up with electric fans so I put the stock set up back on and never had a problem.
 
I'm building a 71 Satellite with a 5.7 and the 545rfe. I've got the griffin radiator that goes with the 04 Ram. That way I know all the hoses will fit. I haven't installed it yet. I know I'm going to have some mounting brackets to fabricate but I honestly don't know what I'm going to run into yet. The car is waiting to go in for paint and I won't be doing that until it gets back.

I'm going to follow your build. Good luck and I hope we can trade info when needed.

Joe
 
Thanks everyone! It seems like the Champions radiators are hit or miss but the oem late model radiators typically have across the board success. I have a buddy with 6.1 in a 69 coronet and he likes his Champion radiator, but he also doesn't daily driver it, mine will be a daily! I know the oem radiator will take a bit of fab work, but I think that may be the direction I go!
 
I used the radiator out of the 07 charger I got the engine and nag1 from. It works just fine
 
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