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1970 big block swap

Mark1972

Well-Known Member
Local time
7:05 AM
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Jun 26, 2018
Messages
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Location
Winnipeg
So I will be looking for a new radiator for my 70' Satellite once the 318 comes out and the 440 goes in. I believe the big blocks often had the 26" wide rad. My car is an auto, no AC, and the little rad I have won't do the job I'm sure. It's not a high HP set up, only like 350. Could you make a recommendation?
 
Do you plan on cutting a wider opening in your core support ? Or letting the extra sit behind it ?
 
you probably can let the extra sit behind,I put a 440 in a 68 -318-charger and never had a cooling problem.
 
A 22" wide with modern coring or a 22" wide 2 row aluminum should be plenty for a 440 not pushing 500 hp. I just looked up the 707hp Hellcat radiator specs a couple days ago. Approx 26x19x1.75. Proper flowing water pump and thermostat will be your concerns while driving and a full shroud and proper fan will be your concerns in stop n go traffic.
 
I don't want to cut if I don't have to. I guess that would limit me to a 22". I'm fine with letting 4" be covered if it actually meant better cooling. As I said, my motor is pretty tame. Reliability and driveability are the biggest concerns. There is lots of stop and go traffic. Summers are hot here.
 
I lived with a thicker Griffin 22" 2-row 1" tubes in my 68 b body with the 360. Once I swapped in the 451 I kept the 22" and it ran ok, but in stop and go traffic over 90F ambient and the motor temp would climb to 200. I had fan, shroud, 180F thermostat, proper big block water pump, etc. I finally swapped in a Griffin 26" 2 row with 1" tubes and updated to the shroud that fit it and my engine temps dropped to a steady 185F. Griffin is awesome. Most times the motors over 400 ci are really benefited by a 26" rad.
 
In Winnipeg? Hot summers?
:rofl:
Come down to south Louisiana in July or August...
You'll throw a party for the first day of summer back in Winnipeg! :poke::D
My daily temp for last week n a half.
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