MoparHusker
Well-Known Member
I have made some progress on my project, slowly but surely.
I decided the next item up should be the coolant system. Got the radiator drained of what coolant was left and got the radiator out. After looking at it, I finally figured what was meant by rows and determined mine is a two row. Also looks like the tubes are 9/16”. I have a 440 and have had cooling issues over the times I had driven the car (not in the last 25 years).
It was going to be too costly to put a new core in the existing radiator, so I did some research and ended up purchasing a Champion CC503, 3 row radiator. Supposed to be good up to 700 HP. Also purchased a Stant Superstat thermostat for increased flow and a Flowkooler 1679 water pump. I still need to get a new fan clutch.
So, I have never looked that closely at coolant flow and thought that by taking ou the thermostat and dumping water down through the hole, it would flush things out. Nope, just goes right out through the lower radiator hose. I would like to be able to flush the system out as good as I can before installing the new parts. I know the best way is to get at least some freeze plugs out, but I am not going that far. Just too much work to get them out and new ones in and I am not pulling the engine at this point. Possibly considering pulling the block drain plugs, but hoping there is an easier solution. Once I pull the water pump, are the openings into the block accessible, so that i can fashion a hose to push water through there to flush things out? Also wondering if I could put a small electric pump between the two radiator hoses to run water through the system and probably a filter to catch any debris. Would use some water and vinegar to break up some of the calcification and maybe run some of the CLR radiator flush through it and the flush it a couple of times to get it cleaned out.
Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas would be welcomed. Want to get it as clean as I can without it taking me weeks to get it done.
Thanks in advance!
Allan
I decided the next item up should be the coolant system. Got the radiator drained of what coolant was left and got the radiator out. After looking at it, I finally figured what was meant by rows and determined mine is a two row. Also looks like the tubes are 9/16”. I have a 440 and have had cooling issues over the times I had driven the car (not in the last 25 years).
It was going to be too costly to put a new core in the existing radiator, so I did some research and ended up purchasing a Champion CC503, 3 row radiator. Supposed to be good up to 700 HP. Also purchased a Stant Superstat thermostat for increased flow and a Flowkooler 1679 water pump. I still need to get a new fan clutch.
So, I have never looked that closely at coolant flow and thought that by taking ou the thermostat and dumping water down through the hole, it would flush things out. Nope, just goes right out through the lower radiator hose. I would like to be able to flush the system out as good as I can before installing the new parts. I know the best way is to get at least some freeze plugs out, but I am not going that far. Just too much work to get them out and new ones in and I am not pulling the engine at this point. Possibly considering pulling the block drain plugs, but hoping there is an easier solution. Once I pull the water pump, are the openings into the block accessible, so that i can fashion a hose to push water through there to flush things out? Also wondering if I could put a small electric pump between the two radiator hoses to run water through the system and probably a filter to catch any debris. Would use some water and vinegar to break up some of the calcification and maybe run some of the CLR radiator flush through it and the flush it a couple of times to get it cleaned out.
Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas would be welcomed. Want to get it as clean as I can without it taking me weeks to get it done.
Thanks in advance!
Allan