3 or 4 Row Radiator for a 383?

[Matthan]

3 or 4 Row Radiator for a 383?

[justcruisin]

You may want to add some more info - engine build, 22 or 26", solid, clutched or electric fan, where you live, stock or aftermarket look, type of driving. As a general rule - bigger is better but a 4 row isn't always better than a 3 row, you need to look at the whole cooling package, you also have to consider how much room in front of the water pump pulley you have.

[birdsandbees]

Never had an issue with my stock 22" x 2 core in my 'Bee (no shroud, direct drive 7 blade fan). Odd day I had to save it with full heater on in stop and go traffic, but a rarity.

[GreenMachine]

You may want to add some more info - engine build, 22 or 26", solid, clutched or electric fan, where you live, stock or aftermarket look, type of driving. As a general rule - bigger is better but a 4 row isn't always better than a 3 row, you need to look at the whole cooling package, you also have to consider how much room in front of the water pump pulley you have.

The shop that re-cored my radiator said that the extra row(s) add forward thickness, so fan clearance isn't an issue.

[justcruisin]

The shop that re-cored my radiator said that the extra row(s) add forward thickness, so fan clearance isn't an issue.


That may be the case if you re-core an original radiator in brass/copper with the typical 1/2" tubes as there is forward room between the side frames, but when you use an  aftermarket radiator they can very well encroach on fan space as the row count gets larger - like a 4 row aluminium combined with a clutched fan as aluminium radiators use tubes anywhere between 5/8 and 1.5" , Hayden do a 2947 clutch to help with this very scenario There are a lot of options out there, it just pays to do some home work before laying your dollars down. In saying that, an aluminium radiator with two rows of 1" tubes on 3/8 spacings seems to work well in my experience, if your OK with the non factory look.