Champion radiator install - The good, the bad and the ugly
08-13-2012, 10:36 PM
#1
Racer
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Champion radiator install - The good, the bad and the ugly
I installed a 2 core aluminum Champion radiator in my 79 on the weekend, these are so-called drop in replacements. Did it work? Is it good? Did it fit as advertised? Well, yes is the short answer.
Good: Easy to install, works well on a standard L48.
Bad: Is much thinner than the stock radiator and will require lots of foam fillers around the radiator and across the top tank to force air through the radiator, I will do this before summer hits.
Ugly: Removing the old stock radiator without removing the hood and A/C evaporator, it is actually pretty easy to do but the cowl gets in the way and then just when you raise the radiator high enough that you think it's free the bottom hose pipe catches on the passenger side control arm, I couldnt get it past that control arm at all, so I then considered that I wasnt re-using my old radiator (it had leaks anyway) so I dropped it back down, climbed under the car with a hammer and drift and just mashed the old pipe in to the radiator, came out easy after that, ugly but practical.
In general I do recommend these radiators, they will require extra foam around them and under the top support rubbers to keep them tight in the carrier but I have driven the car to work for three days now on freeway at 70mph for 20 miles each time and the temp sits exactly where it should, it actually goes down slightly after 5 minutes of slow traffic driving once off the freeway so no complaints.
Cheers, Dennis.
Good: Easy to install, works well on a standard L48.
Bad: Is much thinner than the stock radiator and will require lots of foam fillers around the radiator and across the top tank to force air through the radiator, I will do this before summer hits.
Ugly: Removing the old stock radiator without removing the hood and A/C evaporator, it is actually pretty easy to do but the cowl gets in the way and then just when you raise the radiator high enough that you think it's free the bottom hose pipe catches on the passenger side control arm, I couldnt get it past that control arm at all, so I then considered that I wasnt re-using my old radiator (it had leaks anyway) so I dropped it back down, climbed under the car with a hammer and drift and just mashed the old pipe in to the radiator, came out easy after that, ugly but practical.
In general I do recommend these radiators, they will require extra foam around them and under the top support rubbers to keep them tight in the carrier but I have driven the car to work for three days now on freeway at 70mph for 20 miles each time and the temp sits exactly where it should, it actually goes down slightly after 5 minutes of slow traffic driving once off the freeway so no complaints.
Cheers, Dennis.
08-14-2012, 10:17 PM
#5
Racer
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I paid $156US for the radiator (ebay) and about the same in freight, so all up the install was a big mac short of $300. The cheapest aluminum radiator I could buy here was going to set me back high $500's so still a fair deal. I was worried it would turn up crushed and looking like an empty beer can but it was boxed well with lots of styrofoam packing and arrived without a scratch.