I picked up the DeWitt's at their booth at Carlisle when I needed one. Got a little off. Bought three of them and got a little more off. and engraved caps to boot.

 

ROFL! 10K for my engine? SOLD! Cashiers check or money order only, and you pay freight. (Think I'm kidding" Try me!) But thanks for the compliment! However, your ARE right on the 200 dollar radiator.


Well Lou, first off, I DID have to roam the parts store isle, armed with a hanger bent in the shape that was required for BOTH the upper and lower hoses. It might sound like that required a degree or rocket science. Dunno. Maybe it did? I have been called bright before. Anyway, the specific P.N.'s are listed on my build page for your easy reference. The good news is these hoses are available at any parts store, and don't require an act of congress or a radiator hose company retooling device to manufacture one.

Second. (You'll like this one) Radiators configured as a double-pass or triple-pass design and the name can be a little misleading. On the surface, a double-pass radiator sounds like the fluid goes through the radiator two times and that is not the case Lou.Doubt me? Here ya go sir. (DeWitts http://www.dewitts.com/blogs/news/11...-pass-radiator)

Well, sort ofanyway. A double pass radiator does pass the coolant across the radiator twice... sort of anyway. At least it passes across the top 50% once, then it circulates through the lower 50% ....and it does it only once. Fuzzy math might call that two passes, but Lou, really it isn't. If you REALLY want to be accurate, it only passes once. Period. Just like whatever radiator your running in your car right now. So really Lou, after all, we DO have something in common.

This said, it does however place both the inlet and outlet on the same side of the radiator. (GOOD for us LS swaps). The DeWitt's LS Swap radiators are the same "crossflow" design unless there's some magical mystery fairy dust they know about that nobody else on the planet does. What this basically means is you need to do your research before offering an opinion that is say...lacking of any real "substance", so to speak. A double-pass design is nothing more than a baffle welded inside the end tank. What this does is cut the radiator in half, and the fluid flows through each half in series. Since each section is half the size of a full core, the fluid velocity is twice as fast and the pressure drop is now doubled. Many will argue this design is superior because the fluid stays in the radiator longer. The reality is that the fluid has twice as far to go but it is also traveling twice as fast. In the end, the fluid flows through each tube only one time and a more appropriate description would be a U-flow. The design demands both inlet and outlet to be on the same tank. There is your crossflow radiator Lou, in it's very simple "essence".

This all said, this is simply an ALTERNATIVE to a radiator sold by DeWitt's. Not everyone HAS 1000 dollars to toss at a cooling solution. It is one that though, not a complete drop in, is one that with common sense knowledge, one that can be used in a C3 Corvette when doing an LS engine swap, and it doesn't cost a mortage payment to obtain it. Is it for everyone? Obviosly not. Lou formulated an opinion based on what? Something he "heard", no mdoubt, but that doesn't make it true. I have $225.00 in a TOTAL cooling solution with fans that WORK far better than the original Corvette radiator ever did. Frankly, there really is no mystery in a good radiator if you apply some really simply construction requirements. Simply put, there are many people with more money than brains and many people with more brains than money and most of us fall somewhere in between. There are some that simply don't have to ability to do anying other than unbolt something and bolt it back on, and that's OK.I RESPECT that. Then there are those that aren't afraid of having to move a bolt or bracket. To each their own, but to think one company has a monopoly on a component required for an engine swap is rather, well silly. With all this said, had Ed McMahon knocked on my door informing me I had won 30 million dollars, I'd have probably went with a DeWitts while I got a pedicure, and given him 10k to build me a $2500 dollar motor.

 

Even though I don't own one ( yet) when I finally get to that point on my resto , my ls3 480hp will have a dewitt rad infront of it. Too many good comments one it.

 

Pat well said. I wont pay an inflated cost just because everyone says its the only way to go. I I went with a inexpensive brand aluminum radiator a several years ago and was told by all that I was making a mistake, will I spent $200 on the radiator and got a steal on a brand new ford focus fan for $10. It kept my 355 small block cool at 180' no matter the outside temp, and it performs the same way with my 402 LS2. I used the other $775 on other go fast goodies and couldn't be happier with my research and decisions to go with the less expensive radiator. My Money well spent, since I don't have money to throw around at over priced parts. Sorry, I build on a budget like most others do.

Terry

 

This from the guy that spent big dollars for a Shark Bite suspension.

 

Patro46, You never stated that your specific radiator was for an LS engine swap. This was a general posting. And your coolant going twice as fast as normal, can travel too fast to pick up the heat adequately. Lou.

 

General posting. Understood. Please remember, you posted the question concerning rocket science specifically directed towards me. I simply gave you the answer, but you didn't like it. Lou, Lemme try and make this as simple as I possibly can.

(a)=2x speed (figuratively, probably less, making it even more efficient than I said it was)

(b)=2x coolant pass surface area (yup, that's twice the highway to travel on)

(c)= 'el washo (Not really though, as the crossflow design cools FAR better than a stock C3 radiator ever did)

Also, unlike a single pass radiator, a crossflow radiator will allow more pressure at the radiator inlet before the cap vents because the cap is on the low pressure side of the radiator, though I wouldn't recommend a crossflow design radiator for an early GM engine anyway. This involves the greater temperature differential on the crossflow design radiator, another story of it's own.
Also, Lou, if your theory held true, the DeWitt's crossflow radiators would suffer the same fate as a "grade two welding on wrong cut parts that have nothing to do with a Corvette" radiator.

 

I also think that a Dewitts is rahter overpriced. No doubt it is a quality piece, but I do not see a couple of electric fans and a different location for the inlet tube, cause such a big difference in price. Just my peronal opinion.

 

You cannot compare apples to oranges. You have the major USA manufacturers like Griffin, Becool, Ron Davis and DeWitts selling radiators for about $500. In this group of companies we are very competitive. You can't compare prices with $300 imported radiators. It's like saying an Escalade is overpriced because the 4runner cost less.

 

Wow, that escalated quickly...

 

hahaha

 

Well, the discussion of US. made and Chinese products can and has gone on for a long time now and includes all engine parts along with many other automotive parts. I find that the imports are generally not to the quality of the US made items.
The Price discussion also can and has also gone on for a long time. What I fear is over another generation or two the lessor quality parts will become the norm and good parts will go by the wayside. I understand that there will always be those who swear by the Chinese stuff. That the cranks and rods that are imported work as well as the Crower and Oliver parts and the JE and Wiseco but I don't think so.
So there will be those who for reasons of budget can only use the US items but I choose to wait a little longer and when it's possible buy the US made products.
That's why I have four DeWItts here for my older cars. If the import stuff works well and lasts then fine cash saved. if it doesn't then after it's bought the second time is there really any money saved? Not counting for wrench time lost.
If you want a real headache try mounting import sheet metal or work with stainless import gun parts that rust from the carbon contamination from poor metal quality. If they can't get stainless right, is it safe to think that they get steel or aluminum right?

 

You get what you pay for.

 

My .02 is that I went with DeWitt. Great after sale support, pricing is really a moot point (a couple of hundred) when you consider that their product is well made (in USA), problem free, does the job and fits the car to a Tee.

Got mine and Tom was great to deal with. PLUS he is a forum supporter.



Fred

 

Unlike all those cheap radiators, with a DeWitts, you get to talk to the man who's name is on the radiator and is in charge of it's manufacture.

Haven't seen anyone on here say they got to talk to Mr. Cool or Mr. Griffon. Or **** Ho for that matter.

 

made me laugh.....just so u know wilcox is having a sale right now.. so if my math is correct(it normally isn't) dewiest radiator and fans for about 800....

 

20% off coupon!

 

First chuckle this morning.

 

I bought a Dewitts radiator for my 78 L-82 about 5 years ago because I wanted to do it once and do it right. Dewitts Radiator is a quality piece and he stands behind his work. I rebuilt my L-82 into a 425 HP 355 with AFR aluminum heads, roller cam, and 10.2:1 compression engine this past spring and of course reused the Dewitts radiator-runs the same temp as with the OEM L-82 components-perfect.

I learned a long time ago that you get what you pay for-for the most part. I also learned not to buy cheap chinese parts, parts of unknown origin, or remanufactured parts whenever possible. Unless you are buying some part for a temporary fix-selling the car in the near future, for example, it is always best to buy quality…..

With all that said, I recently converted to American made rotors ONLY for my daily drivers. I had been buying Cheap chinese rotors for a while and changing them more often than I should be, AND finally after one of the rotors cracked, I said enough of this crap…Centric American made high carbon rotors now for those cars…2X the price of the Chinese rotors but last 2X as long and no durability/safety issues.

Some people, including me, have a hard head when it comes to quality...

 

With all that said, I recently converted to American made rotors ONLY for my daily drivers. I had been buying Cheap chinese rotors for a while and changing them more often than I should be, AND finally after one of the rotors cracked, I said enough of this crap…Centric American made high carbon rotors now for those cars…2X the price of the Chinese rotors but last 2X as long and no durability/safety issues.

Some people, including me, have a hard head when it comes to quality...[/QUOTE]



Absolutely accurate statement