LT4 LT4 radiator size???

[fng]

hi guys. can someone please tell me the size of the radiator in a lt4?? single row??double row?? i live in a pretty extreme summer climate and am thinking pretty serious about a larger radiator. i put a 2 row griffin in my c3 and it helped quite a bit. about 30* actually.

anyway. last night on the way home it got to about 220 in stop and go and it was only about 60* outside. when summer hits and its 115 and the a/c is on, i dont want to cook my nice new(to me) lt4. i looked between the rad and condenser and there doesnt appear to be a lot of crud. probably should pull it and clean it before summer, but if the oem radiator is only a single core, i think i'll upgrade. i realize 220 isnt all that hot, but this is still winter. dont need any probs come summer.

thanks for any input here fellas, and what are opinions on aftermarket ones. like i said , i have a griffin in my c3, but i want the best one i can get for this one. i'm willing to bite the bullet and spend what it takes for high end piece. thanks again, regards, j.d.

 

[Wake]

Don't worry about upgrading the radiatior for normal driving...

My Vettes have been to AZ (Phoenix) durng the summer without a problem... When the A/C is on the fans run most of the time so you'll stay around 200... Just make sure to clean in front of and behind the radiator a couple times a year and keep the cooling system maintained and you'll be fine...

I've never looked at the radiator core in the Vette, but it seems like most cars built in the 90s and up that I've seen were wide single core radiators...

 

[Skyguy007]

With all due respect to the previous response, my Grand Sport used to really cook last summer unless I kept the A/C (and its fan) on. It is a great idea, however, to keep the front of the radiator clean, even though it can be a pain to get at. I've found food wrappers, plastic bags, and all other sorts of road trash stored in front of the radiator on my Vette.

Last December one of the radiator's plastic end tanks on my car split. Rather than replace the tanks, I installed an aluminum Fluidyne unit along with a 160 degree thermostat and new hoses. The operating temp during cool weather now runs right at 160. In 70+ degree weather last weekend the temp was running 160-180. I realize that the 200 plus temps won't fry the engine, but sooner or later the computer's going to retard he timing to stop the spark knock that's bound to happen from the preignition. I can run cooler temps and still meet whatever emissions specs are needed.

If you're checking out radiators, you might also want to check out DeWitts in Michigan. They put together a fine black painted aluminum unit for my old '69 Vette big block. Their service was excellent as was the radiator. In the '69, I felt the engine ran better with a 180 degree thermostat than with 160 or 195 degree stats.

Good luck.

 

[Wake]

With all due respect to the previous response, my Grand Sport used to really cook last summer unless I kept the A/C (and its fan) on. It is a great idea, however, to keep the front of the radiator clean, even though it can be a pain to get at. I've found food wrappers, plastic bags, and all other sorts of road trash stored in front of the radiator on my Vette.

Ah, I should have added that I also have help from an HPP+... I have it set for a 160F thermostat even though I run the stock 180F...

The Hypertech helps by turning the fans on sooner and helps keep the radiator coolant from even getting that hot in the first place... That might be why I keep the lower temps since I don't wait until 230F before turning the fans on... That's the only reason I use the HPP+ and the reason I have it set for the 160F thermo... I just figured that it was easier to keep the coolant at a lower temp than it was for the radiator to have to cool it down from a higher temp...

Think of using a HPP+ or other type of tuning mod that controls the fans as doing the same thing as running the A/C... Seeing the effects of running the A/C in the summer was what first gave me the idea of using the HPP+ in the first place...

 

[fng]

thanks for the input fellas. i may put in one of those chips that turns the fans on sooner, but i think i will put in a larger radiator. cheap insurance actually. thanks again. regards, j.d.