Upgrading cooling system

[80VetteL82]

Okay, so as I continue to make plans for my motor swap, Ive been making a list of everything I ANTICIPATE I will need for the project, along with prices.

Ive come to the point of my stock cooling system. I know this wont handle the job required to keep the new 383 cool, so I intend to start fresh. Im planning on getting a bigger aluminum radiator and electric fans. The fans are where my questions are. Ive been looking around and theres a lot of choices out there, so I want to get some advice on what others have done.

Do you recommend going with 1 big fan, or the dual fans? What am I looking for, a pusher or puller? Do I need a special thermostat? Also, what else am I going to need as far as wiring? I know Ill need a thermostat switch to activate and deactivate the fans, but any recommendations on what exactly to get.

Like I said, Ive been looking around mainly on Summit and Ecklers. Summit has a lot of great options. Ecklers has a nice kit made by SPAL, and it includes everything I think. Heres a link to that kit Corvette Dual Radiator Fans, Electric, 11" Direct-Fit, 1969-1982.

;helpPlease, any advice is helpful.

Thanks,

Kevin


Edit: This is what I was looking at from summit

fans: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G4852/

wiring: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-890016/

 

[6880 Mike]

I would think the stock L-82 set up in your car would handle the 383. It shouldn't be running any warmer than the L-82.

 

[gmjunkie]

I would think the stock L-82 set up in your car would handle the 383. It shouldn't be running any warmer than the L-82.

As long as the radiator ain't clogged up and good air flow,she'll be good to go!!

 

[80VetteL82]

Hmm interesting, that would be great...a lot less money Id need to be spending. A lot of people on here had been saying I would need to upgrade. So you guys think all of the stock cooling components would handle it?...cause I dont want to get it in and then have cooling issues haha.

 

[gmjunkie]

Hmm interesting, that would be great...a lot less money Id need to be spending. A lot of people on here had been saying I would need to upgrade. So you guys think all of the stock cooling components would handle it?...cause I dont want to get it in and then have cooling issues haha.

As long as your Fan Clutch is good,Your Radiator has good flow,Your chin spoiler is in place,and All the baffles are in place with good air flow,It'll take what your going to throw at it and more!

 

[6880 Mike]

...Hmm interesting, that would be great...a lot less money Id need to be spending...

 

[80VetteL82]

As long as your Fan Clutch is good,Your Radiator has good flow,Your chin spoiler is in place,and All the baffles are in place with good air flow,It'll take what your going to throw at it and more!

Yah, I was suprised about the chin spoiler/air dam. When I first got the car it was having overheating problems. Turned out it was because that was missing. Its amazing what a lack of proper air flow can do.

I know Im going to need a new shroud, mine current one is all cracked up. Everything else is in pretty good shape. The radiator is 4 years old, so I think it should be okay...but we'll see. Thanks for the advice though, its definitely great to here that I dont really need to spend all that money! Just saves me more cash to put towards other things haha...like a hooker side pipe set up

 

[Copdogcorvettes]

If you go with elec. fans get a duel system that flows no less than 2700 cfm. 3000 cfm if you live in the south or do alot of city driving. The stock radiator, if in good condition, should work just fine.

Gary

 

[80VetteL82]

As long as your Fan Clutch is good,Your Radiator has good flow,Your chin spoiler is in place,and All the baffles are in place with good air flow,It'll take what your going to throw at it and more!

Heres a question for you. My shroud is basically junk, so I will need a new one to get all the stock components operating properly. However, a new shroud cost somewhere around $400, so for that money would I be better off just buying the electric fan kit? Its about the same money, and will move air better than the stock fan anyways right?

 

[Copdogcorvettes]

Replacement shroud can be found here or other places like Ebay for alot less than $400. Changing to elec. fans is your choices and they do flow more air if you get a good system; spending the money to change over is up to you.

Gary

 

[Rodney Gold]

I have found the shroud + original fan cool very very well , in my case , I deleted the Aircon radiator and fitted a 16" temp switched fan to the outside of the rad in addition to all else and also added a manual ovveride - It was somewhat of a waste a the car never runs hot , despite being in africa where temps can get very high. Im pushing out quite a lot of HP as well. If you do intend using aircon , then you might have to do some mods if you are running a real high hp motor.

At the end of it all , it's only if the radiator is puking water that the car "overheats" , ideally you want the engine to get real hot to make hp (conversely you want the intake charge air to be as cool as possible so that air density is high )
Using a 15 psi cap and antifreeze will allow temps of up to 230 degrees before boiling.
One of the problems most guys encounter is overheating at idle - often a VERY simple fix can be implemented and that is taking vac advance from a ported source to a full manifold source.
If you are overheating at WOT , then there are also other fixes , richen up the mixture , check timing to see you arent pinging , look at coolant circulation rates and airflow and lastly , look at the radiator itself.
I am installing an aluminium radiator in my vette - but it's not for keeping it cool , it''s just bling as it looks "cool"

 

[gmjunkie]

Replacement shroud can be found here or other places like Ebay for alot less than $400. Changing to elec. fans is your choices and they do flow more air if you get a good system; spending the money to change over is up to you.

Gary

 

[Hib Halverson]

While I agree with those here who feel the OE 82 cooling system would be adequate for the typical street high-performance 383 in many duty cycles, I also think that an aluminum radiator with electric fans would be a better choice, if you could afford it.

My reasoning is that, while the stock radiator, clutch-fan and so forth, if they are in proper working order, will be adequate, I think that under more severe duty--say agressive driving in warm weather or track day events, you might find the cooling marginal and this marginality may be more or less depending on how agressive a 383 you build. For example at 375 hp you'd probably be ok most of the time but with 475 hp you'd be watching the temperature gauge in warm weather when driving the car hard.

The SPAL electric fan conversion cited in the first post if a very good choice. SPAL makes excellent products. Its aftermarket fan systems are designed with some of the same features SPAL puts in the cooling products it sells OEs. Good aftermarket fan packages, such as SPAL, include the necessary thermostatic swtich to run the system.

An aluminum radiator is always a good investment for a street hi-po C3 modified for 400+ horsepower. Good ones from from DeWitt's and Griffin.

You don't need anything special as far as a thermostat---as long as you have an ordinary 180-deg unit, you'll be fine.

Finally, my 71 Big-Block hot rod has electric fans but they're not SPAL. I installed electric fans long before SPAL came to market with its aftermarket electric fan conversions. Back in the mid-90s, I modified the electric fan system from a 90-95 ZR-1 and installed it, along with a Griffin Radiator. It wasn't that difficult, but it was not a bolt in. I use a GM thermostatic switch to control the fans. The system cools my 460-in BBC quite well.

That said, if I was to do the sam conversion today, I wouldn't fuss with the trying to adapt an OE GM system from another platform, I'd go with one of the aftermarket fan systems SPAL sells.

 

[JohnZ]

Using a 15 psi cap and antifreeze will allow temps of up to 230 degrees before boiling.

Actually, that's 265*F.

 

[Rodney Gold]

Sorry - Im in a country that uses "Real" measurements (metric) so I have translation problems sometimes