MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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kellysguy
Ralph Cramdin Hummina Hummina

(5 posts)

Registered:
02/01/2012 08:09PM

Main British Car:


Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: kellysguy
Date: June 30, 2022 08:48PM

How many cores are you Mustang radiator guys running and do any of you have AC too?


Thanks


kellysguy
Ralph Cramdin Hummina Hummina

(5 posts)

Registered:
02/01/2012 08:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: kellysguy
Date: July 19, 2022 11:04PM

243 views and nobody knows anything?


mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2461 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: mgb260
Date: July 20, 2022 02:08AM

Most aluminum radiators are two core but 1".


waterbucket
Philip Waterman
England
(112 posts)

Registered:
07/30/2011 01:08PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB GT

Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: waterbucket
Date: July 20, 2022 03:18PM

The number of cores is not as important as you might think, after the first core which gets ambient air after that they just get hotter and hotter air. More important is the number of fins to carry the heat away, if you look at an old radiator the fins are probably three times as far apart as on a modern radiator, Due to this in a multi core radiator the back core may be taking hot coolant to the bottom.


kellysguy
Ralph Cramdin Hummina Hummina

(5 posts)

Registered:
02/01/2012 08:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Mustang Radiator Questiono
Posted by: kellysguy
Date: July 23, 2022 05:29PM

Jim that’s exactly why I’m asking. Everyone refers to the “Mustang” radiator but they don’t specify which core version. I spoke with ACP about their 2x1.25” tube vs their 3 x 3/4” tube models and they stated that the 2 was a racing radiator but the 3 core was fine on the street. They stated only a 5-8% difference in efficiency between the two in dyno testing. Those cost $338/ $308 respectively.

Then there are the standard tube size 3 and 4 core eBay radiators that are $107 and $209 respectively.

What I’m asking is; who is running the older stock tube size radiators, who’s running the later designed ones and what are the results.

(Or


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Questiono
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: July 25, 2022 09:15AM

There are a number of people using the 65-67 Mustang radiator, Ralph. Some use the original style & some use the modern version. Guess you will have to create you own scorecard to tally the numbers.


kellysguy
Ralph Cramdin Hummina Hummina

(5 posts)

Registered:
02/01/2012 08:09PM

Main British Car:


Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: kellysguy
Date: July 26, 2022 08:58PM

Yep Carl they sure do but everyone fails to mention which design or core size which is why I ask.

“Cooling: 64-66 Mustang radiator” doesn’t tell me a whole lot and that the longer version of most folk’s description. There’s simply no numbers to tally.

There are 6 different versions of the “stock” Mustang radiator and nobody says anything about which one they have.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2022 09:03PM by kellysguy.



rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: rficalora
Date: July 26, 2022 09:01PM

For what it's worth, I have a 3" thick (not sure how many rows) aluminum radiator similar in size to the Mustang radiators. I have AC & have sat, with the AC on, in 100*F temps for about an hour without over heating.

My son has the 22" Maxx Power that Eastwood sells. It required some frame rail notches to fit.

Both of our cars have Ford 302's. Neither overheats.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: July 27, 2022 09:47AM

If I was considering notching the frame rails I'd just go all the way and do the wide radiator mod.

Jim


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: July 28, 2022 09:52AM

Whatever Rob is using is all most of us will ever need. Unless, one is making 500+ horsepower. ;)

I believe Rob's Volvo fan is a big part of the solution.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: July 28, 2022 10:55AM

Sorry Carl but I have to disagree. Can't really base the average on your experience either, but we all know cooling is an issue with this car. If you looked at a period GM with a 300 or 350 cid engine (~150-325 hp typically) you'd invariably see a 17 x 32" crossflow radiator. While that may not be the most obvious starting point for engines below 5L, keep in mind those cars all had very roomy engine bays with lots of space for air circulation, and yet they were invariably fitted with fan shrouds and large capacity engine driven fans. What this tells me is that long term durability required it or they wouldn't have done it. Now a Volvo or Caravan fan may be the equal of the old engine driven fans, maybe, but it really has to be better to overcome restrictions to airflow in this car doesn't it? Right there I think you begin to run into problems and it isn't a big one but it gets added to the others.

Frontal area is next. Sure, the Mustang radiator was fine with the 289 in the Mustang. It's not likely to perform equally well in the MGB though due to airflow and placement. It'll be fine for most motors but all I'm saying is that if you already have to cut the frame to mount it there is an option that lets you retain the integrity of the front bumper while eliminating any cooling issues in the future. And high capacity Mustang radiators are not exactly cheap. Cheap ones are not exactly high capacity.

Finally, it's my opinion that none of these radiators are going to give 100% satisfaction without a properly designed surge tank engineered to keep the heads and the radiator filled with coolant under all conditions. This is a known problem due to the low radiator placement and must be addressed. Coolant level in the system must remain well above the level of the coolant passages in the heads at all times and under all conditions. This includes downhill braking and rapid throttle transitions which create fluctuations in the pump output among others. Add those concerns to the others and it's easy to see that the Mustang radiator may not always be adequate even for engines well below a 500 hp output, maybe even below 150hp under some conditions.

Jim


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: July 28, 2022 02:58PM

Whatever Rob is using down in the heat of South Texas and running an A/C, is more than enough for East TN.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Mustang Radiator Question
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: July 29, 2022 09:18AM

Probably. But as we've seen, for reasons we don't seen to fully understand some engines, even within the same engine family just seem to need more cooling than others. It's generally cheaper and easier than swapping the engine to upgrade the radiator.

Jim


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