heater core/radiator questions

Technical Question and Answer - On topic to 71-74 Plymouth B-bodies only.

Moderator: Site Administrators

ralley72
GTX (RS)
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:05 pm
My Cars: 1973 Road Runner 400 4 speed
Location: Broke Down Lane, Holden Mo

heater core/radiator questions

Post by ralley72 » Wed Dec 27, 2017 9:13 pm

Who/where to purchase correct heater core? Need to replace mine,1973 non-air. looked at the ones at rockauto, looked like junk. O'rielly's doesn't have them for non-air cars.
Also want to go with a new aluminum radiator with electric fans, looking for suggestion on where to source/buy, what company has the best ones, or a setup you have had the best results with.

Thanks,

Mike

71bird
GTX (RS)
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 pm
My Cars: 69 Coronet 4 door.71 Road Runner. 71Dodge Tradesman 100 Van. 75 Dodge Dart. 95 Dodge Neon.
Location: morristown,tn.

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by 71bird » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:19 pm

Send your original to Glen Ray radiators for repair.
71 Road Runner - J68

User avatar
road chicken
GTX (RS)
Posts: 668
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:21 pm
Location: SE WI

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by road chicken » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:20 pm

I have a piece of junk out of Rock Auto cooking me out of mine every spring and fall for the past 4 years. Why not take it down to a local radiator shop? If the tanks are still good they should be able to re-core if for you.
No clue on the Al stuff. Good luck
4th generation B bodys- there is no substitute.
68 383, Street Demon 750, RPM top end,484/284/108 poo poo cam "-5 spd 4:10 SG, 4whl disk, Helwig Anti-Sway, Poly bushings,Firm Feel Box, HD Linkage, 1" t-bars, 7 leafs Springs

ralley72
GTX (RS)
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:05 pm
My Cars: 1973 Road Runner 400 4 speed
Location: Broke Down Lane, Holden Mo

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by ralley72 » Thu Dec 28, 2017 8:28 pm

There is a radiator repair shop about 50 miles away, they may be able to help.
Meant no offence on the rockauto one, glad yours is working good for you.
I did check on the Griffin with dual fans, kinda high priced. Anybody have experience with the Griffin radiators?

Mike

71bird
GTX (RS)
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 pm
My Cars: 69 Coronet 4 door.71 Road Runner. 71Dodge Tradesman 100 Van. 75 Dodge Dart. 95 Dodge Neon.
Location: morristown,tn.

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by 71bird » Fri Dec 29, 2017 10:54 am

Go over to the moparts web site, and read the posts where people with aftermarket aluminum radiators with electric fans have trouble keeping a engine cool. All that electric fan stuff is for modern cars. You can buy an al radiator that doesn't fit, or put a good 26 inch stock one with a 7 blade fan and a shroud and forget about it, besides the factory stuff just bolts together.
71 Road Runner - J68

dangina
GTX (RS)
Posts: 394
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:28 am
My Cars: 71 roadrunner
Location: lethbridge, ab

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by dangina » Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:02 am

I bought one from classic industries, my only complaint is I had to re solder the little plate that is inbetween the 2 inlet/outlet pipes, so far so good, going on 2 years, and I autox my car but it doesn't get a whole lotta miles on her yet
400 stroked to 470ci, 3:55 Eaton true trac, slightly upgraded suspension lol

BUILD THREAD!!!! http://www.protouringmopar.com/showthread.php?796-1971-Speedipus-Rex&highlight=speedipus

71_bronze_gtx
GTX (RS)
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:32 pm
My Cars: 71 GTX
72 cuda repli-mod
Location: S. E. Michigan

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by 71_bronze_gtx » Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:10 am

I was a manufacturing engineer for one of the big 3 (the one with four letters) for 24 years, in the aluminum heater core and radiator department, so I have some knowledge of these systems.

The Chrysler parts catalog does show different part numbers for A/C vs. non-A/C. It is possible, maybe even likely that the actual core itself is the same but the foam or rubber seals attached to it were different, because the assembly is different with the evaporator core added. Part numbers - non-A/C 3579171. A/C 3441180.

I don't know where to get a copper-brass replacement. You might find a shop to recore it. Is it leaking, or clogged?

System design of both the heater and radiator consists of three major things. Effective surface area of the heat exchanger, flow of air over that surface, and flow rate of the coolant. If you put in a new heat exchanger that is a signifcantly tighter pack of the fins in the core, air flow drops, particularly at higher fan speeds.

For aluminum radiators, I like the Champion brand. They make them to fit both 22" and 26" small block and big block, but may need slight alterations.

My example: my 72 340 'cuda, which when I bought it had a big cam, headers, high flow water pump, thermostatic clutch fan + 14" electric fan, etc. but had a POS aftermarket 22" copper-brass 2 row radiator with aftermarket shroud, which is more like a safety guard. Temperature liked to creep up over 200 on a hot day in traffic. The electric fan did virtually no good at all.

I put in a Champion 4-row 22" radiator and kept the shroud, but deleted the electric fan. No more rising temperature. 185 degree stat., and temp stays below 190. Paid about $230. A Be Cool brand radiator was around $600. Ouch. Champion has a website so you can see what product you want, but the best prices seem to be on ebay.

One reason an old engine may start to overheat is the internal cooling passages start to clog up with sludge and rust. I have had success in the past using Prestone Super Radiator Flush, letting it run for 10 hours.

User avatar
road chicken
GTX (RS)
Posts: 668
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:21 pm
Location: SE WI

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by road chicken » Fri Feb 02, 2018 7:50 pm

All good insights. Keeping it fresh is a good idea, every two years flush it and replace the fluids. Taking a presssure washer and GENTLY cleaning the debris out of the fins helps too.

No offense on the ROCK AUTO observation. Heater cores weren't every very pretty. Just letting you know they have been working for me very well. I have a 94 voyager 3.0 mitsushitty that had no heat- fixed the stat first- which then built up enough pressure to blow out the heater core, ( as things usually go). Same thing- uglier than sin but it works well. Even with the -16" we had earlier in the season it got the windows clear and van livable in 10 miles of highway driving.
4th generation B bodys- there is no substitute.
68 383, Street Demon 750, RPM top end,484/284/108 poo poo cam "-5 spd 4:10 SG, 4whl disk, Helwig Anti-Sway, Poly bushings,Firm Feel Box, HD Linkage, 1" t-bars, 7 leafs Springs

User avatar
rr6pak
GTX (RS)
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 10:29 pm
My Cars: 1971 Tor-Red RR
Location: USA

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by rr6pak » Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:54 pm

Glen Ray and be done
20161228_190144.jpg
20161228_190144.jpg (169.4 KiB) Viewed 24703 times

josephgiannini3
Satellite Coupe (RL)
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:36 am
My Cars: 1972 plymouth roadrunner h code 340 with 727

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by josephgiannini3 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:54 am

why not a replacement aluminum with dual electric fans hooked to a relay and ckt breaker..

ralley72
GTX (RS)
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:05 pm
My Cars: 1973 Road Runner 400 4 speed
Location: Broke Down Lane, Holden Mo

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by ralley72 » Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:52 pm

Finally home long enough to take my factory radiator to a local repair shop that's about 50 miles away. They tested it and said the top tank has to many small cracks to repair, so basically it junk. I'll be on the lookout for 28" radiator with numbers 3673053. for now it looks like after market. Glenn Ray doesn't have any 28" ones.

Mike

71bird
GTX (RS)
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 pm
My Cars: 69 Coronet 4 door.71 Road Runner. 71Dodge Tradesman 100 Van. 75 Dodge Dart. 95 Dodge Neon.
Location: morristown,tn.

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by 71bird » Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:19 pm

And why do you need a 28 inch radiator? My 26 inch cools my 528 Hemi just fine. Unless your car came with a 26 inch, you will have to open up the support for one. They make 26 plates just like the car would have come with, but I don't know of anybody that makes one for a 28 inch. Call glen ray, maybe they can put their top tank on you core.
71 Road Runner - J68

ralley72
GTX (RS)
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:05 pm
My Cars: 1973 Road Runner 400 4 speed
Location: Broke Down Lane, Holden Mo

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by ralley72 » Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:02 am

My 73 RR came from the factory with the 28" radiator. My RR is a non A/C 4 speed car. Following the advise from above I took it to the repair shop and talked with Glen Ray radiators, decided to go with the local repair shop first, Now it looks like aftermarket until I find the correct one that's repairable.


Mike

71bird
GTX (RS)
Posts: 526
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 pm
My Cars: 69 Coronet 4 door.71 Road Runner. 71Dodge Tradesman 100 Van. 75 Dodge Dart. 95 Dodge Neon.
Location: morristown,tn.

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by 71bird » Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:33 am

Ok, that sounds like a good plan.
71 Road Runner - J68

User avatar
rr6pak
GTX (RS)
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 10:29 pm
My Cars: 1971 Tor-Red RR
Location: USA

Re: heater core/radiator questions

Post by rr6pak » Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:52 am

Sorry but Ive never heard of a 28" radiator back in the day. Either 22" or 26", just saying.

Post Reply