Looking for upgraded radiator

[RCC1]

I have a 1993 SS truck that will getting a motor/trans upgrade soon. I am looking to for a new radiator with electric fans to keep everything cool.
Who make the best radiator for this set up?

Thanks in advance.

 

[RichLo]

AC Delco OEM style. Look up 3500 454 for your year. That's the biggest that will fit.

 

[NMNorsse]

My '88 5.7 came with a single core aluminum 28" radiator.

I snagged a 34" dual core OEM radiator, brackets and wider shroud out of a '96 5.7 from the treasure yard. Its got the transmission and oil cooler tanks. If you are eliminating those you could get an aftermarket 34" two or three row/core radiator and would just need brackets plus an aftermarket electric fan set up.

The radiator core support is the same for both size radiators but you need the brackets. Since you are using an electric fan you won't need the shroud. If you were sticking with original fan, you would need it. The '96 and later OEM fan is better than the earlier ones.

You use the same hoses but need a friction guard where it crosses the alternator, or whatever they call that piece of plastic around the hose.

1800radiator.com has good prices on new radiators.

 

[454cid]

I have a 1993 SS truck that will getting a motor/trans upgrade soon. I am looking to for a new radiator with electric fans to keep everything cool.
Who make the best radiator for this set up?

Thanks in advance.

I'd skip the electric fans unless there's a clearance issue, and unless you're putting in something bigger than a BBC, there wont' be. Most DIY installs don't cool that well. It takes a lot more engineering to get an effective system than most people realize.

Try to find the taller fan shroud and brackets from a later 454 truck, and then use that applications OEM style/size radiator. I'd suggest a TYC 1696.

More Information for TYC 1696

 

[Road Trip]

I have a 1993 SS truck that will getting a motor/trans upgrade soon. I am looking to for a new radiator with electric fans to keep everything cool.
Who make the best radiator for this set up?

Thanks in advance.

Greetings RCC1, and welcome to the GMT400 forum!

Listen, there's a group of fellow Texans who have
figured out what it takes to keep their hard-charging
engines cool. @454cid's comments in reply #4 are spot on.

And if you were to search this site for discussions about
cooling system upgrades, members like @L31MaxExpress
do a great job of describing their tested-good setups in
detail, both before & after.

My advice? Don't let all the marketeering surrounding
aftermarket cooling fans lead you to throwing away all
the solid cooling engineering that GM originally built into
these vehicles from the experience they gained through
testing at the Arizona Desert Proving Grounds.
(See attached, photo credit: random ebay auction -- also
Stoopid hot test specialists)

Or if you do deviate from what the factory came up with,
have a solid reason for doing so. By the way, sounds like
a nice truck that you are working with. Don't be bashful
sharing a photo or two.

Keep it cool!

Cheers --

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Greetings RCC1, and welcome to the GMT400 forum!

Listen, there's a group of fellow Texans who have
figured out what it takes to keep their hard-charging
engines cool. @454cid's comments in reply #4 are spot on.

And if you were to search this site for discussions about
cooling system upgrades, members like @L31MaxExpress
do a great job of describing their tested-good setups in
detail, both before & after.

My advice? Don't let all the marketeering surrounding
aftermarket cooling fans lead you to throwing away all
the solid cooling engineering that GM originally built into
these vehicles from the experience they gained through
testing at the Arizona Desert Proving Grounds.
(Stoopid hot test specialists)

Or if you do deviate from what the factory came up with,
have a solid reason for doing so. By the way, sounds like
a nice truck that you are working with. Don't be bashful
sharing a photo or two.

Keep it cool!

Cheers --

Agreed, I usually try to use the upgraded GM designed stuff myself. I have not had good luck with electric fans keeping an engine cool here in Texas. The clutch fan does better. The L31 I just built, probably a bit under 400 hp has a 454 spec radiator for a 1988-1991 G30 van, 4.3L 11 bladed S10 fan that fits in the OE 1987 G20 shroud nicely and a heavy duty tow package L31 350 fan clutch. I did not go with a severe duty on this one because I doubt it will tow anything. Even still I did add GMT400 replacement oil cooler lines to it to help keep the idle oil pressure up at hot idle. I have had it running with this setup, in 70F temps the fan mostly freewheels, when the engine gets up around 190F, you can hear the fan speed up for 30-60 seconds and the resulting surge in airflow, then it releases with the coolant down at the thermostats 178-180F closing point. With a properly functioning thermostatic fan clutch, it only runs the fan enough to keep it under the fans 190-200F set point.

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[revmatcher]

I did this:

1995 - 1998 Chevy Truck Aluminum Radiator Upgrade - 40" WIDTH - Dual 1

1995 – 1998 Chevy Truck Aluminum Radiator Upgrade – 40″ WIDTH – Dual 16″ HPX Fans This is our all new aluminum radiator for the 1988 - 1998 Chevy trucks that use the 34" wide core radiator (40" overall width) with an overall height of 19". This WILL NOT fit trucks that use the radiator with a...

ecp-radiator.com

 

[GoToGuy]

Just so you know. You can use a big block radiator in small block truck. But u can't use a big block fan shroud. The big block fan sits higher. You can use any size radiator but the fan shroud must be for the engine installed.
Also the HD radiator is 2.5 inches taller. So you need the z shaped upper brackets and the taller upper fan shroud.