yurizx6r

I have a 90 GT project car,and I've decided to totally redo the cooling system. I'm not planning on a putting in more than 400 hp at any time, so I was wondering if I should got with a regular radiator from advance auto parts for about 60 bucks (after sale price and coupon code) or invest 350 bucks for a high performance one... what difference will it make? Is it worth it? I'm not planning on racing the car, just driving it normally. I was also wondering if I get a high performance water pump, will I have to get a high performance radiator? The high performance water pump is only an extra 30 bucks... I'm also wondering what the big difference is on that as well. Thanks for all your help!

Bubba 95SN

Florida, a/c is a good thing, and upgrade is a fair thing to do. More impellers for greater volume of coolant. I use a Mishimoto without problems. Stinkin hot here on coast of NC in summer.

Tony71502

Aluminum radiators can hold more coolant as well as transfer heat to the cooling fins better because they are completely aluminum instead of a mix of different metals typical of stock radiators. Both are traits that help reduce engine temps.

yurizx6r

The radiator at advance is aluminum with a plastic core.... I've heard from one person to stay away from plastic. What do you think?

jojobanks

never seen a plastic core radiator. I've seen plastic housing with an aluminum core though. This is probably what autozone sells. Basically just a stock replacement.

Personally I went with one of the champion radiators off of ebay. 3 core all aluminum radiator for like $200. I asked around a lot about it before I bought it and there are plenty of other people as well that use these radiators with success.

If you plan on sprucing up the engine to around 400hp then a good radiator would be a good thing. Although I haven't really seen "high performance" water pumps do much good. They really don't flow that much better than stock. I would just go with a good solid all-aluminum radiator with a good fan and just make sure the rest is just up to par.

Tony71502

Don't go plastic and aluminum. Like I said earlier mixing materials means less thermal conduction. Go all aluminum or keep it stock. Plastic/aluminum sounds like a cheap and crappy way to reduce like 3 lbs from the weight of the radiator and nothing else.

TrimDrip

Plastic and aluminum won't hurt a thing. It is what Ford Racing sells. I am not sure that aluminum tanks are better than plastic tanks anyways. When plastic gets hot, it is easier to touch than hot aluminum....just makes since

Think about all these race cars that have these big aluminum radiators. They are driving a 1/4 mile at a time, not across Florida.

Tony71502

It's easier to touch because it doesn't conduct heat as well. It's an insulator. It may not hurt to run it but I'm saying it won't be as efficient. And if you don't think autocross cars that are in sustained high rpm don't use aluminum rads you need to check again.

Can you please link to me showing the cores in Ford radiators are plastic?

yurizx6r

Sorry, I didn't mean plastic core. I meant to say plastic tank.

TrimDrip

[QUOTE=Tony71502;7804295]It's easier to touch because it doesn't conduct heat as well. It's an insulator. It may not hurt to run it but I'm saying it won't be as efficient. And if you don't think autocross cars that are in sustained high rpm don't use aluminum rads you need to check again.

QUOTE]

A tank really doesn't do anything but hold water regardless of weather it is aluminum or plastic. The cooling comes from where the fan is over the radiator. I am not saying it won't work because my radiator is all aluminum. I am just saying, I have an idea that all aluminum is not really better.

Think about it. You put heat to a piece of metal, do you hold it in your hand??? Not unless you want burned right?

Okay, hot *** water goes out the top hose to the rad where you have a plastic tank. It isn't cooling right?? Because it doesn't conduct heat. BUT, when it crosses the fins to the other side it cools off. When it reaches the other tank, the plastic cooler because it isn't conducting heat from the aluminum fins, only from the water.

As to where the aluminum radiator is one mass of the same material and will have the hot tank that the lower hose is attached. Just like a piece of metal that you can't hold while heating. Yeah the first plastic tank will be hot on the inside but, I believe the second tank would be actually cooler.

It may not be true but, I believe it very well could be until something is shown to me besides what info has been given so far.