Hi all,

I am planning to put a Smeding 347 crate engine in my 65 coupe. I am starting to think about the radiator for the project. I am leaning toward one of the aluminum Scott Drake Models or similar. My question is should I buy an original style radiator with the inlet and outlet on the right (passenger side) or a radiator for a 302 block (with the inlet to the right of the radiator and the outlet to the left side).

I tried asking Smeding today but the individual who answered the phone claimed he didn't know. This is making me wonder if Smeding is the right choice. Does anyone have experience with this shop?

Thanks.

 

i thought the lower hose came in between the middle and the end because of the way the frame was designed. thats how it looked on a 69 i was looking at the other day. you need to get one that will work with your body. also, which side does your hose come out of the water pump?

 

Thanks 77stang.

I guess the tricky thing here is that I am doing a conversion from a 6-cylinder to a v-8. I was hoping to purchase the radiator before buying the engine so when then engine arrived, I could drop everything in in one weekend. Unfortunately, Smeding (the guys I was thinking about going with for the engine) didn't offer me any help.

For the '65 stang, the radiator mounts inside the frame. I don't think the frame is an issue...however, your point is intriguing and I may have to take a second look just to be certain.

If I order the wrong radiator, can the error be fixed with hose routing...or is that a recipie for disaster?

 

I wouldn"t attempt a "hose routing fix" for anything but very minor fit-up issues arising from a swap of any kind (been there at least a couple of times). That pretty much rules out any routing where either hose has to cross the plane of the fan in any unusual or non-stock location or needs to be a lot longer than original to "get from here to there" and perhapshave a strange turn required to fit up to some connection. IMO, it"s not worth the risk of excessive hose vibration or too much lateral "play" allowing the fan to nick the hose or cause a radiator neck to eventually crack/leak. Might be best to fit the radiator to the actual engine/intake/water pump and wait the week or so it takes for the right radiator to ship.


Norm

 

I'm strongly considering going with Smeding 347 also. Reviews I read seem to indicate they were top notch. Like the idea of 2yr warranty and dyno tuned. Be interested in understanding how they work out for you.

 

more hp = more heat.

there is/was a post running by ScottH about fitting a 67 radiator support to a 66.
the 65/65 rad is very narrow which limits cooling capacity. you can make it thicker (3 row or 4 row) or use aluminum but it will always be limited.

Scott is replacing the whole front panel. I am planning on a simpler version which is to cut out part of the existing rad support to allow fitting a wider radiator. There is a "natural" line to follow (if you look at the panel from the front) which will take your exposed surface from 17" to at least 20". Any good radiator shop can relocate the hose locations on the tanks to wherever you want them on a brass/ copper rad. Otherwise its not that difficult to get suitable hoses. remember the 289 in the 65/66 went to a narrow rad, and the 67 up was wider. Its not a big deal. I put an oversize rad in my GT, bent up the shape and length of hose from an old bit of flat steel and them went and matched that with hoses at the local parts store. I think i ended up with a toyota hose?!?!

 

As for which side the inlet and outlet are on will depend on if you want a stock style pulley setup or a serpentine belt setup. You can use either setup. The engine builder should of been able to tell you that its a basic question and a very important one to building a turnkey engine. As most everyone on here knows I work for a crate engine builder. You may want to have a look at us. If you give us a call all your question will be answered correctly before you order the engine. Heres the website. http://tandlengines.com/