Butch's 64 Sport Fury 383-Radiator-cooling system

[Butch Edison <waedison@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm going to post notes about 3 or 4 things I've been working on to get this
car ready for Hot August Nights. You can learn some from my mistakes...

Cooling system: The car overheated,seriously. It had an electric fan on it,
but that barely kept the temps manageable in the typical 70 degree weather
we see in Puget Sound in the summertime. I had a new S-383 in 64, drove it
in Nevada for 3 years with no overheating, so know that Ma Mopar had
originally designed a reliable cooling system. My solution? Cool Cruising
water pump, restoration fan shroud and fan from Mancine, air dam replacement
as it was missing, new hood to radiator seal. The radiator looked the same
to me as one I have in another 64 SF, so I took the car to a local radiator
shop for cleaning thinking that was the problem.

$$cha-ching...radiator shop says the system's pretty clean, no thermostat in
the car so they put one in. Also, the lower rad fitting is crooked, needs to
be straightened if I want to use the reproduction hoses and spring clamps I
provided. I think "hmmm, maybe it got smacked sometime in it's past, so
okay, let's do that."  $$ cha-ching.  I get the car back, drive it home, and
it's overheating even worse! So, I'm thinking water pump may be going bad.
Get the new hi-perf Cool Cruising water pump ($$ cha-ching), Mancini fan
shroud and clutch fan ($$ cha-ching), used air dam ( you know..$$$). I start
putting it all together and think, "Well maybe the cores in the radiator are
actually clogged. Back to the radiator shop and they say, no need, it's
clean, but it seems like a 2-core rad isn't right for a big block Mopar.
ARGGGGHHHH....WRONG RADIATOR! So, I'm now running out of time. What to do?
Radiator shop...." Well, we can put in a high efficiency 3-core in that rad,
the top and bottom stay the same, that should do it. You can hear the cash
register from where you sit $$$$$$$ CHA-CHING !!!!  I say go ahead, or this
car isn't going to be cruising Virginia Street in Reno....

Get the radiator back, guess what? Now the Mancini resto stuff won't fit!
Again, wrong radiator, by about 1/4" The fan shroud will fit on my other SF,
so I know the Mancini kit is right.


Good news: The car runs cool, right where it should 190 degrees. It will go
on the trailer Tuesday for its ride to Reno. Why not drive the car there? No
A/C, no cruise control, etc. 

Bad news: I now own a Mancini resto kit that is no use to me unless I buy a
correct radiator, which will then leave me with a very nice, one-off, high
priced 3-core rad that is not correct to the car, but cools like a dream.

Question you may ask if you're not asleep by now... why didn't you just swap
the rad, fan, and shroud off your other SF? Answer only makes sense to me.
That car runs VERY COOL with a big 440 in it. This winter, it's going to
receive a very correct 426 Max Wedge that Dan Dvorak is building for it. I
don't want to screw with something that works AND until I started to put the
Mancini kit on my car, did not know I had an incorrect rad in terms of size.
Thought all along it would accept those parts.

So...... I may still get the correct rad for the 383 and try to sell one of
you a VERY nice 3-core rad, OR I may just try to sell one of you a brand new
Mancini after market fan shroud and clutch fan.

More to come...torqueflite...and exhaust systems...both were adventures..

Biggest lessons learned.... I should have started WAY earlier on these
things. I could have made better and cheaper decisions but the clock was
ticking by the time I got around to taking things apart.

/Butch/Ferndale, WA


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