nhra_crazy

iTrader: (86)

Looking to find out if I can use my aftermarket Be-cool Rad for my Ls swap as long as I do the steam vent mod to the water pump.. My rad is huge and worked well with my 406. Any insight would be great. The new setup is gonna be a boosted 408.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

Yup.. a radiator is a Radiator.. As long as it can meet your requirement. Just have to worry about the correct Inlet and outlet to match up with the engines intake and outlet on the pump is the correct size and capcity (2 or more rows).. you old one looks like it well be fine....

I am just using a Generic EBay alum one myself that is the same size as my OEM one. No problems...

Chevy406

iTrader: (12)

I re-used my old SBC-406 Griffith radiator on my LQ4 408 this summer while I broke it in naturally aspirated. This winter I started the turbo portion of the build. After I installed my air-to-air intercooler 2 weeks ago I decided that I will have to replace the 31" wide Griffith with more like a 27.5". I'm trying to decide between 2 rows of 1", 1¼" or 1½" tubes. I suppose bigger is better as far as cooling is concerned - especially with my twin turbos. I'm limited to 6½" between the water pump and the intercooler, so it's a tight fit with a 3" thick radiator and electric fans. But Griffith quoted me their 2-row 1½" tube radiator in 27½"x19"x3¼" with a 5/8" thick aluminum shroud and a pair of fans (Spal maybe?) with a total assembled thickness of 5.9". Sounds like it will fit, but it's pricey at around $700. I'm concerned with under hood temperatures trying to street drive with 2 turbos and an air-to-air intercooler, so I think it's money well spent to get a really good cooling system.
Another thing to consider is the fins per inch. Griffith uses 14 fins per inch of tube while Ron Davis uses 18 fins per inch. Ron Davis said their 2-row with 1" dia tubes would cool a street driven twin turbo with front mount IC just fine - but their radiator/fan assembly was over 6" thick and it was $1,200.
I don't know if I answered your question or not. I just happen to be in the market for a cooling system too.

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

It should, my 40 year old stock one worked for my lq9 and ls1.

arthropraxis

It should be fine, if it is in good shape. The radiator I used doesn't have a fill cap. It is filled through the overflow tank. The steam pipe is a T with the steam vent off the radiator and they both vent into the overflow tank. There is more than one way to do this, you don't have to vent it back into the waterpump.