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What’s the best performance radiator to replace stock with?
I have a 01 z28 t56. It seems to run a little warm but cooling system is mostly new except radiator. What’s the best upgrade I can get to replace the factory one with to make sure it stays cool under all conditions. Should factory fans also be upgraded? Don’t want to have to modify anything significantly.
I have a 01 z28 t56. It seems to run a little warm but cooling system is mostly new except radiator. What’s the best upgrade I can get to replace the factory one with to make sure it stays cool under all conditions. Should factory fans also be upgraded? Don’t want to have to modify anything significantly.
I put a 2-row ebay all aluminum radiator in recently when my new engine went in, really just to hold me over until the bigger Griffin vertical mount goes into my frame rail spot to accommodate the single turbo Huron T6 kit.
This thing is ridiculous how good it cools even with my 390ci iron block. I have to do a cold start one day, go for a drive, videoing the whole time for anyone to belive it. As long as I'm moving, at all, any speed and not just stuck in stop and go traffic with the A/C on.......it will not go above 187 on the scanner. If I do get caught in traffic on a very hot day with the A/C on.....it'll go as high as 210* but no more. My temps could never do that on a hot day stuck in stop and go traffic with my LT1 or LS1 radiators and my stroker engines over the years. When stock before any mods.....well yea. I use a 180* t-stat.....the 160* t-stat would always over heat my engine because it would never get a chance to close to allow the coolant in the radiator enough sit time to cool down before opening agian. So it would just stay open and the temp needle would just move right across into the red if I let it. Put the 180* t-stat in and bam, problem solved.
Not saying 187 is so great, but this all aluminum radiator is built excellent, fits just like stock and looks nice. I did have a wierd issue with the coolant level sensor leaking. maybe they screwed up the inner diamter of the port. But a simple o-ring change on the sensor solved that issue.
I have a 01 z28 t56. It seems to run a little warm but cooling system is mostly new except radiator. What’s the best upgrade I can get to replace the factory one with to make sure it stays cool under all conditions. Should factory fans also be upgraded? Don’t want to have to modify anything significantly.
Sounds obvious to say, but, if you're running hot something is wrong that wasn't wrong before. A radiator doesn't just change unless its an obvious clog. maybe the t-stat is sticking open or partially open. If that happens, it happened to me once, the hot coolant that just flowed into the radiator will not get enough sitting time to cool off and the coolant will just keep heating up as it circulates.
Check in front of your condenser to see if a plastic bag or something has gone up in there.
Make sure BOTH fans are running when they come on....in LOW and HIGH settings.
If you're losing coolant a lot of times that simple fix is a new radiator cap.
Sounds obvious to say, but, if you're running hot something is wrong that wasn't wrong before. A radiator doesn't just change unless its an obvious clog. maybe the t-stat is sticking open or partially open. If that happens, it happened to me once, the hot coolant that just flowed into the radiator will not get enough sitting time to cool off and the coolant will just keep heating up as it circulates.
Check in front of your condenser to see if a plastic bag or something has gone up in there.
Make sure BOTH fans are running when they come on....in LOW and HIGH settings.
If you're losing coolant a lot of times that simple fix is a new radiator cap.
see that’s the thing I just had it at a shop who found the water pump leaking and replaced the thermostat. What I see is the temp rises well above running temp but will come down in a little bit. The temp just seems to be varying up and down too much for it to seem to be operating properly. I would believe the water pump and thermostat are ok and they pressure tested the radiator for leaks.
see that’s the thing I just had it at a shop who found the water pump leaking and replaced the thermostat. What I see is the temp rises well above running temp but will come down in a little bit. The temp just seems to be varying up and down too much for it to seem to be operating properly. I would believe the water pump and thermostat are ok and they pressure tested the radiator for leaks.
Your system may have an air bubble stuck inside.
But I have also in my 25 years with LS engines had brand new “BAD” t-stats.
They're cheap. Try an another new one.
A leaking water pump still pumps water the same, so just focus on the other parts of the system.
I personally chose to drill a hole in my water pump and connect my steam vent line to that, instead of running it like factory over to the radiator port just under the radiator fill neck.
see the black steel braided lines, that’s a steam vent kit running to all 4 head ports.
when I need to bleed my coolant system I simply loosen that silver nut and the air ****** out. As soon as I see just coolant pissing out I tighten it and it’s fully bled.
Not that you should go this route, I did it because I just recently installed a new engine so I did the steam vent kit.
Bleeding without this can be a pain in the *** or you can get lucky and the coolant will reach the t-stat to heat it up so it’ll open, while you are standing there watching the coolant level drop down so you can keep topping it off.
Start this process with a COLD engine with the radiator cap off.
BTW…..go remove your radiator cap. If it’s not topped off you have an air bubble.
Sounds obvious to say, but, if you're running hot something is wrong that wasn't wrong before. A radiator doesn't just change unless its an obvious clog. maybe the t-stat is sticking open or partially open. If that happens, it happened to me once, the hot coolant that just flowed into the radiator will not get enough sitting time to cool off and the coolant will just keep heating up as it circulates.
Check in front of your condenser to see if a plastic bag or something has gone up in there.
Make sure BOTH fans are running when they come on....in LOW and HIGH settings.
If you're losing coolant a lot of times that simple fix is a new radiator cap.
What is he calling “a little warm?” If the stock fan settings are set to come on at 230* then I would call 205* “good” and over 230 “hot.”
Last edited by Y2K_Frenzy; Jul 23, 2024 at 10:55 AM.
Yea my Fans are set to come on at like 200 low and 210 high.
Bleeding that little silver nut works for your setup, you want to get to the highest point of the Engine to let the air out.
I fill through the upper Radiator Hose, put that on the Radiator, fill that up and start the car. I let it run with the little funnel kit you can buy at the store that basically has the adapter cap you put on the Radiator and put the Funnel in that. Car warms up the coolant comes up the funnel then it drops when the T-stat opens. Fill it up from there to the top put the Radiator Cap on and it's done. Make sure overflow is filled to the HOT line, Come out the next morning see if you need to add any.
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What’s the best performance radiator to replace stock with? 
