Anyone using a griffin radiator? what else is everyone runni

[Guest Anonymous]

Teamcruz is right on about plastic radiators. All aluminum radiators requre special care in rubber mounting them to the car due to vibration.JTR is a little out of date on all aluminum radiators I remember a 100 degree Sunday in Redmond , Oregon patching up a Corvette plastic/aluminum radiator to get it the 150 miles back home.I spent Saturday getting the car to Redmond and ruined my Eastern Oregon vacation. The plastic ain't much good after it heat swells a few thousand times.The only reason all the manfacturers are slapping on plastic side tanks to the aluminum is expense and the plastic will outlast the warranty. Try to find one of those JTR radiators and call up JTR and ask about the "state of availability" and where to get one if they do not have any in stock.......... As a post script: I am not joking but making a point about the availability of a radiator introduced 20 years ago that is difficult to now find in the 21st century. In one of the above posts there is a stock # and price on a Griffin radiator from Summitt. In the catalog directly below the Griffins are some low cost brass/copper racing radiators that would fit a Z but they are also out of production too as of January this year.Go internet shopping and one company now has a fair amount of monopoly on radiator sales under various company names. I was calling different companies and getting the same sales people and was on a first name basis with one woman. A few months earlier I had found the "JTR radiator" on the internet in the right size for $114.00 and free shipping but it and the company had disappeared when I was ready to buy. I even got in on this unpublished phone number to Modine and found the "JTR radiator" was discontinued.I could not find the right radiator(JTR) that was less than $20.00 than the right Griffin that no one is complaining about. Just install it right with rubber protection.The JTR manual is a guideline and then there is the reality of price and availabilty. I have some cast iron ramshorn manifolds that cost me more than Summitt's blockhuggers on the written advice from the 7th edition JTR. Ramshorn headers have skyrocketted recently by collector demand. A water temperature adapter that cost over $20.00 to make upon JTR advice when Stewert Warner has been making the samme adapter for years at $4.00

[DavyZ]

Mike Knell is very aware that the Camaro radiator is lacking in availability. Please don't call him to discuss this--I surely hope you were joking. He is searching for a good stock alternative, but hasn't printed an update yet. Again, calling him is not the best thing when you have the availability of hundreds of guys on this board. Just go with what most guys here seem to be having good luck with. I have a Camaro radiator, and I'm sure it will do just fine for the 350. My second choice would be a Griffin or a Howe, period.

 

Davy

[Mike kZ]

I'm running the Camero rad. So far the hottest it's been here is in the 80's. My temp has not gone over 185, and my engine is far from stock.

[Guest Anonymous]

Thats a sweet setup you got there Mike, I especially like the Air Filter.

I went with the Griff only cause it gets hotter than hell here in Texas...104 degrees in the summer is nothing new to us. Luckily summer isn't all year long

[Danno74Z]

FYI: Last week, I called JTR and the person I spoke to said that they had a "new" radiator in stock for the Z conversion. I was buying something else from them at the time and the radiator happened to come up in the conversation. I did not ask about the price but apparently a new radiator is available.

 

Danno74Z

[Brad-ManQ45]

I was calling Mike Knell about the right angle drive adapter for the T5 and told him I had one of his manuals from '97, and he said there was a revised manual out. I asked what the changes wwere and he said 'lots' - for instance about radiators.

 

The only change was some pictures and mention of a Modine unit that was a reproduction of the v-6 4.3 unit. Still had the same errors (right vs left side for the charcoal cannister picture) and confusing explanation of backspacing/offset and fitting wheels/tires to the Z.

 

Could not see any other changes. Even though he only charged me $20 total, I don't feel this was a cool deal...

[Guest Anonymous]

Brad..What is the Model # for this new Modine V6 replacement radiator for the JTR conversion and what GM year and Model does the radiator fit. This is a 2 pager 27 post subject and there is a little more than casual interest in this hot subject. The right radiator that cools properly is probably the most important item in making the V8 conversion. I could not find a suitable GM radiator and bought a Griffin but I want to do another swap that I could possibly get a radiator out of a junk yard for $50.00 or less?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[georgiaz]

This may only be part of the problem,but it seems to me that the 160 degree thermostat could be contributing to the over heating. I would check the cooling system real good then try a 180 degree in it before I broke out the checkbook. Just a thought.

[Guest Anonymous]

The frame rails on a 76 280z will fit a 26x19 1" or 1.25" tube Griffin Radiator, that plus a decent 18" electric fan should solve any cooling problems. If not, try Water Wetter from Redline, or Evan's NPG.

[Guest Anonymous]

Hello everybody, There is something everybody is forgetting, Ignition timing. If it isn't advanced enough the car will be guttless and overheat like hell. My parents once Drove their station wagon from Oregon to San Diego. Not being mechanically inclined they had a tuneup done first. The entire trip the car was guttless and overheating, The had everything from caps and thermostats to the entinre radiator replaced at middle of nowhere shops. It cost them $1000 dollars in parts to get 1000 miles. When they got there my uncle said, "Did anyone check the ignition timing?" then pulled his timimng light out and found that it was 10 degrees retarded. All they needed to fix it was a number 10 wrench. Moral of the story, wouldn't be a bad idea to check that.

[Guest Anonymous]

Well I don't think timing will entirely heat up an engine because the basic theory of cooling is still in effect.

Timing adjustments can be made for power and torque curves...low end and hi end powerbands..to say the least without going into detail.

I am almost afraid to say if I take my car to the shop and it is overheating, a mechanic tells me it is the timing...I just might crap my pantalones (pants)I probably would put my glasses on so my eyes don't get poked.

 

By the way...that stationwagon wouldn't have been a Ford eh?

[BLKMGK]

Yes, basic cooling theory is still in effect however if the cooling system is already marginal screwing with the timing can indeed make a difference. High and low curves exist but if the base is retarded it will hose everything across the map. Do the headers glow at all? Black soot out the pipe? Has it ever NOT overheated? Are you sure the timing mark is right? Lot's of room for error...

[Guest TreeCutter260z]

the car only overheated if i am getting on it up hills and if its over 60 degrees. At idle its fine but long uphills in 5th gear it gets hot like 170 but then it will go down. I have yet to try water wetter and a 180 thermostat. i haven't checked the timing yet but i have it advanced to where it feels the fastest and doesn't ping. hope this helps

thanks

matt

[Brad-ManQ45]

NO model #'s mentioned in the manual (new) that I got, just the fact that the Modine replacement was less expensive...

 

When I do mine, I'll goGriffen/Howe just because I feel Mike ripped me for the $20 - once again - aside from a few pictures, this was the only change in the manual, and I feel he misrepresented the content changes to me.

 

Screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice....

[Guest Anonymous]

TREEE CUTTER: if your radiator is a used unit out of an 86 chevy it could be simply clogged up with the coolant flow restricted and it is almost as cheap to get a replacement than have the old radiator "rodded" if that technique can be applied to Plastic/aluminum radiators. Get some ELectrosol powder for automatic dishwashers and give your radiator a good dish washing for a few hundred miles and flush to see if there is an improvement.This has worked for me in a radiator that had enough rust that it drained out like hot red putty. About 3 washings and 500 miles, the coolant was clear enough and safe enough to drink if stranded on the dessert!!