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martin53

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Messages
58
Location
New Mexico
Hi I'm working on putting a 1973 318 in a 59 Plymouth belvedere. The old 318 was cracked and the radiator is shot. I got my 318 in and the radiator I was gonna use is 2 inches to big it barely hits the hood and can't really drop the radiator anymore. So my question is could I use any small block radiator that fits cause I'm surrounded by tons of old ford and chevy trucks with small block radiator or wait to spend money on a new one. Kinda new at using different parts on one project. Any advice would help thanks
 
I don't see why not, if you can make it fit properly and can get the hoses, I'm suer a small block chevy or ford radiator would cool plenty well.
 
I don't see why not, if you can make it fit properly and can get the hoses, I'm suer a small block chevy or ford radiator would cool plenty well.
X2 318's are not hard to cool. Just pick Ford or Chevy, which ever one has the inlet and outlet in the right positions.
 
I think at this point its about what fits and fits properly.
A radiator for a big block will likely have more cooling capability, but you won't likely need it, but it would work.
 
Hi 53. I'm running a 360 Plymouth motor in a Mercury PU with a really small Chev rad that just keeps up when clean. It's a two row and 6 inches shallower than neccesary. I keep wanting to put a real radiator in there but I never get around to it. The 360 small block should heat up the water as much as a narrow block 318 I think. Just make sure the new rad that you get has the inlet and outlet in the right places, like Old Iron said. Keep on tinkering.
 
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OK guys I ended up buying a radiator.now my question should i use the stock transmission cooler that comes with it or a separate cooler that's just lying around at my house. Would the stock one cool just as good or should I go with the other thanks for the advice guys
 
How hard are you going to drive this car? I think a remote cooler, away from the 180 degree water rad will work better in two ways. The ambient air at the remote cooler will be much colder so should cool better, and the radiator now only has to cool the water from the engine, so it has more of a chance to do its job better. A few years ago I mounted an aluminum finned remote cooler on the frame beside the driveshaft and drove merrily into the future. Of cource, I don't know how warm the trans oil is running.
 
External is a better bet.....

OK guys I ended up buying a radiator.now my question should i use the stock transmission cooler that comes with it or a separate cooler that's just lying around at my house. Would the stock one cool just as good or should I go with the other thanks for the advice guys

Questions would be is the rad new? Used? is the cooler adequate? with the external one.....shouldn't be an issue at all as they cool it best....as long as you don't do what one of my friends did and try to use an old evap core from a refrigerator....It didn't work too well.....lol...
 

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