Yeah, availability is what sent me looking around the internet. Oreillys shows all the larger 454 radiators, heavy duty cooling, etc as not available right now.
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
$200 K5 (454 K5 now) *too much junk in the trunk
- Thread starter HankScorpio
- Start date
This is the radiator I run on the 74. Might be the same as you posted, I didn’t compare them.
Primecooling 56MM 3 Row Core Aluminum Radiator +2X12" Fan +Shroud for Chevrolet GMC C/K Series Pickup & Trucks 1973-91 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQ3810...abc_3CHHW74Y5RWX49KJEX9Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
picture of it installed.
screenshot of what rock auto has
Ordered the 4 core radiator with fans from Amazon. Pretty sure I will regret it but there really are not a ton of good options right now. Lots of availability issues on "stock" type radiators from the parts store. On the "custom" its either china which seem to be mostly the same or a few high dollar US ones that don't really get very good reviews either. I will be the test on the amazon one I guess.
Been trying to deal with the fuel line from the frame up to the fuel rails. Bought the Earls adapters from the ProFlo4 thread that most of you guys used. Fit perfect. Now I have been battling the braided hose and -AN fittings.
See the saga here: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/an-f...by-a-sadistic-psychopath.344537/#post-4205218
My fingers hurt, got stabbed by little stainless wires all night and was not successful.
Been trying to deal with the fuel line from the frame up to the fuel rails. Bought the Earls adapters from the ProFlo4 thread that most of you guys used. Fit perfect. Now I have been battling the braided hose and -AN fittings.
See the saga here: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/an-f...by-a-sadistic-psychopath.344537/#post-4205218
My fingers hurt, got stabbed by little stainless wires all night and was not successful.
Harness hooked up and plug wires in.
Got a serpentine belt figured out after a few tries.
Got a serpentine belt figured out after a few tries.
Last edited:
Cut the floor open for fuel pump access. Swapped in a new AC Delco pump for more pressure with the ProFlo4. Riveted some 1 1/4"x 1/8" strips around the hole to put the access panel back in with self tappers. Once its running I will silicone it shut. Still easy to remove panel if needed.
that looks good
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Make sure the radiator is grounded if you’re using a manual trans. Auto trans get the radiator grounded with the trans cooler lines.
wish i riveted the strips in! I just used a slightly larger piece of floor from a similar truck. doesn't overlap as nicely.
what what now? why is this??
we are talking strictly electric conversions, and the fans don't come with a ground wire?
Thought about that but didn't want to cut up one of my other beds. Worked out great anyway, happy with it.
I believe you can get corrosion faster if the radiator isn't grounded. With electric fans it should end up grounded anyway.
Even with the original fan? I don't believe GM did anything to ground the fan in my TBI truck with the 465 trans.
I have not had any issues but this came up in another thread. I think it was one of @mrk5 trucks, he had issues with a champion radiator. I also have had issues with Champion but the truck was an auto so who knows anyway. I will look at my '91 V3500, its all original and has a SM465.
the radiator in my blazer did untold mileage in a 1/2 ton auto suburban, and has been in my blazer for about 60,000 hard miles over 6-7 years... is now all corroded and gross, has had the filler neck soldered twice, and is due for replacement. got the most amount of corrosion when the truck got parked in the back yard in Huntington beach and exposed to foggy sea air every night for a couple years. i don't remember the original having a way to be grounded but that was quite a while ago.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Nothing to do with the fans. Aluminum radiators tend to more susceptible to corrosion at the core joints. I had multiple failures with griffin and another brand (Entropy) within weeks and finally narrowed it down to electrolysis or galvanic corrosion which builds up in the coolant and eats away at the solder joints unless it can be dissipated. Just run a ground wire from the radiator to the chassis somewhere if you don’t use the internal radiator cooler which grounds itself to the transmission through the metal lines.
The autoparts store radiators with plastic side tanks may not have this issue since they use a gasket to seal the core against the tanks.
interesting. mine is still good old fashion brass, and i see no reason to stray still having a stock (mostly) motor and stock 195 degree thermostat, and stock mechanical fan.
motor runs at the right temp rain or shine, snow or heat wave.
(i have the best thermostat i could find and always drill a tiny hole through the disc if it didnt already come with one)
haven't priced a new one in a while though.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
I didn’t have a problem until I switched to an aluminum radiator. Brass solder joints may be more resilient. Also possible I have some kind of electrical issue, but the Entropy folks said they have a lot of customers with the same issue and I spent some time testing some things for them and they’d send me a new radiator when they’d start leaking. Ultimately they started including a grounded sacrificial zinc anode that screws into a fitting in the newer radiators, but during testing I found that the damage stopped after just adding the ground wire without the anode. When I checked my anode after a year, it looked brand new so I’m pretty confident it isn’t doing anything.
also take a look at Ron Davis radiators page as they make a big deal about grounding and avoiding static electricity buildup so it’s not just an isolated single manufacturer thing.
those trucks are badass! -and i want to change their brakes neverever!!After winter we are still in a drought. The fire danger out here in the west is crazy. I needed to do a bunch of logging around the cabin at 10,000ft, beetle kill trees everywhere. The best vehicle I have for logging is my deuce and a half, that needed a brake job.So instead of working on the K5 I did a brake job on a very large truck with heavy difficult everything.
View attachment 384251
