Anybody use these guys. Or know anything about them
CK5
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AlloyWorks radiator
- Thread starter Wes Harden
- Start date
New to me. I remembered champion (the pressure cap being rated in BAR made me think china) so went and looked at both their offerings and if the pictures on the sites can be believed, they are definitely different products.
I'm not sure how accurate the alloy works pics are though, they don't seem to have even a modicum of the needed raised areas to mount properly. I recall that from my dad's champion, the flanges weren't large enough so we had to improvise. Even my $130 chinesium parts store radiator was closer to being correct, which is sad.
Really no excuse for mis-making radiators for these trucks, I'm pretty sure it was the same mounting arrangement across all of GM's lines of that era, car or truck, but regardless. They should be a direct fit at this point. It can be easy or tough to make them fit (if you haven't experienced this yet), depending on how far off the dimensions are. Then trying to keep it solidly in place if there are no ridges to locate it.
definitely chinesium
Oh yaaa the price is saying it. How much are you willing to spend? Want to do a little custom brackets? If you can find in my build thread I put a big azz 454 radiator in mine for the 98 model
I needed a fast replacement for my 68 K10. Amazon cheapy has worked for almost 6 years.
The cap is identical to the chinesium Amazon radiator I put in my Blazer. The radiator is good but the fans would not keep up with my 454. I swapped in Derale (spal) fans and it works good now.
I think I have settled on the cold case tri flow. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rad-gmt556a21-1/make/chevrolet/model/k20/year/1977 I was planning on using the windstar fan mod with either old or new. Any objections, or good arguments against them ?
This is for my new big block build. Several peps have tag teamed up to convince me to go aluminum intake and cylinder heads.
After lifting cast iron off the engine, then going for soak in the hot tube to get my back to loosen up, might have helped convince some.
Any way my OCD won't let me run bass cast iron and aluminum. So need to change out my supper nice 6ish year old 4 row high fine count rad, and the brass heater core I search the internet over to find to aluminum.
PS my neighbor with the clean survivor Elco with same two tone paint as my burb has 1st right of refusal on my brass rad
This is for my new big block build. Several peps have tag teamed up to convince me to go aluminum intake and cylinder heads.
After lifting cast iron off the engine, then going for soak in the hot tube to get my back to loosen up, might have helped convince some.
Any way my OCD won't let me run bass cast iron and aluminum. So need to change out my supper nice 6ish year old 4 row high fine count rad, and the brass heater core I search the internet over to find to aluminum.
PS my neighbor with the clean survivor Elco with same two tone paint as my burb has 1st right of refusal on my brass rad
I used a cold case in buddies 69 Satellite with a 440. It really stabilized temps. I usually use Flex a lite Black Magic 180. Really fits the cores well and draws a really good amount of airflow.
I dunno, $400 to me is a lot for a radiator that I suspect isn't going to cool any better than a parts store cheapy. As we've seen here many times, every aftermarket AL radiator manufacturer, regardless of cost, puts out way too many lemons. Mishimoto is about the only one I haven't heard complaints about.
I think the diesel radiator was the widest available? If I wanted the best cooling possible, it would be the absolute widest I could fit in there, and I would certainly try the Windstar fans. Decoupling fan speed from engine speed is just going to work better than the stock fan setup at specific engine RPM's*. I'd also get a high flow water pump, it isn't going to hurt as long as it's a decent design. AutoZone and Schucks (oreilly) were both selling what appeared to be unlabeled GMB high flow aluminum pumps for very reasonable prices in the past, unsure if they did/still do for 454's.
And while probably somewhat unrelated due to the higher engine speed, even at 60MPH with the much smaller LT1 fans (dual 12" apparently, I only use one of the fans as primary) the fan will pull the temps down if it comes on. Mine is a very low heat load 350 (no AC, manual trans), so nowhere near what a 454 will put out, not to mention AC and cooling an automatic trans, but run at the same time, I'd think dual 12" fans would marginally cool a 454 with more load. AI says the windstars are 12" but posts here say at least 14/13", and by the pictures, I agree. Given larger fans, I'd be comfortable with expecting them to cool with a 454.
Personally, given a larger engine with higher heat load, plus higher average ambient temps, me I'd initially try the large fan as primary, with the secondary switched for AC/auxiliary cooling. I wouldn't invest in anything more than the fan itself to test that the fan(s) can do what you need them to do. Having a good margin of cooling error for those long grades in high temps would be a requirement IMO.
Lots of speculation unfortunately. So many variables it's tough to apply dissimilar experiences, but based on what info I've seen and my experience, I suspect the Windstar fans are likely at least as capable as the stock clutch fan. If AI can be trusted, largest GM clutch fan was 21". 15/13" Windstars have 14% less swept area (346sq in vs 300sq in), then you'd need to know what RPM the stock fan is rated for its peak.
* Given the electric fans will always operate at their optimum airflow rating, the mechanical fan cannot match their performance under every condition, assuming it somehow can't pull so much more air that even at idle RPM moves more air than the Windstar fans.
Dorman specs from a post over on Chevelles.com:
2000 Ford Windstar Fan Assembly
left fan: 340ml= 13.3inches
right fan: 390ml=15.3inches
left fan: 60.3cmm=2129.193cfm
right fan: 64.4cmm=2273.964cfm
this was rated at 1935 RPMS
4403.157 cfm total......
I'm sure someone has done the math on some of the stock mechanical fans but I can't find it if so. That is what would really be needed to know authoritatively if specific electric fans have as much potential to cool. I certainly wouldn't irreversibly modify anything to install electrics until I had verified they will work as I needed them to.
I think the diesel radiator was the widest available? If I wanted the best cooling possible, it would be the absolute widest I could fit in there, and I would certainly try the Windstar fans. Decoupling fan speed from engine speed is just going to work better than the stock fan setup at specific engine RPM's*. I'd also get a high flow water pump, it isn't going to hurt as long as it's a decent design. AutoZone and Schucks (oreilly) were both selling what appeared to be unlabeled GMB high flow aluminum pumps for very reasonable prices in the past, unsure if they did/still do for 454's.
And while probably somewhat unrelated due to the higher engine speed, even at 60MPH with the much smaller LT1 fans (dual 12" apparently, I only use one of the fans as primary) the fan will pull the temps down if it comes on. Mine is a very low heat load 350 (no AC, manual trans), so nowhere near what a 454 will put out, not to mention AC and cooling an automatic trans, but run at the same time, I'd think dual 12" fans would marginally cool a 454 with more load. AI says the windstars are 12" but posts here say at least 14/13", and by the pictures, I agree. Given larger fans, I'd be comfortable with expecting them to cool with a 454.
Personally, given a larger engine with higher heat load, plus higher average ambient temps, me I'd initially try the large fan as primary, with the secondary switched for AC/auxiliary cooling. I wouldn't invest in anything more than the fan itself to test that the fan(s) can do what you need them to do. Having a good margin of cooling error for those long grades in high temps would be a requirement IMO.
Lots of speculation unfortunately. So many variables it's tough to apply dissimilar experiences, but based on what info I've seen and my experience, I suspect the Windstar fans are likely at least as capable as the stock clutch fan. If AI can be trusted, largest GM clutch fan was 21". 15/13" Windstars have 14% less swept area (346sq in vs 300sq in), then you'd need to know what RPM the stock fan is rated for its peak.
* Given the electric fans will always operate at their optimum airflow rating, the mechanical fan cannot match their performance under every condition, assuming it somehow can't pull so much more air that even at idle RPM moves more air than the Windstar fans.
Dorman specs from a post over on Chevelles.com:
2000 Ford Windstar Fan Assembly
left fan: 340ml= 13.3inches
right fan: 390ml=15.3inches
left fan: 60.3cmm=2129.193cfm
right fan: 64.4cmm=2273.964cfm
this was rated at 1935 RPMS
4403.157 cfm total......
I'm sure someone has done the math on some of the stock mechanical fans but I can't find it if so. That is what would really be needed to know authoritatively if specific electric fans have as much potential to cool. I certainly wouldn't irreversibly modify anything to install electrics until I had verified they will work as I needed them to.
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All the parts store radiators are junk too. We just had a 454 radiator from NAPA replaced after 3 months here, GMT 400 factory 454 truck. Availability is a big issue too, that's how I ended up with the Amazon one in my Blazer, I couldn't buy a 454 or diesel one from anybody at the time. I would rather have a leaky radiator from a local store, lots easier to warranty exchange.
Yep, mine failed in the driveway upon install. Took it out, back to store, handed me a new one, installed, probably five years ago? Still going fine.
Just did a NAPA search for a 1991 V3500 1ton with a 454. $999.99
With the Diesel, $1030.00
Aftermarket all the way at those prices.
My buddies that failed was not $999, they must have ordered in an alternate that the website doesn't show.
With the Diesel, $1030.00
Aftermarket all the way at those prices.
My buddies that failed was not $999, they must have ordered in an alternate that the website doesn't show.
My Griffin fans were very loud but balanced.
My Amazon fans I put on Plank were not as loud but terribly unbalanced and would create a harmonic cyclone in the car that was deafening. Thats my only concern with these packages as aluminum radiator prices have fallen with more Chinesium on the market anyway.
My Amazon fans I put on Plank were not as loud but terribly unbalanced and would create a harmonic cyclone in the car that was deafening. Thats my only concern with these packages as aluminum radiator prices have fallen with more Chinesium on the market anyway.
Alloy works looks like it only has a 30 day warranty. Rockauto has what looks like same with a one year warranty at $300 + ship. I ordered a GPlus unit from Amazon in 2019. Still works. Such a crap shoot these days.
I have this in all three of my rides, one with a gen v big block. Seems fine.
Same
Bender and my '68 both got them after 3 Griffin combos let me down.
Bender and my '68 both got them after 3 Griffin combos let me down.
Might have to send one to your place, RA won't ship to AZ
That’s wierd. I wonder why?
Az says RA owes them back sales tax, from before the internet sales tax law. AZ claims RA had a physical presence in AZ, since the un RA owned ware houses and employees where using RA tape and Magnets to drop ship parts. AZ now wants million in back taxes, RA claim is more $$ than sale they made to AZ over that time period. No longer shipping to AZ cause they ain't being extorted
Dang.
