v8 raditor advice

I'm looking at buying this radiator for my 67 van that has a 350 engine...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-1968-1969-CHEVROLET-VAN-G-ALL-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR_W0QQitemZ250365400764QQcmdZViewItem
I'm wondering if this would be a good choice or if anyone knows of a better one... I've been looking through eBay and it's kinda driving me nuts looking through all the ads so any advice would be appreciated...

I had looked at that rad as well tho i have a 66 not a 2nd gen......but if you look under between the seats G.....in the post radiator by raccoonreg....a few questions are answered........I know by looking at it it has a rad cap..and is aluminum.......doesnt the 2nd gen have a surge tank on top or something??.......and no rad cap......anyways hope that helps a bit!!

I think they have a surge tank because the engine sits higher than the radiator. I was thinking of putting a high pressure cap on the radiator and installing a intake manifold filler neck with a lower pressure cap which would be at the highest point of the cooling system to make sure no air is trapped in the system. It seems to me that I have seen pics in the gallery's where they have v8's and no surge tanks...

thats a cool piece to use.....thru the posts there seems to be so many options....i would figure that any good rad either crossflow or down flo and either aluminum or copper ..accompanied with a shroud and fan.....either electric or motor mounted..will work.....since my 66 needs a decent rad to cool my hemi...i am going to look for the largest ..ie 4 core... downflow rad that will fit within my doghouse....that is similar to one used in a street rod..with electric fans and shroud.....with tunel mods ..alot of fabrication for me.....if i could just bolt one in... and it works thats the way i would go....especially since a v-8 was offered as an option.....in the 2nd gens..

great shot!!

ok...so I know I had this thread on here a while back but cannot find it...I think it was in the old forum. I hold donivan in the highest regards and his recommendations and I understand that originally the radiator came with a surge tank... But I would like to know what are our "options" as far as cooling... Is what I'm looking at sufficient???... what are some other options... What have others used that have worked well??? I would like to buy a radiator soon but would like an opinion on if the one I'm looking at would be a good choice or would someone recommend a different one???

Mo_1040 that radiator looks good if it will fit or can be made to fit. Does your van already have the stock V8 rad mounts? Are you running a auto trans(you might have to redo the cooler lines)? Those are two things you need to think about. You might still consider the piece that G-man is going to use on his project to eliminate the possibility of traping air in the system. From what I've learned that is the purpose of the surge tank on the orginal systems. The only van I have with a V8 is my 65 and it still has the L6 down flow rad in it, no shroud,no surge tank and a 6 blade fiberglass fan. Don't have any temp problems until the outside temp reaches the upper 90's, but I only have driven it around town so far(no road trips). A local rad shop here told me that they could custom make what ever I needed in Alum but the price was around $300. Hope this helps you make a decision.

I had Griffin Racing Radiators in Townville South Carolina fabricate a 5 -core rad in 1988. I sent them my dimensions, inlet/outlet,etc. The price at that time was a special deal, as a guy I worked with son worked there! I cannot reveal the details do to the deal. I do wish I had a shroud, but it runs well but too I need to swap out my fan for a 7 blade, or so a friend has recommended to me?

The van originally came with a straight six so I don't have either of the core supports or a surge tank for a crossflow radiator...I do have a shroud that I think with a little modification would work. I was thinking of fabricating the core supports.

Your right donivan...I emailed them and it's way too big!!! Went to O'reily auto parts store and the one they have listed for my van is way too big also... what's wrong with all these places and websites that think a 31-33" wide radiator is a direct replacement????
I think I'll get a universal aluminum radiator and have the filler neck blocked off. I really like the surge tank look so I am going to go that route... I'll have one made up... My brother in law works at a place that makes radiators for the mine trucks:)
Donivan... I was wondering if you could post some good pics of the surge tank with hose fitting sizes???? I would really appreciate it if you could...
Thanks...

The 1/4" line hooks to the metal piece that's in the center of the two piece top radiator hose. That's what bleeds the traped air back to the surge tank.

I'm a bit slow, but I'd always heard that Aluminum Radiators would 'react', or some kind of electrolisys between the iron of the engine block, and the aluminum of the radiator, much like copper and (usually galviniuzed) steel pipes do in home plumbing.
Even with a dielctic union, water being a conductor, electrolisys still happens.
But, I'm probably 30 years behind current info on this subject.

What every you decice to do, it must include the bellypan/shroud the factory put in place.
There simply will not be enough air flow to any radiator without the bellypan.

I was thinking of that too about a downflow radiator...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Vintage-Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__37-38-39-40-CHEVY-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR-2-ROW-NEW_W0QQitemZ280312545172QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ3360QQddiZ2811QQadnZVintageQ20CarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item280312545172&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Or..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Vintage-Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__49-50-51-52-53-54-CHEVY-CAR-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR_W0QQitemZ270345781745QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ3360QQddiZ2811QQadnZVintageQ20CarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item270345781745&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

This last one looks like it would be perfect... for a downflow radiator...

Aluminum vs copper/brass...
I have heard alot of debate on aluminum radiator saying they corrode and are worthless...
Just my two cents worth... I have never heard complaints about aluminum heads or water pumps? As far as cast iron blocks reacting with aluminum is a myth... Does anyone know of a new car or truck that doesn't have an aluminum radiator? Where corrosion starts is when the two metals are in direct contact with each other and these parts are usually separated by gaskets. Cast iron is very different from "steel" also. Usually steel lines going to a radiator are separated by brass fittings which doesn't react to aluminum. Steel corrodes fast unless protected with some kind of coating or anodized. For example...If you were to take a plane ol' piece of pipe with no coating and used it to lengthen a radiator hose... It would corrode and those pieces of rust, corrosion, would make it to the aluminum and start reacting with the aluminum causing premature failure...
Just thought I'd give my two cents worth about aluminum vs copper/brass...