Heavy duty radiator for '95+

Radiator, thermostat, water pump, antifreeze, etc.
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dragonvan
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Heavy duty radiator for '95+

Post by dragonvan »

The rad is manufactured by Reach Cooling and has a 1" core thickness as apposed to the factory's anemic 5/8".

Reach Cooling

I ordered it through my local car quest that I get most of my parts from to save shipping. It did not come from his warehouse chain though, it came from a company called Radiator Exchange & Repair.

Radiator Exchange & Repair
N87W14817 Fond Du Lac Ave
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
Phone: (262) 251-0540

They do sell to the public or you can get in touch with me and I can ship one to you also. I have installed several of this brand of radiator in customer vehicles and have yet to have one come back... ymmv.
I pull a camper and am planning a trip to Yellowstone and wanted a little extra cooling for the mountains.

If you want something even heavier you can go to a Radiator shop and have them install the core from a '92 Transport 3.8L with A/C and towing package (identified by both trans and engine oil coolers in the tanks) on the factory Astro tanks. This core is 1 3/8" and has the same 28 1/4 x 17 1/4 dimensions and the tank flange is the same size... I have measured. Remember a single row rad of any given width has more cooling capacity than a 2 or 3 row of equivalent thickness.

Some pics!

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Price I paid was $133 shipped, of course I do have a shop so that might reflect a discount.

This rad is bigger than the stock rad in the LS1 corvettes! They were 23 5/8 x 17 x 1. I think it should handle towing duty with a v6 just fine. My dual fans are rated at higher output than the stock LS1 fans also if my info is correct.
2002 Astro
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dragonvan
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Post by dragonvan »

BTW I have seen a 3 row rad for sale on the internet. It is listed as being made by a company called Silla. I contacted Silla to get details and they told me they only make a rad in the factory size, 1 row, 5/8".
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Post by peter »

ZZ's running a new (at the time) single core from a vette using my tanks. Only time the temps go higher than 170-180 is when pulling the Tramper in hilly areas at low speeds. Temps reach as high as 210-220. And I'm sure that has more to do with the twin electric Flex-A-Lites, regardless of the 4600 cfm rating.
I'm curious as to the capacity of your core as opposed to mine. Seems yours is a bit bigger
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Re: Heavy duty radiator for '95+

Post by gabequest »

I borrowed some info from these posts and upgraded my radiator for the 5.7L.
Today I had a old time radiator guy (this guy was classic!) fit my 4.3L tanks to a 1 3/8 inch core out of a 92 Pontiac Transport #1475. This way it mounted right up. I did this cuz I now have a 5.7L and it runs hot under load going up steep inclines in the colorado rockies (65mph). Haven't tested the new mod under these conditions yet. If you can find a good used core, you wont have to pay much at all in parts. My total cost was $438. Yes, it hurt me to pay this out, but I'm pretty sure this is within the going rate range and now I'll sleep much better now! Also won't have to explain sheepishly to my girlfriend that the reason we are going 40mph while towing the pop-up is because I underengineered the system: "Priceless". \:D/
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Re: Heavy duty radiator for 2005 safari

Post by manyvans »

I have a 2005 Safari and it runs hotter than I like. Talked to an old radiator guy
who suggested a couple solutions, one of which is a larger capacity core. The other
was a high performance water pump. Have any of you had experience with a high
preformance water pump? I do plan to have a larger capacity core added to my
tanks.

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Re: Heavy duty radiator for '95+

Post by Bret Schmerker »

](*,) Sorry to bump an old thread, but I'm on this hunt. My 1997 M11006 came stock with a 1-row aluminum radiator with plastic tanks, and some aftermarket vendors have all-aluminum radiators with integrated heat exchangers for the engine oil (hot side) and transmission fluid (cold side). I don't want aluminum - I'm after brass (or, better yet, naval bronze if available) for compatibility with the Vortec 4300's iron block and heads! Preferably a 1-3/4" deep 3-core for mechanical strength at the tank attach points, and I'm looking into capless for an external pressure reservoir backport. I've already started contingency planning for external Derale® engine-oil, power-steering, and transmission coolers; and I'm also fixing to contact MQQN® Racing Equipment on estimates to fabricate two vertical pressure vessels similar in size to their standard 4-qt. Puke Tank with Vent (MoonEyesUSA.com P/N MP1007P4), one as the new coolant reservoir and the other as a new windshield washer reservoir - the coolant reservoir should be built for 50max PSI for reserve strength but will be regulated at 16 PSI (as is the stock radiator). Anybody have success with the brass radiator?
1997 GMC M11006 (Safari SLE, 2WD, V6-4300/4L60-E/7.625" 3.73:1 open)
Acquired Jul 2018 / In service Sep 2018 - Nov 2022 / down due leaky valve(s) #5 cyl.
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Re: Heavy duty radiator for '95+

Post by Mmusicman »

Bret Schmerker wrote: I don't want aluminum - I'm after brass (or, better yet, naval bronze if available) for compatibility with the Vortec 4300's iron block and heads!
Compatibility? LOL! The radiator is better off being compatible with the coolant flowing though it.
This one did give me a good chuckle though. :yawinkle:
Anybody have success with the brass radiator?
Yeah.. I removed a full sized 4-core brass radiator from my full sized iron big block van and replaced it with a 2 row aluminum radiator. It amazingly dropped my running temps a full 40 degrees.. from about 200 to 160 degrees!

20 years later, the fluid still looks like new!

Old out-dated technology against proven new! Your choice..
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