71 Super Bee Radiator Reconfiguration

[MoparGuy68]

I’ve been absent from the forum for a long time. The Super Bee couldn’t handle a 12 mile drive in 101 degree temp, here in AZ, last Sunday. It overheated.. After the radiator puked its fluid out (close to 1/3 of a gallon of it), I saw what is, at least, one of the car’s cooling problems. An unknown number of core tubes are either fully or partially clogged with hard deposits.

The car has a Frankenstein cooling configuration, which was put together by a previous owner, not me.. Part of this stupid configuration was due to a frontal impact that destroyed the original bumper, grill, core support and radiator. The damage was done sometime before 2001 and not by the guy I bought it from.

To summarize, the car came from the factory with 383 Magnum, 727 auto, no axle package (3.23 gears), N96 and a 26” radiator (fender tag has the 26 code). It must have been ordered with maximum cooling..

When repairing the damage, for some unknown reason, a 22” core support was installed in the car, with a 26” 3 row radiator that has no markings or numbers on it. I cannot find a trailing VIN anywhere on the core support so maybe it was a reproduction piece.. If it is a repro, why would they install an incorrect core support in the car??!! And even better question is why I did not notice this before buying the car!? I saw that it had a 26” radiator, but didn’t notice the 22” support like I should have.. Shroud and flex fan that is way off center, horizontally, within the shroud, round out the old and current lousy configuration.

So, how do I fix this mess, and get a working cooling system that actually cools the engine? Will continue in another post.

 

[MoparGuy68]

Removing the 22” support and installing a 26” support is not an option for me. So I figure the best thing to do, is to obtain a 22” radiator that will fit the support that is currently in the car. And a 22” radiator that can handle a mostly stock 383 Magnum, though with a larger than stock camshaft.

I have an 18” 7-blade fan, that appears to be a factory original piece. And an NOS aftermarket thermal clutch, that fits the fan. I would need to obtain a shroud that will work with this combination.

 

[MoparGuy68]

The 1971 Dodge chassis manual shows radiator part #3443961-22” for a 1971 Charger 383 Magnum, 727 auto, w/o A/C. My support’s factory mounting holes are 24.5” apart horizontally and 14.5” apart vertically (on both sides). So far, I’ve found only one set of photos of this exact radiator. Which I’m posting below.

I don’t need to get this exact radiator, because I’m looking for a radiator that will match the core support, not my car. I have found some aftermarket 22” radiators, but the passenger side vertical spacing between the mounting holes is shorter than the driver side, which doesn’t match my core support.

Does anyone know of a source for a good radiator with mounting provisions that match those of #3443961-22”?

 

[MoparGuy68]

Here are some photos of the Jerry-rigged 26” radiator on the 22” support. Green circles show where a correct 22” radiator would mount. Red circles are where someone drilled holes in the support to mount the 26” radiator to it. I mounted my power steering cooler to the 22” holes on the driver side four years ago. I think those two holes could be used to simultaneously mount the 22” inch radiator and the power steering cooler, so I wouldn’t have to relocate the cooler. I don’t want to put the steering cooler in front of the airflow of the new radiator.

 

[66 Sat]

Is there anything stopping you carefully cutting the sheet metal in the 22" radiator support panel to open it up to size (using a dremel or even a hacksaw)?
Then get your radiator re-cored or get a new 26" radiator. Flush out the block, see how you go.
The big fans, shrouds etc all help, but with an efficient system even a 4 blade fixed fan and 22" radiator you shouldn't overheat, unless you have a highly modified engine or air con.
I only have that basic set- up and have no issues in a similar climate to yours (not quite as hot, more Miami Florida than Arizona).

 

[Bee1971]

If your car came with a Factory 26" Radiator , it left the factory with A/C or the Performance Axle Package with the 383 Magnum , 3:55 or 3:91

The axle package might not show up on your fender tag depending on where it was built , but definetly on the broadcast sheet

3:23 Axle and NO A/C left the factory with that 22" Radiator pictured , yes they are hard to come by and expensive

Anyways doesnt matter , because either doesnt help you

If you insist on a correct fitting 22" radiator i can give you two links that fit pretty damn good , both aluminum , both will accept the factory 22" radiator shroud , how much do you want to spend ? The 22" radiator in your car would of left the factory with a fixed steel fan - However like you i run a clutch fan setup with the factory shroud

A old school Robert Shaw Thermostat that actually works - A decent water pump

One 22" Radiator is on ebay , and he does a very nice job and looks almost factory , it is very nice

The other is 22" Wizard Cooling (Expensive) and works Awesome with my Stroker Motor

 

[T2R9]

I run the "Ebay" ACC aluminum radiator in my 71. They bolt right in, accept the original shroud without any modifications. Large 1" cooling pagsenges. No problems in the South Carolina heat for two years now. They have both 22" and 26" versions.

 

[Runcharger]

The factory did the engineering for you on this deal. Your rad is plugged and it overheats.
You live in Arizona and should put the max cool system back in the car like it was original.
It's too bad it has the wrong psgr bulkhead in there but I would do one of 2 things. Both would involve putting a 26 inch rad in with a good core. You can cut away the offending sheetmetal and it will cool the best or leave it shrouded the way it is and it will still cool better than putting a narrow core rad in.
As I recall the left side mounting is the same 22 or 26 inch so if you mount the 26 in there using the left side factory mounts and the correct factory shroud, it should line up correctly with the correct diameter fan.

 

[71Beeper]

I would think a Glen Ray 22" radiator set-up for big block should do the trick along with proper clutch fan and shroud.

 

[MoparGuy68]

Is there anything stopping you carefully cutting the sheet metal in the 22" radiator support panel to open it up to size (using a dremel or even a hacksaw)?
Then get your radiator re-cored or get a new 26" radiator. Flush out the block, see how you go.
The big fans, shrouds etc all help, but with an efficient system even a 4 blade fixed fan and 22" radiator you shouldn't overheat, unless you have a highly modified engine or air con.
I only have that basic set- up and have no issues in a similar climate to yours (not quite as hot, more Miami Florida than Arizona).

Yes, me cutting the core support has a high probability of it looking butchered afterwards.. And I don’t have the proper cutting tool to attempt it.

Four years ago, I back-flushed the engine, forward-flushed the radiator, and back and forward-flushed the heater core. I used water and compressed air with a special flushing tool. I replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses and installed a new thermostat. Can’t remember what the core tubes looked like around the water neck area, but I do remember plenty of water seemed to flow out the bottom of the radiator during the flushing process.. Filled the system with premixed 50/50 coolant and water.

I’ll post some pictures to show how beautiful it looks inside there now.. I can’t believe all that buildup occurred in just four years time. There had to been some of that build up in there, already, when I bought the car. It wouldn’t surprise me if the previous owner, who had it for 11 years, never flushed the system out…

 

[MoparGuy68]

If your car came with a Factory 26" Radiator , it left the factory with A/C or the Performance Axle Package with the 383 Magnum , 3:55 or 3:91

The axle package might not show up on your fender tag depending on where it was built , but definetly on the broadcast sheet

3:23 Axle and NO A/C left the factory with that 22" Radiator pictured , yes they are hard to come by and expensive

Anyways doesnt matter , because either doesnt help you

If you insist on a correct fitting 22" radiator i can give you two links that fit pretty damn good , both aluminum , both will accept the factory 22" radiator shroud , how much do you want to spend ? The 22" radiator in your car would of left the factory with a fixed steel fan - However like you i run a clutch fan setup with the factory shroud

A old school Robert Shaw Thermostat that actually works - A decent water pump

One 22" Radiator is on ebay , and he does a very nice job and looks almost factory , it is very nice

The other is 22" Wizard Cooling (Expensive) and works Awesome with my Stroker Motor

Interesting to hear that the only way for this car to get a 26” radiator was an axle package or A/C.. Being an N96 car we know there’s no way it could’ve possibly had A/C.

I recently talked to a guy who has a Green Go 1971, 383 automatic Super Bee. He has had his since 1985, like forever! Both of our cars were built at the LA plant. Mine on 9/03, his on 9/24. My fender tag has no Axle code with 26. His has both an Axle code A36 and 26.. Mine has N41 and N42. His just has N41. His has the California noise reduction code, N97 (supposed to be mandatory for cars sold in California). Mine does NOT have the N97 code. Mine was bought new from a Dodge dealer in Redlands, California. I know that because I have the original owner’s warranty card. Neither of us have a broadcast sheet. I think both of our cars left that plant without a sheet.

I think the people that worked at that LA plant didn’t know whether they were coming or going back in September 1970. I guess they thought well, we’ll just put whatever the hell we want on the fender tag screw it. Get the car out the door, whatever.. And hey man, let’s use the broadcast sheet to roll a big fat Doobie when we’re done. That sheet is some seriously strong **** man, are we really painting cars this bright green and yellow, or are we hallucinating!? Far out man!

 

[66 Sat]

Yes, me cutting the core support has a high probability of it looking butchered afterwards.. And I don’t have the proper cutting tool to attempt it.

I can’t believe all that buildup occurred in just four years time.

You can look for ways to fix it, or you can look for ways to not fix it.
Buy a tool for a hundred bucks - you'll have it for future use too. Cut it carefully. Dress the dodgy bits and paint the edge. Or cover the dodgy bits with a rubber strip with a slot in it that pushes over the edge. Find a way...or find an excuse why you can't.

Install a filter in your top hose to catch the crap in your system. Empty it every so often. You can make one - depending on your mindset of course.