Redneck radiator support 101 - 22" support modded for 26" radiator

[moparedtn]

Ok, before I get started, y'all know me and how I typically roll with this thing, so...
I know this isn't the way you're supposed to do this. Spare me.


As you may recall my cooling system trevails, the GTX has been a challenge to keep cool to say the least. She currently has a mega-buck Griffin "Exact Fit" aluminum jobber in her that's 3" thick (!) along with a factory shroud and fixed fan.
(There's not enough room for a clutch.)
(Trust me on this.)
(Been there.)
She does a lot better with this setup along with a 180F Superstat, but the job never got done - done, because the car still has the 22" radiator support in it, which means partial blockage of the Griffin.

Today, that all changed....
It was well into the 90's here and oppressively humid to boot, so what the heck - let's work on the GTX some more!
I asked my metal working friend to remedy the situation. Radiator drained and removed and everything covered up for protection, he set upon the task with an angle grinder:

Do you have any idea how unnerving it is to see sparks flying WAY up out from underhood of my baby? Holy crap!

Still, things went as well as could be hoped with the resulting carnage:

John remarked on how thick the factory steel was. He's a Chevy guy and doesn't know any better, so I let that remark slide. I mean hey, he's helping me, right?

Results:

Redneck success!
The opening now exactly matches the core area and doesn't even look half bad.
No animals were harmed, nothing caught fire and once I got everything back together and fired her up, all was well and she didn't even make it to the low side mark of "normal" on the factory gauge after idling about 10 minutes.


Lookit, I know this isn't the correct way to do this, but I figure it's not hideous and it serves the purpose. The cooling system is now as good as I can get it for the given parts installed. Baby steps, always baby steps...
Now I can face the trip to the hospital next week for thyroid removal surgery knowing I kept up the program of accomplishing little projects, one at a time - and not leaving the car out of commission anytime I'll be out of action for a bit just in case, you know?

Cancer removal #4, here I come...

I ain't skeered.

 

[91r/t]

Good luck Moparedtn! Kick that shits *** so you can get back to driving and workin on the X!

 

[Ironbuilt]

Redneck engineering, I love it.

 

[oldbee]

My core support still needs cleaned up from 30+ yrs ago from my swap like yours. Good luck Ed. Keep us informed.

 

[threewood]

If it works, it ain't stupid! Took a lot of courage to chop it but keeping cool is the end goal. Nicely done.

 

[WileERobby]

The radiator support is serviced in separate parts. The upper tie bar and the side baffles. We would replace if needed what was in the car, but what you did was in essence, was modifying the baffle as it would be if it were a 26" , nothing wrong with that. (And, most important, best of luck with the surgery ! )

 

[Car Nut]

Looks good!

 

[moparedtn]

I really appreciate all the kind words, more than y'all know.
This was one of those little mini-projects that's been sticking in my craw for a while now, but I never could get the courage up to
hack on the thing myself.
After the trip to and from Knoxville recently though, it came back to mind even though the car never got that hot on the ride.

When my buddy asked me "what's next?" about the GTX recently though, I figured hey, he's a welder and owns his own construction
company so what the heck?
"Hey John, think you could cut this thing right here without destroying anything?"
He gives me a condescending look and says "piece of cake, shoulda been done already."
"All right big boy, I'll mark it and you have at it" - which he proceeded to do like it was nothing.
I had the water hose and fire extinguisher at the ready, which he scoffed at of course.

I am blessed beyond belief that God still sees fit for these medical folks around me to keep finding these friggin evil tumors and such
for them to get at them in time.
Why He does this, I have no idea. There's certainly more deserving folks in far worse shape that could use the help, methinks.
I ain't nobody.
It's funny the questions that pop in your head when they say they're going to take out the whole thyroid:
- will I have a turkey gizzard neck afterwards? (answer: no)
- do you know for certain it's cancer again, doc? (answer: almost a certainty but will confirm with biopsy after surgery)
- how cool is the scar gonna be this time? (answer: it all but disappears over time, much to my street cred's detriment)
Guess the replacement meds afterwards will get a lot of things corrected and may even restore a little bit of "me" that's been missing
since the last cancer in 2013. As we say around these parts, I ain't had no punkin in a long time now.
Might get a little giddyap back, a little metabolism restored.
One can only hope...
Any way, I ain't done yet.
I pray He isn't done with me yet, either.

 

[coloradodave]

Good for you, Ed. Just so you know you're not alone, I made the exact same modification to my radiator support with the same tool. A little touch up paint on the edge and you'd have to be a Mopar nerd to catch it. And, BTW, I also have the Griffin 26" radiator, 7 blade Mopar mechanical fan and a Mopar plastic shroud for a 68-70. It's been over 100* the last few days but it still gets driven.
Will be keeping good thoughts for another great recovery. We need you. A good story teller is hard to find...

 

[HawkRod]

Ed, nice work and I hope your cooling issues are behind you!

Best of luck with the surgery and hurry back!

Hawk

 

[moparedtn]

View attachment 621766 Good for you, Ed. Just so you know you're not alone, I made the exact same modification to my radiator support with the same tool. A little touch up paint on the edge and you'd have to be a Mopar nerd to catch it. And, BTW, I also have the Griffin 26" radiator, 7 blade Mopar mechanical fan and a Mopar plastic shroud for a 68-70. It's been over 100* the last few days but it still gets driven.
Will be keeping good thoughts for another great recovery. We need you. A good story teller is hard to find...

Hiya Dave
Always good to hear from you, my friend.
Man, I love that car of yours, I swear....

A couple things I can think of that I haven't done yet, actually:
-It appears I have a lot more room to run a larger diameter fan in the factory shroud than the 18" Allstar Performance one in there now.
- The car is missing most of the underhood weatherstrip/insulation/seals it should have, which probably would make a difference also.
Always fiddling with things, I guess.

Now, on to more serious matters...
You, sir, are one of the reasons folks like me first stick around a site like this when we stumble upon it.
You help people you don't know without complaint or reward; you encourage and advise your fellow Mopar enthusiasts without judgement.
That, my friend, is what is needed around here - or anywhere in this life.

Know that it matters. Know that it is appreciated.

 

[moparedtn]

Ed, nice work and I hope your cooling issues are behind you!
Best of luck with the surgery and hurry back!
Hawk

Hey thanks, Hawk! Good hearing from you, another of the first ones I can remember when I came to this site years ago.
Good folks for sure.

 

[WileERobby]

Any way, I ain't done yet.
I pray He isn't done with me yet, either.

So do we.

 

[khryslerkid]

I wouldn't classify it as "Redneck" but 'Old School" engineering. Redneck would have required a cutting torch and a BFH!

Good to get one more thing off your list. I like it when the list becomes under control. Out of control, not so much.

Good luck with your surgery Ed. Keep us posted. You'll be in our thoughts and prayers.

 

[coloradodave]

Wow! Very nice of you to say, Ed, and very much appreciated. Sometimes I wish I could be more patient with some folks and more tolerant of others' thoughts and opinions. Just like when I was a teenager, I thought I knew it all; here I am approaching 73 and learning that there is so much more to learn from others. I do try to make a difference where I can...
Please let us know how it goes with the surgery as soon as you're able.

 

[Glenwood]

Looks good Ed. I thought about doing the same thing but went with a 22" alum rad anyway. It got pretty hot last September and pushed it to the limit I think. I designed and made a custom alum shroud which I hope helps if I ever get to drive it this summer.
Best of luck with the surgery. You're a fighter so I'm sure you'll get through it fine.

 

[69a100]

FWIW, my 66-300 was cut at the factory for a 26" rad. My brother's 66-300 had a 22" and his wasn't cut, but he had cooling issues. We found a 26" setup in the boneyard and he stuffed that in there without cutting the couple of inches of the support. He never had a problem with that little bit of blockage. I guess the size difference made up for any problems with that?

 

[moparedtn]

FWIW, my 66-300 was cut at the factory for a 26" rad. My brother's 66-300 had a 22" and his wasn't cut, but he had cooling issues. We found a 26" setup in the boneyard and he stuffed that in there without cutting the couple of inches of the support. He never had a problem with that little bit of blockage. I guess the size difference made up for any problems with that?

Honestly, the smaller opening/bigger radiator was working for me as well - but that little bit more better potential was always there and was bugging me, so I took advantage of having John's expertise available when presented to me and went for it .
I got a whole thread on here somewhere of my trevails with the cooling on this car and this was the icing on the cake to all that work, bux and strife.

 

[69a100]

I think I remember that thread? Glad it's all workin out!

 

[moparedtn]

I think I remember that thread? Glad it's all workin out!

Thanks. It pretty much had to work out at that point, because my only move left then was:
z.) Replace car