 Street Stocks can benefit...  Street Stocks can benefit from an aluminum racing radiator in many ways. First, the cars are heavy to start with, they've got too much front end weight and many run too hot. A call to Fluidyne might help with all three of these problems. |
 Furnace brazing requires some...  Furnace brazing requires some pretty heavy-duty (expensive) equipment so not every company uses this technique. Fluidyne has an impressive array of tools and equipment on-site due to the huge OEM business they do under the name Thermal Dynamics. |
 The bead is hand-rolled on...  The bead is hand-rolled on the inlets because each radiator is custom-built. This ensures accuracy and quality. |
 Fluidyne custom builds aluminum...  Fluidyne custom builds aluminum racing radiators so that you can get exactly what you need for your application. |
 With all the variances between...  With all the variances between custom radiators there's no way to use a robotic welder. The human touch on a TIG welder allows for excellent results. |
 The finished radiator was...  The finished radiator was built exactly to our specifications to fit in an '81 Camaro using a CSC Racing Products cage with front hoop. It's a work of art. |
 The aluminum is spotless and...  The aluminum is spotless and even looks polished. And don't think your competitors won't notice the next time you remove your hood? |
 We opted to use Fluidyne's...  We opted to use Fluidyne's 24-pound radiator cap to contain the higher pressures associated with racing. |
 The first part of the installation...  The first part of the installation is to determine how long the lower cradle (or crossbar) needs to be to run from one framerail over to the other framerail. |
 We planned to use two L-shaped...  We planned to use two L-shaped pieces of metal to form the cradle. We cut two equal-length pieces. |
 We used a torch to make clearance...  We used a torch to make clearance for the lower outlet on the radiator. Of course this area needs to be smoothed-out with a hand grinder. |
 We tacked the two L-shaped...  We tacked the two L-shaped pieces together from the bottom, that way the inside of the cradle will be smooth. |
 A pre-fitting showed that...  A pre-fitting showed that we needed to trim the corner a bit. We finished welding after we knew the piece would fit properly. |
 It turned out that a shop...  It turned out that a shop chair was just the right height to position the cradle where we needed it to get the radiator low enough in the car for hood clearance and fan positioning. With the chair as a prop, we could also move the radiator forward and back (within the constraints of the front hoop and fan location) until we were satisfied it was in the best location. |
 We dropped the Fluidyne radiator...  We dropped the Fluidyne radiator into the cradle to confirm our positioning. It was fine. |
 We also put the hood on to...  We also put the hood on to make sure we had enough clearance. |
 Since the cradle needed to...  Since the cradle needed to be dropped down a bit from the framerails, we planned to use tabs to mount the cradle to the framerails. Here, we're checking to see how long we need to make the tabs. |
 We took the cradle back to...  We took the cradle back to the workbench to weld on the tabs. |
 With the cradle properly positioned...  With the cradle properly positioned for height, front-to-rear, level, and tilt (we ran the radiator straight-up), we were ready to weld the tabs to the framerails. |
 We dropped the radiator in...  We dropped the radiator in once again to make sure nothing had changed and we had measured properly. Everything lined-up perfectly. |
 You do not want to mount an...  You do not want to mount an aluminum radiator directly against steel or it will wear. We planned to have foam on the top and bottom mounts. Here, we're spraying 3M spray adhesive onto the cradle in preparation for laying-down foam. |
 We made vertical supports...  We made vertical supports out of square tubing that we planned to attach to the front hoop. We welded nuts into the vertical supports. |
 Next, we welded the vertical...  Next, we welded the vertical supports to the front hoop after squaring them. |
 We made a long bar that fit...  We made a long bar that fit inside the two edges to spread the load evenly. This bar will be attached to the vertical supports. Here, we're measuring the length for the piece that will attach the vertical support to the long horizontal bar. |
 We bolted-on the attachment...  We bolted-on the attachment pieces and then aligned the radiator one more time. |
 We tacked-welded the attachment...  We tacked-welded the attachment pieces to the horizontal bar and then removed it for finish welding. |
 After it cooled, we painted...  After it cooled, we painted the bar with Eastwood's chassis-black paint. |
 Here's a view of the completed...  Here's a view of the completed hold-down unit. Of course, we used a piece of foam on top of the radiator to protect it. |
 We designed the hold-down...  We designed the hold-down to exert solid pressure across the top of the radiator without creating unnecessarily high forces. |
 If you're going to step up...  If you're going to step up and run an aluminum racing radiator you should consider stepping up to a better radiator hose at the same time. We have used the Inglese Cool-Flex hose in the past because it will not suck itself shut from high pressures generated during race conditions. This flexible seamless copper tubing hose is designed to withstand high vibration, high pressure situations and you can bend it to fit any application. |
 Cool-Flex radiator hoses are...  Cool-Flex radiator hoses are sold in 12-inch, 24-inch and 36-inch lengths. You simply cut the hose to the exact length you need. Radiator hoses are 1 3/4-inches in diameter and the kit comes with sleeves for 1 1/2-inch and 1 1/4-inch inlet/outlet sizes. |
 Before gluing the sleeve on...  Before gluing the sleeve on to our radiator inlet we sanded the inlet to rough-up the surface so that the glue would grab a better hold. |
 Inglese includes a tube of...  Inglese includes a tube of glue with the Cool-Flex radiator-hose kit. |
 This is the sleeve that allows...  This is the sleeve that allows the Cool-Flex hose to be used on smaller inlet/outlets. |
 A rubber connector slips over...  A rubber connector slips over the sleeve. |
 The Cool-Flex hose slips over...  The Cool-Flex hose slips over the connector. |
 If your water-neck is chrome...  If your water-neck is chrome you should sand it, too, to rough-up the surface and make the glue stick better. |
 If you want to dress-up your...  If you want to dress-up your hoses a bit more, Inglese offers Cool-Flex aluminum covers. Stainless steel hose clamps are included with the kit and they are hidden by the covers. With the addition of a Cool-Flex bottom hose, our Fluidyne radiator is now ready to run. It's well-protected by the front hoop, has no unwanted binding threatening to tweak the aluminum, and it's decidedly trick. We've run the car successfully on the dirt track at Ventura Raceway and we've been more than satisfied with the quality of this radiator. |
There aren't many absolutes in racing. Here's a few, however, that most racers agree on: extra weight is bad; front end weight is worse; and an overheating race car is a serious problem. An aluminum racing radiator can address all three of these issues in one fell swoop.
Teams at the higher levels of racing have already figured out that an aluminum racing radiator is a big benefit but there are still a lot of lower class racers who think the $200-$300 price tag is a deterrent. It's time that this thinking was turned around. Let me lay out a few reasons why an aluminum racing radiator is a good bet. Number one, it's a whole lot lighter than a junkyard radiator or any custom brass job. That weight is taken directly off the front tires as the radiator is nearly always located in front of the engine in race cars.
Most custom radiators use one-inch tubes for a massive improvement in coolant flow. An aluminum radiator looks absolutely trick and is good for psych-out horsepower. In addition, it doesn't wear out the way other big ticket items such as camshafts, headers and tires do.
We wanted to demonstrate how simple it is to use an aluminum radiator so we hooked up with the people at Fluidyne. The company has product in race cars competing at many levels of racing. From Winston Cup to Modifieds, from Legends racers to IROC cars, Fluidyne has a vast amount of experience in racing applications for radiators, heat exchangers, oil coolers, rearend and transmission coolers, high output electric fans and more.
Fluidyne custom-builds their aluminum radiators to your specs, and which really doesn't add much time to your delivery date. Furnace brazing means there's no epoxy anywhere on your radiator. When you deal on a custom-built basis, it allows you to determine what size inlet and outlet the radiator will have and exactly where they are located; whether or not there's a drain; selection of cross flow, vertical flow, circular flow or dual pass; one through four rows, width, height and thickness dimensions, and even odd shapes.
Here's the lowdown on installing an aluminum racing radiator in a Street Stock. The best way to secure an aluminum radiator is at the tanks where there is the most strength. Stay away from the middle area where the tubes and fins can't offer as much support. If that isn't a viable option, the next best thing is to cradle the radiator in a full-length crossbar and devise a hold-down on top that spreads the load. That's what we're showing in this article.