Will this ol harrison br*** top radiator work to cool my center bolt small block with adition of electric fan ?
Pressure caps are rated in pounds per square inch, so make sure the cap you use won't cause your radiator to split at the seams, which can happen if it is rated higher than the specifications of the older radiator. Pressure is used to reduce the boiling point of whatever liquid that is being used as a coolant. Also, some small block Chevy motors, especially those that have bored, create more heat. There is also a question about the thermostat and what temperature it is rated for; some later production model small block Chevys used a higher temperature thermostat because the engine was designed to retain more heat in order to increase the burning of whatever hydrocarbons remained in the combustion chamber after the compression/ignition cycle. Plus, with a small block pushing more water through a radiator designed for a six cylinder, you may need to incorporate a puke can on the overflow line if only to keep the excess moisture from spattering all over creation. I would suggest you find a fellow hot rodder in you area to check the system, with you; or at the least go to a radiator shop and seek advice there, after all, at some point you will be seeing them anyway, unless you buy an aftermarket radiator built to cope with the 'fix it faster' motto most of us who have built hot rods end up being faced with. All this is not to say you might luck out. I did with some projects I built and drove the wheels off my cars with nary problem with cooling. My inclusion of the info is simply a 'heads-up' when you detect something amiss, as well as to forewarn and forearm. Good luck.
The Jalopy Journal
