Nascar takeout radiators - good or bad for street use?

[shoedoos]

You might have noticed that ebay regularly has a swag of ex-Nascar radiators up for grabs....they're obviously well made and look plenty large enough to cool anything....

However, are they good to use on the street in stop/start traffic?

The reason I ask is I've been told the cooling fins are very closely positioned and they really are only good for high speed running around the ovals at over 150mph....

Any input would be welcomed....

[Dodge Freak]

Was looking at them too but haven't got one yet. I did find that the Delphi plug wires are great, a bit cheaper than MSD brand new wires but seem to be made much better.

Seems like lots of used NASCAR stuff sells at good prices on Ebay. It may be the hidden gems on Ebay.

If in need I would try it, those engines put out lots of heat and they need strong parts to hold up at high speeds. Not sure about it working only at 150 mph, they don't go that fast during caution flags yet you see none overheating.

Always can resell it on ebay and get some of the cash back.

Just make sure you are buying from a good seller that have sold lots of NASCAR parts in the past....some sellers just go posting the word NASCAR on their listings.

[ZIGGY]

I believe they're very application specific. A "short track" radiator (e.g. Martinsville) would probably come closer to being usable for street.

[shoedoos]

Does anybody know how many fins per inch the Martinsville radiators run? The C&R version I'm looking at has 12 fins per inch and they look really tight.....

[xanadu]

Each style of radiator fin can be dimpled / designed different for each application. Different designs allow increased/decreased airflow for certain speeds. A serpentine flow through the core is better for the street.

As in the coolant passes 2 to 3 times from entrance before exit.

I like Brass radiator tanks as these can be removed for cleaning, in the likelihood of getting casting sand build up overtime in the core tubes.

A little more difficult to extract with a aluminum radiator.

Just my 2 cents...

[Q-ship]

I had to troubleshoot a cooling problem for someone once that had bought one of these radiators. It was a big 3 row unit that looked like it should cool down a nuclear reactor, but instead, caused overheating at anything but highway speeds.

After trying high flow electric fans, different water pump pulley ratios, etc; I called the manufacturer and was told that it was intentionally designed to act as an air dam, and only flow enough air necessary for cooling at race speeds.

After installing a Be-Cool 2 row radiator, the car cooled flawlessly.

[cash canada]

Be careful of these.

They can heat cycle out and will not cool.

I bought one that looked GREAT. All tig welded AN fittings, extra thick tanks all sheet aluminum and welded not formed, and BIG. Did not cool well at all. It ran cooler at idle than 120 mph. It was getting plenty of wind.

I later learned that if these rads get too hot, the tubes will expand and crush the fins.

When it cools back down there is now a gap between the fins and the tubes.

With the gap no heat transfer occurs.

I have sold a cycled out radiator, that I bought new, that was no good for racing but worked great in a street car. I told the guy, a friend of mine, to bring it back if he had any problems. Worked well enough for him.

Think of the application before buying.

Think why are they selling this great new rad at such a low price.

[Dodge Freak]

Its true and sad that some Ebayers sell junk parts.

[pdq67]

Please consider Summit's cheap house brand aluminum rad's from Northern Aluminum Rad's.

That is IF Summit is still house-brand reselling them?

pdq67