Custom Cooling Radiator

This is the brand new three-row radiator from U.S. Radiator. While it is extra thick, it has the stock dimensions needed to drop right into our car. Notice that the lower hose port has been relocated to the driver side. The transmission heat exchanger is built right into it, and this radiator is ready to accept our automatic transmission cooling lines.

After loosening the four fasteners and disconnecting the old hoses, the old unit can be pulled from the car. Notice the stock location of the old lower hose port.

We’re going to run this electric water pump from Competition Specialties on our car because it lessens parasitic drag on the engine. It draws only 6 amps and it really moves the water. We’re going to spend some time at the dragstrip with this car, but this water pump will also work fine for a street-only application.

Next, it’s a simple matter of lowering the new unit from U.S. Radiator into position.

We always go with genuine Ford when it comes to the radiator cap. It has the correct release pressure and no gadgets.

For now, we’re going with a length of flex hose for our lower radiator hose. Because the Competition Specialties pump has an unusual lower port location, there is no specific hose for this application.

A stock hose works fine in the upper position, and goes into place here.

Now’s the time to make your connections of the smaller hoses like heater hoses and the small bypass line seen here.

Shown here are two locations that can be used for your sensor and sending unit. The sending unit will supply a reading to your temp gauge while a water-temp sensor tells the computer the coolant’s heat.

Here’s our completed installation of U.S. Radiator’s three-row Optima radiator. As a final step, a Flex-a-lite electric fan will be installed to bring air across the radiator.

We've been following the buildup of a ’67 Fairlane project. Lots of great stuff has already gone into the car like a Coast High Performance 331ci stroker, a bulletproof AOD transmission from the durability experts at Lentech, and an extra-stout rear axle from Currie Enterprises. The Ford professionals at Auto Krafters have provided new suspension and brakes, while Weld has dressed the car out in some great-looking Pro Star wheels. Windsor Fox is going to complete our fuel-injection setup.

It’s easy to see that this car will have the best of everything, and for the cooling there was to be no exception. That’s why U.S. Radiator was selected as the cooling source. The fuel-injection arrangement on the Fairlane will require a custom radiator with the lower hose port relocated to the driver side to accommodate the output port on the reverse-rotation water pump. U.S. Radiator provided a three-row high-efficiency radiator. Known as the “Optima,” this good-looking radiator has far more rows per inch than a stocker, so the mill would stay cool behind this unit. To save on engine drag, an electric water pump from Competition Specialties will be used. Because the radiator was custom-made to the engine's specifications, installation was easy.

Take a look and we’ll show you the few quick steps needed to put extra cooling power in your Mustang or other special-interest Ford.