Changing Radiator Size

[erik70rt]

How difficult would it be to change from a 22" radiator to a 26, without changing the whole radiatior support?

[worthywads]

Easy, I dropped in a 26 without enlarging the radiator support.  Only need to make small spacers on the passenger side.  Not sure if it helps much, but I have not had any overheating issues.  It holds 180F even in 100F weather.

[dodj]

I did the same as Worthy, Installed a 26" Champion 3 row for the 440. Space it out a bit on the pass side, I think about 5/16"? I used aluminium strip.

[70vert]

interesting, I've thought about doing that also. a couple of additional questions:

* is the part extending towards the passenger side blocked, so no airflow? still additional cooling from the width of course. I've seen adds for a bracket piece to use for mounting modification but not really investigated that.

* can you still use a shroud, 26" of course? I wasn't sure if it would be offset from the fan or still centered.

Mine is a 383 2-barrel car with 22" now with a mild build 440. No big issues with overheating, only if sitting in traffic for long periods during Houston summer. So not urgent to make a change yet.

[worthywads]

I used standard shroud for 26 inch, I don't recall having any issue with centering.

[erik70rt]

Easy, I dropped in a 26 without enlarging the radiator support.  Only need to make small spacers on the passenger side.  Not sure if it helps much, but I have not had any overheating issues.  It holds 180F even in 100F weather.

So you left the 22" mounting bracket on the pass side in and just let it block the radiator?

[Challenger in NC]

Another option is to have the coils on your 22" radiator upgraded, that's what I did. I had purchased a bracket to convert my original 22" to a 26" but decided to keep the stock radiator and have it upgraded and restored. I have not run the setup yet,  but it will be a basically stock 440 w/A/C. Glen Ray did the work and said the 22" would be fine-let's hope so.

[70 Top Banana]

Glen Ray is the place to go! Did my Radiator and it looks like it did when the car came down the line.

[worthywads]

Easy, I dropped in a 26 without enlarging the radiator support.  Only need to make small spacers on the passenger side.  Not sure if it helps much, but I have not had any overheating issues.  It holds 180F even in 100F weather.

So you left the 22" mounting bracket on the pass side in and just let it block the radiator?

18 years ago, I don't remember a mounting bracket that you mention.  Here are a few pictures.  Shroud and fan lined up without any adjustment. It must have made more sense to locate the 22" and 26" radiators from the same driver's side mounting position on the radiator support, good thing.

You can see the shiny nut/bolt, very far left, a few inches left of the original 22" position.  I didn't care about concealing it.

Sorry, I haven't washed the underhood since a 3000 mile round trip to Tim Wellborn's 70-71 Mopar Reunion in Alabama in early Oct.



See the small stack of washers I used as spacers to align because of slight bend in the front of the Radiator support.  Again no effort to conceal the none stock hardware.



And from the back.

[70vert]

Nice, and thanks @worthywads
That looks super easy! I'll keep my eye out for a good price on radiator & shroud, no major issues currently but I hear the climate will be getting hotter 

[ZippyZoo]

As mentioned, the 26" locates off of the driver's side. Radiator and shroud centered nicely.  To mount the 26" initially, I just made a sheet metal plate with the holes for the 22" mount on one end and holes to mount the 26" radiator on the other.  This kept the radiator spaced back from the radiator support and didn't require holes drilled in the support bracket.  Only had overheating concerns while stopped in Woodward Cruise traffic on a super-hot day! 
Now with the car stripped and under restoration, I replaced the 22" radiator mounting plate with the aftermarket 26" mounting plate.