What’d you work on today?

[JohnC]

Finally got the C10 registered at the DMV. I went a couple weeks ago but they made me go to the CHP office to do a VIN versification. Also in California, ANY truck needs to be weighed and they charge you based on weight. The DMV lady said the rationale is that California considers any truck (with a bed) to be a work truck. Guy next to me bought a brand new Ford Maverick and has to go get it weighed.
So had to find a commercial scale in the next town. 72 C10 long bed with SB and AC (I left the spare tire at home LOL) weighs 3860# if anyone is interested.

My Dad says the truck doesn't like to sit in traffic (runs hot). The radiator looked to be the original and looked a bit crusty. pulled it out after the DMV and took it to Hayward, California nearby where there's still an honest to goodness radiator shop with a tank to boil out radiators and gas tanks. Before I put it down in front of the guy who runs the place, he declared "needs a new core." Too many leaks between the end tanks and core. Asking how much a new core would be, he started with "you aren't going to like this....." $900.

Looks like Summit has a original style (and fitment) brass/copper radiator for low $400s. Somehow LMC has a copper 4 row radiator for $287. Seems too good to be true. Their website looks archaic. Every thing is schematic type illustrations, no actual pictures. Since it's LMC truck I assume it'll fit. Need to give them a call and see if there's a catch.

Got the speaker installed in the dash. Got the radio installed and works nice (initially). Got all the AC duct work changed out tonight too. Not to bad. Old stuff was falling apart and the Classic Industries kit fit great.

As I was fiddling with the AC ducts and listening to the am radio, i noticed on/off the sound got really quiet and lost signal. Wiggling the antenna cord in the jack, the sound would go in/out and eventually went out. I got out and wiggled the antenna on the truck's cowl, I could get the sound to come in/out. I started to unscrew the antenna mast and the signal went in/out again. So i think the antenna has a ground issue maybe?

Got a headlight hotwire kit (relay kit) from Classic Industries. Pretty inexpensive and people say it works fine, but the package and writing on the relays looks like typical Chinese stuff with poor grammar and odd description on the package.

 

[cheveslakr]

If you've got a crusty rad, chances are good the block has crud and scale throughout the coolant passages. Flush it with a garden hose and if you see rust come out, stop. Pull the block drain plugs and note the color and flow. If the flow is slow or pulsing, it'll likely need the freeze plugs popped out.. Reach in with your finger and note the scale content. Remove the water pump and check the impeller condition Use a hose to flush in all plugs, back and forth, along with the water pump ports. Do this until you get good clean flow. This is critical before you reinstall a spendy radiator and take the chance of plugging it up again. Had this happen in several old engines. I now use a water ph treatment, we have fairly acidic tap water here. I know the argument on tap vs. distilled water, but getting the ph correct is far more important.

 

[cheveslakr]

......and flushing a cruddy block is best done on gravel, that stuff stains everything it contacts!!

 

[Nashville Cat]

I would call Cold Case Radiators. I think there's a rep that answers posts on Team Chevelle and Camaro.
The aluminum two row with 1.25" wide wide tubes is the way to go !
Their Chevelle radiators will cool 500+ cu in BBC and are around $400.

67-76 Chevy GMC Pickup Truck Aluminum Performance Radiator

www.coldcaseradiators.com

 

[Shovelrick]

I'd be a little skeptical of the LMC copper rad, at that price it might be made from copper tubing made in Viet Nam or SE Asia, lot of issues in air cond. units with leaks in tubing made OS

 

[cheveslakr]

I'm using 2 Champion radiators, both with success and they're priced right.

 

[JohnC]

I’ve heard people on the C10 site happy with champion and cold case. At this point I’m more concerned about exact fit. I don’t want to have to change mounts pads and such. Mine was a 4 row so not sure how the thickness compares to a 2 row aluminum. I’ll peruse the C10 site and see if other people had to mod things for an aluminum rad. Summit has so OEM style radiators for about 450, a but less on sale.

The engine was rebuild perhaps 10 years ago or more. The antifreeze is a nice shade of green. No hint of rusty discoloration but I’ll definitely flush it good before I stick an $$ new radiator in there.

Thanks.

 

[Alwhite00]

I have a Champion I. My chevelle. 6.0 with AC. No issues.

 

[JohnC]

Any of you guys with aluminum radiators stay with stock shroud and clutch fan? I see the Champion site has add on fan packages that don’t seem too pricy. Not sure how they cool though.

 

[cheveslakr]

If possible, I'd stick with the factory stuff. If you choose an alum. rad., you'll likely have to get a bit creative to mount your factory shroud. Getting a crossflow with the correct width core is key. If you go electric fans, you'll have to buy their shroud, or make your own, then the relay kit, then the temp. trigger, and after it's all done, there's more stuff to go gunnybag. A factory clutch fan will last you a lifetime.

 

[kmakar]

I bought an aluminum rad for the Starfire and it fit perfectly. I still have the original and it'll go with the car when I sell it, but being the original to the car, I wasn't taking any chances.

 

[Shovelrick]

I'm using 2 Champion radiators, both with success and they're priced right.

Champion rad is in my Chevelle

 

[Nashville Cat]

If possible, I'd stick with the factory stuff. If you choose an alum. rad., you'll likely have to get a bit creative to mount your factory shroud. Getting a crossflow with the correct width core is key. If you go electric fans, you'll have to buy their shroud, or make your own, then the relay kit, then the temp. trigger, and after it's all done, there's more stuff to go gunnybag. A factory clutch fan will last you a lifetime.

The cold case radiators are designed to mount a factory shroud. If it says it's for a C10 truck, everything should fit.
The rep told me they tried to make the appearance close to factory so if you paint it black, it looks correct.
But if your engine is stock, a cold case is probably overkill. But they are still around $400.

 

[Nashville Cat]

Any of you guys with aluminum radiators stay with stock shroud and clutch fan? I see the Champion site has add on fan packages that don’t seem too pricy. Not sure how they cool though.

The factory shroud and fan/clutch will out-cool any electric fan setup.
The electric fans create a flow restriction by being in the air path.

 

[JohnC]

That’s good to hear. I want to keep period correct looks and like to not stress the charging system by putting electric fans on. Heard some people say online that with newer aluminum radiators the electric fans cool better maybe that’s what they tell their wives to justify $300 fans to go with their $500 radiator. I also heard clutch fans works best too.

 

[Nashville Cat]

That’s good to hear. I want to keep period correct looks and like to not stress the charging system by putting electric fans on. Heard some people say online that with newer aluminum radiators the electric fans cool better maybe that’s what they tell their wives to justify $300 fans to go with their $500 radiator. I also heard clutch fans works best too.

Cars went to electric fans because you can't mount an engine-driven fan in a front wheel drive car; the engine is sideways !

 

[77cruiser]

Cars went to electric fans because you can't mount an engine-driven fan in a front wheel drive car; the engine is sideways !

Partly & probably fuel mileage, my 1/2 ton 2011 has an electric fan. Go with the aluminum rad & paint it black, i will be hard to tell the difference.

 

[JohnC]

I feel like the LMC copper radiator is just too good to be true. It's almost 175 cheaper than anyone else I've seen for a 4 row brass/copper radiator.
I had been tempted to go with Summit

1972 CHEVROLET C10 PICKUP Summit Racing SUM-382006 Summit Racing™ Classic OEM Radiators | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Summit Racing™ Classic OEM Radiators with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Radiators at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

But champion has a 4 row aluminum for just a hair over $300 or there is a "scratch and dent" model lists as a "quarter size ding on the tube" for $240. That's darn tempting. I emailed to see if I can get a pic of the damage.

Thanks

 

[Shovelrick]

Worked on a 2019 Goodman heat pump ac system for the engine builder I know, this was installed by another ac cont that he built an engine for, its a 16 seer comm system and for 16 seer I would Never have sold this comm system or brand to him, waited 3 mons for a main control board to come in then had to program it via a dwn load app, big pita

 

[kmakar]

Just spent $500 on a new 75% argon 25% co2 number 3 cylinder. I'd been using 100% argon for doing both tig and mig, but I noticed I wasn't getting good penetration with my mig. So I won't share the tank anymore and each has it's own gas now.

I had been using 75 / 25 for years, but swapped when I got my tig to 100% argon and never really liked the welds, but since I was buying a new welder today (Hobart Handler 140 115v mig) to replace my ancient Lincoln weldpak 100, it was time to separate the two tanks.