New radiator suggestions?

[Italianwagon]

What are your guys thoughts for brands and style of radiators for 3/4 ton 87 suburban?

I see all the other threads... lol just wondering fresh thoughts etc

 

[84 M1008]

What are your guys thoughts for brands and style of radiators for 3/4 ton 87 suburban?

I see all the other threads... lol just wondering fresh thoughts etc

Most of them are Chinese crap anyway, unless you want to put an aluminum radiator in it. If you have a gas or diesel, get the diesel radiator, it'll never overheat.

 

[SirRobyn0]

What are your guys thoughts for brands and style of radiators for 3/4 ton 87 suburban?

I see all the other threads... lol just wondering fresh thoughts etc

If you still have the original copper radiator, I'd try really hard to find a radiator shop that can rebuild it. Failing that I'd try to pull a good one from a wrecking yard. Anything you get at the parts store will be aluminum core, with plastic tanks and like 84 M1008 said they are crap quality compared to the original.

Most of them are Chinese crap anyway, unless you want to put an aluminum radiator in it. If you have a gas or diesel, get the diesel radiator, it'll never overheat.

Getting a Diesel radiator is a good idea and I hadn't though of that.

 

[Doppleganger]

I picked up a Champion aluminum 3 row - with the 2 electric fans - for my K20.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Champion-Cooling-Systems/166/CC161/10002/-1

Had to call the company with a question - owner answered and talked to me for 25 min...real nice fella and said to call him if I ever had any issues (lifetime warranty).

 

[SirRobyn0]

I picked up a Champion aluminum 3 row - with the 2 electric fans - for my K20.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Champion-Cooling-Systems/166/CC161/10002/-1

Had to call the company with a question - owner answered and talked to me for 25 min...real nice fella and said to call him if I ever had any issues (lifetime warranty).

Any idea if the factory fan shroud will work with this radiator, if a person wanted to retain the mechanical fan.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I would seek to keep/repair the brass-cuprous unit as a first option and maybe look into the Champion as a secondary option. Plastic incorporated radiators are cheap and ubiquitous, and you can repair them yourself to extend their lives some if you want, but they’re more of an interval replacement part rather than a life of the vehicle part like the OEM intended back in the day. Plenty of them didn’t make it, as you see lots of plastic-aluminum radiators in old vehicles, but that’s more of an owner negligence issue with regard to keeping good/ample coolant and proper water in the system rather than a quality or design fault.

 

[75gmck25]

I have the Jegs Champion radiator (all aluminum, no plastic) and I used the stock shroud, fan and fan clutch. There were no fitment issues on my ‘75 with 350. Cooling performance has been outstanding with this radiator.

Bruce

 

[Doppleganger]

Any idea if the factory fan shroud will work with this radiator, if a person wanted to retain the mechanical fan.

The dimensions were spot on with the original so cant see it being any problem. I had intended on going dual fans awhile ago and their kit was a direct fit for it - only reason I picked them up.