new radiator

[1990LTD]

Need a new rad since mine is leaking a little bit. Gave it some pepper to plug things up temporarily.


Someone mentioned in another thread that there is a stock 2 core replacement, where would I find that? Got a rockauto #?


What does one need to know when installing or even choosing a new rad in the first place?

[1990LTD]

p s - sorry for all of the replacement threads lately, I am definitely annoying you folks, and I apologize. I am n00b and wish not to be.

[GoodSamaritan]

No problem mang.

I'm not sure about rock auto, but you can keep putting in different years in their search engine, and see what comes up under the police stuff. (The bigger radiators came on cop cars.) Also you will need a different upper radiator hose. For some reason the end that attaches to the radiator is smaller.

[gadget73]

If you're looking for a stock replacement, just put in your make and model and it'll come up with what you need. 85 police car had a larger radiator, and thats the same application for the funky upper hose. Stock replacement should do you fine, especially up north. Price around local too, you might find one for the same price after shipping at a nearby store.

[1990LTD]

so if I were to get the police radiator, I'd need the upper rad hose as well? No fitment issues at the other end of the hose opposite the rad? How about lower hose?

[andymac0035]

Thicker radiator means you'll have to do a little surgery to the radiator mounts.
I remember being told that by Gadget73.

EDIT:
I just looked and Rock auto lists standard, 2 row, and 3 row radiators (in stock too) for 1985 LTD Crown Victoria with a G-code 351 engine.

[85crownHPP]

Thicker radiator means you'll have to do a little surgery to the radiator mounts.
I remember being told that by Gadget73.

Or you can harvest the correct brackets from a donor car like I did

[87gtVIC]

Or you can harvest the correct brackets from a donor car like I did

which would be just another drivers side hold down?

[1990LTD]

I found a 5.0 Mustang rad...do I want it?

[GoodSamaritan]

Sure... if you have a mustang...

[gadget73]

Mustang radiators are not Vic radiators. You might rig it in there, but its not what fits in that spot.

As for the brackets, I used another driver's side bracket. If you find the correct police car to steal the thing from, you'd be good but a DS bracket is easy to come by. The lower rubber blocks also need a little work with a knife to fit. Nothing major.

[trwp72]

I put a three row in from an older year... can't remember which one right now... The upper mounts I got out of a Lincoln town car, as the mounts on one side in those cars were different, they were slightly wider, so they fit over the new 3 row radiator perfect.
I had to get the mounts out of two cars, since like I said there is only one wider mount in each car... When you go to the junk yard, you will see what I mean.

Part number for the 3 row is 43-3552 at Advance (Ready Rad radiators)
The price online was $174.99

[johnunit]

Bumping this thread instead of starting a new one...


As some of you know, I have a civilian model Canadian car with the 351W motor. There seems to be a weird mashup of civi 5.0 and police parts on the car in general.

How do I tell, looking at the radiator, if it's got the police 3 row radiator or the 2 row? I'm not really sure what the "rows" are in the context of a radiator.

[87gtVIC]

If the upper rad hose has two different sizes (one end of hose being smaller than the other) you have the 85 specific three core radiator.

[86VickyLX]

Bumping this thread instead of starting a new one...


As some of you know, I have a civilian model Canadian car with the 351W motor. There seems to be a weird mashup of civi 5.0 and police parts on the car in general.

How do I tell, looking at the radiator, if it's got the police 3 row radiator or the 2 row? I'm not really sure what the "rows" are in the context of a radiator.

Thickness of radiator. 1 row is about 1 inch?