Radiator, which one do I need?

So I definitely need a new radiator. I have been putting it off since I purchased the car.
I have developed 2 leaks. 1 is from the core itself and the other may be coming from the upper hose, but I have not really looked to hard. I do not want to put any "stop leak" into it because of the mess I will have on my hands in the future. For now I just keep it topped off with fluid as it needs it. The leak is slow. It takes 3-4 weeks before it needs a re-fill.
I have looked and actually found some pretty good deals on new aluminum radiators.

My question is: Is there a way that I can tell what radiator I have? Part numbers or codes listed on the car somewhere?

I have 3 options:
1210c  w/o EOC; w/o LCI; 3 Row
1211c  w/o EOC; 2 Row
1212c  w/ EOC

I have gone over this a dozen times and and will probably do it another dozen. I just hate doing things twice.
This is a project I would like to do myself, but have an option to have a mechanic do it for me for very little cost.

Thanks for any help that you can give.

eoc is engine oil cooler do you have one? if you do there is only one option on your chart

The oil cooler is in the drivers side radiator side tank transmission cooler in the passenger side tank you will see the lines if you have one next to the fans.

I bought a Silia all aluminum welded tank replacement and it fit perfect but I had to reuse the old trans line fittings to fit inside the ones that came with the radiator. Jeff

Almost all LO3s had the oil cooler, so my guess is the last one.

Thanks for the info guys.
I always second guess my decisions. So it is nice to have other people around that have gone through this before.
Its like a support group.....Do we know of a support group for forums? I spend to way too much time digging through forums!

Hi. My name is Paul and I own a Wagon.

Good job Paul. You've gotten past the denial stage.

We are all here for you Paul. Would you like a donut?

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

We are all here for you Paul.  Would you like a donut?

paul is a cop?

LOL

I'm in the same boat. Do the new radiators have the hole for the coolant probe? i have the L03 without EOC, 1 inch radiator i guess, and i saw from rock auto at least, AC delco is the only one that mentions a probe.

I actually have no idea
I never had any free time to spend on replacing the radiator.
I gave all the specs to a mechanic, gave him a part number I found and let him do the rest.

Wish I could help out more.

Hang tight, I know someone will chime in shortly. Some of the knowledge these guys have is amazing!

My almost purchased '94 Roadmaster LT1 wagon also needs a rad. When I get to Florida and drive the rental the 300 miles north to meet it for the 1st time, I'll see what the FLAP has to offer and keep you posted. I have a couple of coupons so the cost will be the same as rock auto

CORVAIRWILD wrote:

My almost purchased '94 Roadmaster LT1 wagon also needs a rad. When I get to Florida and drive the rental the 300 miles north to meet it for the 1st time, I'll see what the FLAP has to offer and keep you posted. I have a couple of coupons so the cost will be the same as rock auto

I read a couple of your other posts and I would also be concerned on getting a "chinese" branded radiator.
I ended up replacing mine with a cheepo and it has held up ok so far. We will see how the brutal AZ summer goes.

Somebody mentioned on one of your other posts to stick with the AC DELCO stuff. He is 100% correct. As you read through the forum you willl find plenty of people who have tried to use an alternative product, just to turn around and redo it with an OEM part recommended by GM.

Good luck on your trip to Florida. Be safe coming home. Sounds like your trip may end up like a "ROADKILL" episode.

BTW we have a TON of knowledgeable people on the forum......Im not one of them. I can half ass my way through most situations.

Last year my friendly naybor needed a "new" van to replace his rusted to smithereens Astro, so I suggested a full size for him to be able to carry 4x8 plywood. I could only find a window van in Denver that was pre '96 no OBDII, and roll down glass and not white or red.

So I found a dealer with a G30 junker, got a couple hundred off due to non-disclosed defects, put on new Michelins, drove it to southern Florida, bot a lo miles '09 Harley Street Glide, loaded it up and drove home. It was a great road trip, A/C was repaired in Florida, as well as really loose tie rod, and all went well.

We took a few detours along the way, and got to see the good old USA!

IS there a "Heavy Duty" or taxi/commercial/hearse version of a radiator for a 1993 Caprice that had extra cooling capacity, or more rows than a base radiator. I have been having issues keeping the 400ci block cool.

I use an external trans cooler, so that does not become as issue for future needs.

lakeffect wrote:

IS there a "Heavy Duty" or taxi/commercial/hearse version of a radiator for a 1993 Caprice that had extra cooling capacity, or more rows than a base radiator. I have been having issues keeping the 400ci block cool.

I use an external trans cooler, so that does not become as issue for future needs.

Local rad shop did the rad for the locomotive using the old tanks.  Split the tanks and installed a 4 row core, soldered it all together and out the door for less then 300 bucks.

Actually ended up over cooling the beast.  Only time the fans turned on (set for 204 degrees) with a 195 thermostat was when I had the AC on or was sitting in traffic for a long period.  Turned on once pulling the trailer up the long hill on 77 out of North Carolina into Virginia but turned off immediately at the top of the hill.

Was a real bear getting heat into the car in the winter.  Spent 6 months with a heavily modified rad cover from a pickup.  Tried a 212 degree thermostat and turned up the fan relay to 215.  Couldn't get it over 205 degrees.  Too bad cause diesels love their heat.

Bill

There may replacement radiators available from JEGs and Summit. I believe I have seen a Chinese unit on ebay as well. I have been using the Chinese units in my 454, and it stays cool. Mine is not a "stock" configuration. I had to modify the mounts. I am also using a pair of high volume electric fans with a home made shroud. I started with 3 core radiator, and a set of fans off of a 93 FW, but had high temps in heavy traffic. The current radiator is a 4 core with high volume fans (literature says 3000 cfm each, but is probably more like 3000 cfm for both). The installation of the higher volume fans may have been enough without changing the radiator, but I had a little misfortune, and the old radiator slipped out of its mount, and was cut by one of the fans, so I paid for the insurance of a heavier duty radiator.

Are you using the engine driven fan, or electric fans? If you are using the engine driven one, you might consider a high flow fan setup. If you have electric fans, maybe a higher volume set would give you enough more cooling.

I have found that the AC condenser makes a lot of heat, and when the AC is working hard on a hot day the temp gauge goes up about 15 deg. As long as my system is full of coolant, it works fine. I may also put another grille under the bumper like the OCC originally had. Air flow would be about 30 percent more.

Another option is a pusher fan in front of the radiator, maybe two. The most cooling is done on the left side, so that is where I would concentrate.

Thanks for the info Fred.
I am using dual electric fan with  home made shroud as well on a 400 ci block. headers, high compression. Standing in traffic is the worst. I don't like to see the temps at or above the boiling point. A front deflector would help direct air while moving at least, but ultimately more cooling capacity may be best..

Any more info in the 4 core radiator? Rock Auto has nothing.

Dave

I used a slightly off shaped radiator, and had to customize the mounts. The ones that are "made to fit" will bolt in, but you may have to make mounts for them as well. If your current radiator is a stock one, the aftermarket 3 rows will bolt in to the same space. I do not know if the aftermarket ones will have the oil cooler, but may have it. If they do not, it is easy to fit an oil cooler from an LT1 car or a 91-93 9C1. If it does not have an oil cooler, the tank on that side is usually narrower, and you can run the lines beside the tank. There are some on ebay, JEGs, and Summit. They are probably all Chinese except the expensive ones. You may have to make a custom hose for some of the radiators. I found couplers on ebay for joining two ends of different hoses, or shorten/lengthen them, to make a proper fit.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I think this is the one I am currently using: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

If not this is the one. I think they are the same. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The radiators on ebay have different users for the ads, but they may be the same place. They all come from the same town in California.