Radiator advice

[80Sierra]

Hey fellas!

I've run into another road block whilst installing my turbo 6.2L into my 1980 GMC K25. As you guys know, GM never put a diesel into these trucks. That means that there is no such thing as a core support with a large enough opening for the big 34" wide diesel radiator.

I took a spare junk core support that is the same as the core support I have on my truck, and set to work modifying it for the big rad. Even after trimming as best I can, the rad will sit off-center, and will have about 4" covered up by the core support's sheet metal. Since it is off center, the fan shroud wouldn't cover the entire rad either, meaning about 4" would not be shrouded.

My truck has a heavy duty 3 core rad in it already, which was used for the 350. If I used that in conjuction with a Duramax composite fan, and the severe duty fan clutch, would I be able to get away with the 3 core rad?

What if a guy was to spend a few hundred bucks and buy an aluminum rad, would I be able to get away with that?

The 3 core is approx 29" wide BTW, not including the side tanks. The Diesel rad is 34" wide, and is a 4 core unit.

Any thoughts or advice? This truck will be used for towing moderate loads (no more than 8000 - 9000 lbs) on occasion.

[john8662]

Even in the correct chassis for the 6.2L the radiator has about 4" of or a little more covered up on one side, being a little offset.

I'd find a 6.2L shroud, shouldn't be too difficult to find a usable one tho.

You could certainly have a large alum radiator fabbed, and it would cool better than the brass/copper one. Most alum radiators are created with large two rows, the tubes are twice as long as a brass/copper radiator one, but less of them of course.

The diesel radiator would be the way to go. These engines are great converters of diesel fuel into mass amounts of heat, so they need cooling.

[80Sierra]

Ah, not so serious then! Does the 6.2L shroud have the extra 4" or so on the driver's side of the truck as compared to the passenger's side?

I do have access to a proper 6.2L fan shroud, and I do have the proper radiator as well. Mounting the rad into my core support isn't a big job either. Piece of flat stock along the bottom of the rad with the rubber supports installed onto it, and the stock 82 upper rad mounts bolted to the 80 core support works great.