Installing An Improved Pontiac Cooling System - Cool Winds

Part I: The Installs
Although publishing a cooling system article as the weather starts to turn cold and blustery may seem inappropriate, it's the perfect time to reflect on the happenings of summer and plan to correct or avoid future cooling system problems in your Pontiac. By employing the latest technology, your Poncho will be prepared on the street and the track to handle anything that Mother Nature can dish up when the mercury rises. Besides, magazine publishing lead times being what they are means that in order to test in the superheated temp-eratures and oppressive humidity of August, the story will hit the newsstand in October or later.

Fortunately for the hobbyist, there are many quality choices out there to upgrade your cooling system, so we rounded up components from Meziere, Performance Rod & Custom (PRC), SPAL, and Butler Performance to outfit the '66 Tempest test car, owned by Floyd Hand of Dallas, Texas. As an entrant in the inaugural Lone Star Shootout back in '00, Floyd's A-body is a stellar performer that posts mid 11-second quarter-mile e.t.s, utilizing an iron-headed 455.

Currently, the '66 utilizes an OEM-style 4-core brass and copper radiator with a shroud from a GTO. Equipped with a stock-type iron water pump and 7-bladed factory clutch fan, the Pontiac doesn't "overheat," but it does routinely see over 200 degree coolant temps after being driven hard on the street or at the end of the quarter-mile.

The Radiator
Floyd's cooling system was due for an upgrade, so the task of replacing the aging brass-and-copper reproduction radiator in his '66 was assigned to PRC. According to Shawn Kenney of PRC, "Our business has been built on constructing custom high-performance aluminum radiators and providing cooling system advice in order to make sure each component works well together.

"Though common Pontiac applications are available from PRC, each radiator is built to the owner's specs. We use 100 percent aluminum cores that have been furnace brazed and sourced from U.S. manufacturing facilities. No glues or epoxies are used in the cores, so common core failures due to inferior manufacturing are virtually eliminated. Based on customer feedback, the aluminum radiators we build are up to 20 percent more efficient than the copper/brass radiators they replaced." In this case, we wanted a drop-in replacement that didn't have provisions for an automatic transmission cooler. Had we opted for a transmission or oil cooler, or placement of the inlets and outlets in any position, PRC could have built it.

Electric Water Pump
To augment the radiator upgrade, an electric water pump from Meziere was sourced. Available in blue, black, red, or a polished finish from the manufacturer or Butler Performance, the pump is rated in excess of 2,500 hours of running time and includes all the necessary gaskets, seals and wiring for installation. David Butler states, "Meziere makes an excellent electric water pump for the classic Pontiac, and it is very popular with the street/strip enthusiast. In addition to reduced parasitic accessory drag by eliminating the engine-driven fan and mechanical water pump, the electric water pump and electric cooling fan combination allows racers to quickly cool down their cars between rounds at the dragstrip, leading to more consistent performance."

Removal begins by draining the coolant and taking the radiator hoses off. The unit is held in the core support on the bottom by a mount and rubber isolator on each corner, and on top by a single retaining bracket and rubber isolator. Next, both 1/4-inch-headed bolts that hold the top retaining bracket are removed.	After the four 1/4-inch-headed bolts at each of the four corners of the shroud are removed, the four fasteners that attach the factory 7-bladed clutch fan to the water pump can be taken out to release the unit. The shroud is then lifted out of the engine compartment...	followed by the radiator. Although the radiator doesn't leak, the condition of the coolant that was drained and the number of damaged fins on the core are good indicators of potential future problems.
Removal of the alternator begins by unplugging the electrical connector on the back, followed by the ground wire that is retained with a 1/4-inch nut and lock washer. A 1/4-inch open-end wrench and a 1/4-inch socket will make short work of the remaining fasteners. The belt and water pump pulley can then be extricated.	The two alternator bracket bolts are backed out next with a 1/4-inch socket, and the bracket is removed. (Note the home-built belt retention device that's added to the stock bracket. The tab keeps the alternator belt from flinging off of the pulley at high rpm.) Then, the lower radiator hose is pulled from the timing cover.	A 1/4-inch socket can handle the remaining eight water pump bolts, and a 1/4-inch wrench will take off the long bolt between the water pump and intake manifold. The water pump is then gently tapped until the timing cover seal is broken and can be removed.