How to Install a Radiator in a 1966 Mustang

After starting a new project with this 1966 Mustang Coupe, the first part that needed replacing was the old, leaky radiator. I picked up a Champion Radiator and this thing is a BEAST!!
Radiator: Champion, Aluminum, 2 row, 1" tubes, includes Rad Cap
Shroud: Generic, black, so-so fitment, need mounting hardware, found on Ebay
Gasket: Fel-Pro, Standard Thermostat fitment, part # 35067 amzn.to/3z6C1pp
Upper Hose: Gates, molded, good fitment, part # 20475 amzn.to/3Pxy0S7
Lower Hose: Gates, molded, good fitment, part # 21953 amzn.to/3zy7a6O
Bypass Hose: FoMoCo, OEM fitment, part # RH11, purchased from CJP amzn.to/3b5gdT2
Thermostat housing: OEM style, aluminum, threaded top port, part # TH16, purchased from CJP amzn.to/3BgswH2
Housing Bolts: Hex bolts w/ lock washers, pair, part # F506, purchased from CJP
Fan Spacer: Universal fit, 2" spacing, part # HDN 3962, purchased from O'reillys amzn.to/3PSeuPL
The above links are Amazon Affiliate links
This video is a How To Install A Radiator in a 1966 Mustang
The car is a 1966 Mustang Coupe with a factory V8 and 4 speed transmission.
Shot with GoPro Hero 5, edited on Davinci Resolve 16.
Credit for the music in the video:
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Rumble by Ben Sound - www.bensound.com
HappyRock by Ben Sound - www.bensound.com
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Music: LineOfFire by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license
Music: BustinLoose by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license
Music: Rocker Chicks by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license
(creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
Support by RFM - NCM: • Rocker Chicks - Audion...
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[@Menace510]

Like others have said thanks for the videos as I’ve been building my 1965 mustang for the last decade all these videos would have been helpful but here we are 🤣🤣

[@AndyKruseChannel]

No problem 👍

[@JimboJason]

Great job on the camera angles! I could easily see every step being done.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks!

[@cameronpehl6795]

Man great video. Good lighting, right into it, and good camera angles. Thanks!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Much appreciated!

[@brianoneil5698]

Great video Andy. Thanks for posting. I especially enjoyed the bloopers cuts at the end. Lol. One thing I want to add is the next time you need to install or remove the radiator I always like to cover the aluminum fins in a thin piece of cardboard to prevent them from getting bent or ruined. It's also a great way to prevent your knuckles from getting cut up if you ever need to remove the fan without removing the radiator. Great job though.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

This is a great idea, thanks!!

[@fuzzienut]

Great videos! Keep them coming!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks! Working on it!

[@markhooper6674]

That's a pretty radiator !! 😁

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I think so too!

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

I need more profile footage pretty please 😁❤

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Click the Playlist, it's all there! :)

[@christopherwilliams2954]

Great video! Again your videos are great because of the concise camera angles…hey I gotta ask: are there no transmission lines in or out of the radiator?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks! There are no lines on that car as that car has a manual transmission. However, the hook-ups are in the bottom of that radiator for anyone that has an automatic transmission.

[@raymondho2405]

Can you tell me did you record the engine temp before and after installation to see what difference it made? I have a 66 mustang and thinking about doing the same, thanks ..and funny outtakes at the end, cheers

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Unfortunately I did not, but that would have been a good idea. Can't stop with the outtakes now, it's kind of become expected. :)

[@des4531]

You should put thermostat housing sealant on that gasket! The thermostat housings on 289 consistently leak there! Also is this a 2 or 3 core radiator?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks for the heads up on the gasket sealant, I plan to redo the heater hose down the road, I'll hit it then. :) The radiator is a 2 core unit.

[@Derek_Pagel]

What kind of spacer did you use? I got a used 3 row champion, and of course the fan won't fit with the different set up. First 66 I've owned so it's a little different 😅 the old rad wasn't even bolted up the same way yours was. Just trying to get it back right and the way it should be. You recommend bolting it back to core support or would you go with mounting brackets with rubbers? Any help would be great haha thanks!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Sorry Boss, this was several years ago and I don't have that car anymore. :)

[@darrellanderson6650]

Great video. How did you bleed the system afterwards? Thanks.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thank you! I didn't do it in this video, but normally I drill a 1/16" hole in the top of the thermostat so it lets the air out but it doesn't really affect the cooling system (I cover this in later videos where I replace the thermostat or add a new radiator). But in this case, I just ran the car until it got hot enough to open the thermostat. Not ideal, but it worked. This is an older video and I realized I how to do it better later in my build of this car. :)

[@darrellanderson6650]

@@AndyKruseChannel Thanks.

[@omarojeda2438]

Hello, I will replace my original radiator for this one , after many months what’s your review on the radiator, recommend? Thank you for the video, I will be replacing mine soon.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I sold that car about a year after I made that video, but that radiator was awesome the whole time. The fit was great, and when I finally added an electric fan, since it's a popular radiator, I was able to find an aluminum shroud designed to fit that Rad and a 16 inch electric fan. :)

[@metric6968]

Does your radiator not require an overflow tank? Great angles btw this will be helpful when I do the same thing

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Overflow tanks are not required, but they do help refill the system if it gets too hot. Today's video is about me adding an overflow tank, check it out at 4:00pm PST. :)

[@metric6968]

@@AndyKruseChannel guess I asked this question on the perfect day. Thanks I’ll check it out

[@XSpt1]

Hey Andy, can you tell which especific champion radiator you bought? And did you have to bought a new fan spacer? I need to change mine but there so many in the market I don't know which rad to choose

[@AndyKruseChannel]

This link is the exact Radiator I purchased back in the end of August, 2020: www.ebay.com/itm/163320214225 Yes, I did need to buy a new spacer, it was from O'Reilly's Auto Parts, number HDN 3962. It's a 2" spacer, not the prettiest, but it does exactly what I needed. :)

[@XSpt1]

@@AndyKruseChannel Thank you very much, If it's preforming well I'll buy it too

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@XSpt1 It's doing great, I installed that part back in Aug 2020, it's been solid ever since. :)

[@peterchristopulos7083]

Just curious, did you need to pull the belt off to get that lower hose removed?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

The way that lower hose was routed on my car, there was no need to remove the belt. It may have made things easier if that belt and alternator were out of the way, but I didn't want to do any extra work. :)

[@tblume84]

How much coolant do you have to add after all said and done

[@AndyKruseChannel]

That depends on your Radiator. For my setup, I think I had about 2 gallons of coolant and water. :)

[@hughphillips67Mustang]

Will the brakes work from a 16 to 20 inch? Or do I need to replace bottom support brakets?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Not sure what' you're asking. Brakes from a 16" to 20"? What bottom bracket?

[@hughphillips67Mustang]

@Andy Kruse lol. Sorry. Fat fingers like to hit the wrong buttons. And auto correct has to put its 2 cents in. Which makes my sentences make no sense. The bottom radiator support. Will a 20 inch radiator fit where a 16 inch radiator was? Or do I need to change the bottom support?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

There is no bottom support, the Rad is held onto the core support with 4 bolts. Some places that sell radiators show the dimensions, from there you can compare them to your setup and see if it will bolt into the same spot, or if you need to drill new holes in your core support. :)

[@michaelpassionsgarage356]

So what do you do with the 2 bottom hoses that go from the transmission to the radiator? Do you have to hook those up? or can you bypass those hoses and end cap it?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

If you have an auto, you'll want to either hook them up to the bottom of this Rad, or get a separate, smaller radiator so your trans will stay frosty. If you don't have an auto, or you don't need to use the two attachments on the bottom of the Rad, you can cap them or leave them, it won't matter. :)

[@michaelpassionsgarage356]

@@AndyKruseChannel yes, i have an automatic 69. And an aluminum rad, if its not gonna matter id rather just cap it off, Thanks for your help. Great channel brother

[@matthart766]

@@AndyKruseChannel Hey Andy don't know if you could help me out, what exactly did you use to cap them off, looking at replacing my radiator but being in the uk some parts are harder to find in country. Would normal bolts do the job or would it have to be something different

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@matthart766 You don't need to put bolts in that cooling section of the radiator, no coolant will come out in those two spots. Think of it as a piece of tubing that is connected on each end at those two locations, and the tubing routes through the tank at the bottom of the Rad, and allows the temp of the coolant to cool that transmission line by way of conduction. :)

[@MrPeterBeckett]

What's the procedure for bleeding the air once done?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Pull the cap, put funnel in top of Rad, pour in fluid until it just start to fill the funnel. Fire up the engine, let it get up to temp, may need to squeeze the upper Rad hose to get air out. Once car is warm, and both Rad hoses feel about the same temp, turn off the car, remove the funnel, replace the cap. Done. :)

[@hughphillips67Mustang]

What size radiator? 16 inch? I want to swap my factory 16 inch to a 20 inch.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Correct, 16" radiator.

[@OnlineResell]

2 month update: how’s it holding up?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

No leaks and the temps are right where they need to be. 10/10 would do this radiator again, but I'd put a little more effort into finding a better shroud. There is diminishing returns with shrouds, they can get pricey and not really work any better. However, I'm sure there units out there that fit better. Still very happy with the overall setup.

[@jwahrenburgrhahvac4107]

I know this is an older video but others start the car up with the radiator cap off, run it, and then refill it. I noticed you put the cap on and then said you would run it? Any truth to either?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I have since purchased one of those funnels that plug in at the top of the radiator so the air bubbles can easily come out of the system. I would have used that in the past if I had it, but I never had coolant issues with the old way I did it. :)

[@AmericanMuscleCarTV]

Can’t seem to remove the bottom connections on the rad to remove it

[@AndyKruseChannel]

The bolts for the Rad to the Core Support? Or the transmission cooler lines? Or the lower Rad hose?

[@AmericanMuscleCarTV]

@@AndyKruseChannel Andy I’ll send you some photos lol I got it off but the fan is so close to the rad now

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@AmericanMuscleCarTV Yes, some Rads are thicker than others and it may cause an issue with clearances. You may need to buy a shorter fan spacer (that piece between the fan blades and the water pump shaft) to get things to fit properly. :)