Put a stick through the bottom of my radiator last night.... @#*&*

Just got on and was browsing through for some internet options and one thing I am seeing quite frequently is the option of a 2 row or a 3 row radiator...Never having the pleasure of having to pull one I am ignorant to what is in there, although I am assuming it must be a 2 row because I can't see them offering anything less than OEM standard. That's surprising to me, I always ASSumed it was at a minimum of a 3 row or a 4. I'm guessing due to the surface area, a 2 row was sufficient for these motors. I wouldn't mind upgrading to a 3 row but the truth is I have NEVER seen my truck overheat and the 3 rows appear to be at least 30% to 40% more than the 2 rows....not sure if it's worth the money. Any opinions on the matter? How about actual manufacturer? I am about to call my local parts guy to see what kind of prices he can get me, in the mean time I appreciate any and all comments/opinions/experiences.

Looks like now is going to be the time for me to tear the front end down for some serious maintenance. I was planning on waiting until fall but had plans on removing the radiator to degrease, coolant flush and fill with HOAT coolant, pull the front gear case to see if I need to tab the dowel pin, and inspect/replace damper and any other areas that may need resealed once I'm in there. It's not the best timing as things are busy at work, but if Im gonna be in there I might as well go for it rather then do it all over again in 2 months!

cant answer your question, except to that I lost a rad. about 3 days b4 vacation trip and had to buy one from oreillys or autzone to get it in time I got one and was a lot lighter by weight but has been in there for several years working good. and I pull a 11k trailer. so all has been good.

Take it to a radiator shop and see if they can fix the tubes. Might depend on how bad it is

It's a fairly small hole and is right at the bottom. I THINK it could be fixed, but my concern is at this point do I just cut my losses on a 16 year old radiator and buy new...

cant answer your question, except to that I lost a rad. about 3 days b4 vacation trip and had to buy one from oreillys or autzone to get it in time I got one and was a lot lighter by weight but has been in there for several years working good. and I pull a 11k trailer. so all has been good.

That is likely because the aftermarket radiator you bought is aluminum compared to the OEM copper. Once I got my radiator pulled I kind of answered my own question about the 2 core vs 3 core. Radiator technology has come around just like everything else. Aluminum radiators can use wider tubes that create more surface  contact area from the tubes to the fins and helps dissipate the heat quicker. So essentially a new quality built aluminum 2 core radiator can cool as effective as an older 3 core copper radiator because it has roughly the same surface area.

I got the gear case off and low and behold the dowel pin was still there. I don't think it was ever going to go anywhere as it was recessed and very tight, but I made a little tab for it anyhow. Made it out of a 3/8 fender washer and trimmed it down to fit. Soon as I get the seal for it it will go back together.

As for the radiator, after checking around on the internet I didn't find anything that really impressed me (other than a 4 core aluminum radiator with aluminum tanks, $$$$) I ended up ordering an aluminum radiator through NAPA. I know the owner and he cut me a pretty good deal. Back to the grind tomorrow and through the weekend so I probably won't get it back together until Monday.