I am looking or help with my modelA with a flathead in it.The radiator I have is old and I think the reason it overheats some. I would like to put an alum rad in it but I want it to match the one in it now. Who should I use for this task?
From the Br***works FAQ page: http://thebr***works.net/faq.aspx#5 Q. Do you sell Aluminum Radiators? A. The Br***works does not manufacture an aluminum radiator. Here's why... Physics The material property that indicates its ability to conduct heat is known as its thermal conductivity. Copper has a thermal conductivity of 231 Btu/hr/ft. Aluminum has a thermal conductivity of 136 Btu/hr/ft. Copper is a significantly better heat exchange medium. Chemistry Aluminum is more vulnerable to electrolytic corrosion than copper/br*** because aluminum is a highly reactive metal. If the corrosion inhibitors are used up and the pH of the coolant drops to 7 or below, aluminum becomes a sacrificial anode and is eaten away resulting in radiator seam failure and coolant leak. Environmental - Half of the failures of Aluminum radiators are simply thrown away. Economics Aluminum in 2007 costs around 1.20 a pound and high quality production grade Copper costs over 5.00 a pound. Material costs of Copper and Br*** radiators are greater than Aluminum. Aluminum is a more profitable metal for radiator manufactures but that does not make it a better value for car owners. History - In 1975, the federal government established Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards. CAFE standards are 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and 20.7 mpg for light trucks. Car manufacturers began to immediately lighten the load. After all, for every 100 pounds of weight removed from a vehicle, there's an increase of half a mile of fuel efficiency. Longevity - Aluminum radiators have a shorter life. We frequently restore copper and br*** radiators that are over 100 years old. We never see an Aluminum radiator this old. We find most car enthusiasts who are battling an overheating engine quickly come to understand and appreciate the heat transfer benefits, reduced maintenance, longevity and long-term value a copper radiator affords them over the aluminum alternative.
ALSO Walker radiator has a good write up on alum vs copper. I used to run an aluminum rad in my model A with a big block and the epoxy on the bottom started to crack and leak ,I took it to a rad shop and they wouldnt touch it. I threw it away and got a good copper one from walker. Its been great for years now.
The whole Alum radiator thing started because of less weight in race cars more than anything in my opinion.
I got my new radiator for my Riviera from US Radiator and they have about the same thing to say about aluminum versus copper/br*** as Br***works. And copper/br*** just looks so much better, more traditional.
My aluminum Griffin radiator (2 row, 1" tube) is easily 15 degrees cooler than my Walker 4 row ever was. This is in my 31 Ford Sedan with a 350. It runs under 180 on the hottest day on the freeway at 80mph, and about 195 with the AC on. Those arguements about br*** and aluminum are ignorant of physics and thermodynamics. I also had a 1 1/4" 2 row Griffin in a tow vehicle. It was much cooler than the factory radiator. I am gonna run an Afco aluminum in my next project. Afco is all welded construction, although I have had no problems with the epoxied Griffin. I will also add that most flatmotors probably don't need any more cooling than a br*** radiator can offer.
Was just looking at walker prices.....damn. Basically if you're running a heavily modded motor they recommend the 'Z Series' which they want in excess of $700 for....wow. Mine has a br*** radiator that a local radiator shop built up for us (nothing really special). My motor is a >400hp 350 sbc. It will run at 180F all day long on the hwy but when we've been in parades or caught in heavy traffic it wants to get hot and it does it pretty readily. My dad's car has a 454 BBC with an aluminum afco radiator and it does better at staying cool than mine. He's not pushing the envelope with his motor like mine so that may be the difference....I don't really know. It just doesn't seem like the material they are made of is the 'end all be all' deciding factor of whether or not they can keep your system cool.
Ho hum, there's always one isn't there.... Cheap is cheap for a reason - when you find out why it's instant remorse. Man up and pay the price - go with a copper/br*** radiator and save yourself some future grief.
I would put the best non aluminum radiator in your car as the weight is not that much better and there wound't be any electrolysis problems. I highly recommend Walker radiators. I have purchased several from Speedway who has them at very good prices. Walker has been making radiators for many years and I believe their products are top grade and reasonable. The fins don't get bent up before you even get them installed like others I have had experience with. And they will cool. If you still have heating problems after installing their radiators the problem isn't the radiator. It will be something else. ****
You ALWAYS gotta look at who's ox is being gored... They're right about copper being an excellent conductor of heat. But guess what's one of the best insulators in the world? Lead. Which is what they use to join the tubes to the fins. So EVERYWHERE heat is supposed to transfer from the tubes to the fins is a well-insulated joint. Is aluminum a better heat transfer agent than copper? I dunno... what are heat sinks made of in computers, etc? They're not copper blocks. As for the OE's using aluminum strictly because of CAFE standards, ask yourself when is the last time you saw a new car overheat while it sat there idling? A 3-row copper core radiator with an electric fan and a good shroud isn't going to idle in the Wal-Mart parking lot on a 95-degree June day without puking coolant. Any new car will, and it's not magic. Aluminum is also stronger than copper: for this reason, the aluminum tubes can be larger with thinner walls than copper, which allows you to run two rows of wider tubes where a copper radiator would require three rows. This has two benefits: the radiator flows much more coolant (much like a 2-inch diameter pipe will flow more gph than two 1-inch diameter pipes), and two rows with fins has less resistance to air moving through them than three rows with fins. For the record, Griffin's radiators ARE welded together: They go in a vacuum room and are heated just to the melting point, fusing the tubes to the fins and the tanks. The epoxy is then poured onto the tanks where the tubes go in, to absorb and distribute any vibrations. Vibration is movement, and that'll work-harden the aluminum, which will lead to cracks. -Brad
This Br*** verus Aluminum radiator debate is sort of like the steel verus fibergl*** cars debate. OLD ... Both sides have them own reasons and opinions. There is no denying the fact that the aluminum ones do not LOOK as good in a early car ( Model A, 32s, 33/34s and so on ). I have a friend who painted his black and it looked presentable ... until the black started coming off. That said ... I have Walker " Z " line radiators in both my 32 Fords and both of the cars runs right on whichever thermostat I put in the engine. I live in the Hot,Humid South where 100 plus degree temperatures are COMMON in the summer. 700 dollars HURTS ... when buying a Walker ... but then it is less expensive than cooking down and overheating your engine and then having to buy a engine and a radiator
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