BB Aluminum Radiators

[Fury440]

The problem I'm discovering is too many cores and too many fins create an air dam and actually reduces the amount of air flowing thru the rad. Definitely not a case of more is better.

Mine ap[pears to be a tad over 1.25" thick, two rows with fin spacing of about 10 or 11 per inch. In theory this should work, but it doesn't. I notice the fins are not continuous, they have bits cut out. Maybe to reduce the weight (cost) of copper.

 

[70Tom]

I'm interested on what you decide to do or end up with. I'm thinking my car needs a re-core, but had also been thinking about getting an aluminum radiator instead, due to how hot it gets here. Obviously you've read the different opinions on each. I have a 26" radiator due to A/C in the car.

 

[CanCritter]

Find a fan shroud....they make hugeeee diffrence...won't run a vehicle without one....Bill hollar when you need help...give me cpl days warnin so l can leave town

 

[saylor]

+1 if you are presently operating with no shroud - get one. thats the problem.

try not to die -

- saylor

 

[Welder guy]

This is some great information,I'm going to keep an eye on this thread!

 

[Dobalovr]

I screwed up, both upper and lower hoses are on the driver side.

Ok that's the same as my 66 rad. If you want to give it a try and see if it solves the problem you are welcome to borrow it. Im a year away from working on the 66 at this rate

 

[Fury440]

+1 if you are presently operating with no shroud - get one. thats the problem.

try not to die -

- saylor

Don't think that's a solution, it's a band-aide. You've got to take into account the car did not have a shroud ever and it managed to run 96,000 miles without a heat problem. It's only since the rad was rebuilt and a new water pump was installed that it over heats. I'm convinced step one is to either replace or rebuild the rad.

 

[Fury440]

Ok that's the same as my 66 rad. If you want to give it a try and see if it solves the problem you are welcome to borrow it. Im a year away from working on the 66 at this rate

Thank's for the offer, but winter is coming and the Fury is about to be parked till spring, so I've lots of time to pull the rad and Jeep it up to Red Deer. Besides if I put the '66 rad in, we wouldn't have any hot weather left for testing.

 

[Fury440]

Find a fan shroud....they make hugeeee diffrence...won't run a vehicle without one....Bill hollar when you need help...give me cpl days warnin so l can leave town

Shroud is a band-aid for a marginal rad. That's why A/C cars got shrouds rather than a more expensive larger more efficient copper rad.
Sometime this winter if you get the urge to work in a nice warm garage, come on over!

 

[Fury440]

I'm interested on what you decide to do or end up with. I'm thinking my car needs a re-core, but had also been thinking about getting an aluminum radiator instead, due to how hot it gets here. Obviously you've read the different opinions on each. I have a 26" radiator due to A/C in the car.

I started this thread ready to buy an aluminum rad, but after a ton of google searches, I've changed my mind. Copper is a much better conductor of heat than aluminum. Aluminum can't be easily repaired if a stick, stone other other road debris punches a hole in the core. Copper is easily soldered.

Mind you, a gleaming aluminum rad with an array of pusher and/or puller fans with a thermostatic control for the fans looks very sexy. However when you add up all the parts and compare it to a top of the line copper rad, the aluminum option is twice or more expensive and nothing is repairable.

So copper is king and the question becomes number of cores, tube size, fin size and fin spacing. Be interesting to measure the dimensions of a unmolested factory 22" rad from a 383 or 440 car.