Out come to Radiator Leaking

JT FORD

JT FORD

Senior Member
Shop ordered a new radiator core. Brass and copper like original.
Removing and using my tanks, brts, etc. Sandblasting the parts and painting them. Resoldering the inlets and outlets. Cost $ 500.
About a week to get the core, should be like new. An aluminum radiator was $725.
 
JT, Good choice to go for a recore, and not just for a cost savings either.
A caution on the paint if it's not too late: The cooling fins and tubes should have the least amount of paint possible to minimize the insulating properties of paint.
 
radiators cool just as well with out the paint, just not as pretty, the paint is there to prevent some corrosion on the fins and tubes ,and it does dress up the radiator
 
Many moons ago I worked for a paint outfit. We sold OEM only in 5 gal pails & drums. We sold radiator black to radiator mfgs that was so thin you could see daylight thru it when you poured it. All they wanted was to make the radiator look black.
 
ford38v8 said:
No. Aluminum will pass the heat less effectively than copper. The best would be gold, but...
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Actually, silver is the best thermal conductive metal at 406 w/km. Then, pure copper at 385, gold at 314, pure aluminum at 205, and brass at 109. SILVER is also the best electrical conductor. DD
 
V8COOPMAN said:
Actually, silver is the best thermal conductive metal at 406 w/km. Then, pure copper at 385, gold at 314, pure aluminum at 205, and brass at 109. SILVER is also the best electrical conductor. DD
Click to expand...

That all goes to demonstrate that one should not always believe what one thinks! :D
 
A word of caution, doing a recore is fine as long as you remember your top and bottom tanks are the weak points as they were stamped way back when, have expanded & contracted by years of heating and cooling. They have the potential to develop fine stress cracks, use the lowest pressure radiator cap you can get away with. JMO!
 
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