Silla Radiators
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by dwncchs
What is the BTU rating?Does it compare to original?
Heh the original is 25 years old. I would think ANYTHING new would be able to beat the original.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,020
Likes: 1
From: Nederland Texas
Originally Posted by Kalway
Find me a 4 row aluminum that will fit without issue for under $250, then.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Originally Posted by Kalway
Heh the original is 25 years old. I would think ANYTHING new would be able to beat the original.
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 29,335
Likes: 51
From: Monterey, CA
Originally Posted by pef427
Summit, Jeg's, etc...my local speedshop for $179. I then took it to a local radiator shop along with mine for a pattern and the rad. shop ordered a couple of aluminum necks and for $35 walla! It fits perfectly. It is 2 rows of 1" aluminum tubes. Make sure you get the fully welded one. No epoxy.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by pef427
Summit, Jeg's, etc...my local speedshop for $179. I then took it to a local radiator shop along with mine for a pattern and the rad. shop ordered a couple of aluminum necks and for $35 walla! It fits perfectly. It is 2 rows of 1" aluminum tubes. Make sure you get the fully welded one. No epoxy.
Maybe a radiator expert can chime in here for me and explain why aluminum radiators cool better than copper/bronze ones. My experience with cooling is mainly with computers and the best cooling for CPUs is with copper. Copper has better heat transfer but takes a little more flow to keep it cool, while aluminum is quicker to cool off, but doesn't transfer heat as well. Silver is the fastest heat transferer but due to cost isn't really any benefit over copper.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 29,335
Likes: 51
From: Monterey, CA
http://www.dewitts.com/pages/whyaluminum.asp
My copper/brass radiator did a good job cooling. When it sprung too many leaks to fix, I went with aluminum. It was very impressive how it would now just sit on 180 all day long no matter what.
My copper/brass radiator did a good job cooling. When it sprung too many leaks to fix, I went with aluminum. It was very impressive how it would now just sit on 180 all day long no matter what.
Last edited by Meh; Jun 22, 2006 at 03:00 AM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by Me2
http://www.dewitts.com/pages/whyaluminum.asp
My copper/brass radiator did a good job cooling. When it sprung too many leaks to fix, I went with aluminum. It was very impressive how it would now just sit on 180 all day long no matter what.
My copper/brass radiator did a good job cooling. When it sprung too many leaks to fix, I went with aluminum. It was very impressive how it would now just sit on 180 all day long no matter what.
On there it mentions visteon only makes aluminum radiators. A visteon radiator at kragen is only $244... However there are no specs listed.
Last edited by Kalway; Jun 22, 2006 at 05:06 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
From: New York
Originally Posted by Kalway
2 rows? The original is a 4 row, how can a 2 row aluminum radiator be more efficient than a 4 row copper/bronze?
Maybe a radiator expert can chime in here for me and explain why aluminum radiators cool better than copper/bronze ones. My experience with cooling is mainly with computers and the best cooling for CPUs is with copper. Copper has better heat transfer but takes a little more flow to keep it cool, while aluminum is quicker to cool off, but doesn't transfer heat as well. Silver is the fastest heat transferer but due to cost isn't really any benefit over copper.
Maybe a radiator expert can chime in here for me and explain why aluminum radiators cool better than copper/bronze ones. My experience with cooling is mainly with computers and the best cooling for CPUs is with copper. Copper has better heat transfer but takes a little more flow to keep it cool, while aluminum is quicker to cool off, but doesn't transfer heat as well. Silver is the fastest heat transferer but due to cost isn't really any benefit over copper.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,503
Likes: 2
From: Raleigh NC
Be careful with the cheap Chinese copper/brass radiators. If you look in them through the radiator cap hole, you'll notice that the internal welds are so bad that the coolant channels are almost half-filled with solder.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
The Summit-brand aluminum radiator is made by Northern. Very nice piece of work, fully welded. Some speed shops might also have them - I got mine for a good price at a swap meet from a semi-local speed shop.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 10,896
Likes: 2
From: CO
if it fits perfectly as an above poster pointed out thats a pretty good deal.
The issue I always want to know is if its fits perfectly. YOu dont want to mess around with it for hours trying to get it to work. The cooling capacity is important too but if you aren't running anything with a ton of HP it won't be a huge deal.
Just as a side note, my alum cools much better than the original but its also WAAYYY lighter. The original copper brass are pretty heavy.
The issue I always want to know is if its fits perfectly. YOu dont want to mess around with it for hours trying to get it to work. The cooling capacity is important too but if you aren't running anything with a ton of HP it won't be a huge deal.
Just as a side note, my alum cools much better than the original but its also WAAYYY lighter. The original copper brass are pretty heavy.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Quick note, I read some old forum posts about how some of the universal Aluminum radiators from like Northern fit without modification. Can anyone elaborate on this? If I can get a universal aluminum that will fit fine I'll take it.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
My god, this is the second thead about one radiator. You've spent days researching all these different companies and have enough information to write a book on the subject. You're never going to spring for an aluminum radiator regardless of the price.
I'm sorry about the attitude, but it just amazes me how some Corvette owners can drop 5k into building engines and then become squeaky tight about cooling it down. There was a day when Corvette people wanted the best for there car, not the cheapest thing they could find.
Serious people buy parts, dreamers post threads
I'm sorry about the attitude, but it just amazes me how some Corvette owners can drop 5k into building engines and then become squeaky tight about cooling it down. There was a day when Corvette people wanted the best for there car, not the cheapest thing they could find.
Serious people buy parts, dreamers post threads
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 10,896
Likes: 2
From: CO
Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
Serious people buy parts, dreamers post threads
thanks for that btw. The temp needle never gets above the thermostat temp