Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
Which one?
Griffin, Be Cool, or alumrad.com
Dingo
Griffin, Be Cool, or alumrad.com
Dingo
-
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Aluminum Radiator
- Thread starter Dingo509
- Start date
themud
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Scottsdale AZ
I run alumrad it does work just look where I live, it replaced a two row modine for me...
themud
and when I pop the tanks I have a friend fire up the tig and weld me some new tanks
themud
and when I pop the tanks I have a friend fire up the tig and weld me some new tanks
Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
themud said:I run alumrad it does work just look where I live, it replaced a two row modine for me...
themud
and when I pop the tanks I have a friend fire up the tig and weld me some new tanks
Was the modine not keeping it cool or just wore out?
Dingo
I have an alumrad too. Replaced the 3-row modine after lengthy overheating drama. Price on alumrad is right too. It's one core with nice big tubes going through it. Keeps the jeep at t-stat temp, even when towing my 3800 lb. boat in 96* weather. Installed it in 45 minutes.
Snarky
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Chandler, Arizona
I hope this is not too far off your post, but I was just wondering if an aluminum radiator will crack if it is at running temperature and cool water hits it? I thought I heard somewhere that aluminum will crack if it cools down too fast. Just thought I would ask, and maybe this will save you from cracking it if you didn’t already know about it. (That is if it’s true) :wave:
Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
Snarky said:
I Have a Friend that has an aluminum rad in his 76 Bronco, we've went across fairly deep creeks before and he hasn't had a problem. But thanks for the heads up i'll do some research on that.
Dingo
Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
Planetcat said:
What are you running for fans? Do you have the a/c condenser?
I have been fighting a overheating problem and an aluminum rad is my next route.
Dingo
Snarky
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Chandler, Arizona
Forgot to mention this on my earlier post, what are the advantages with an aluminum radiator anyways? Other than looking cool under the hood :laugh3:
Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
Snarky said:
1 is weight. the other from what i was told is the thermal effeciency of copper/brass goes down after about 200 degrees, but aluminum goes up in effenciency. From 200 degs. on up the difference gets larger, at about 250 copper/brass is almost like an insulator and tries to trap heat in! this is where aluminum then becomes more effecient.
At least that's what i was told.
Dingo
nosajwp
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Winston-Salem, NC
What do you guys think of the quality of the Alumrad? I am thinking of getting one of these too. How much did you pay for it? Have you had any problems with leakage?
You guys that say it has really helped cool things off...did you do anything else to your cooling system, like a higher flow water pump/t-stat housing, etc?
You guys that say it has really helped cool things off...did you do anything else to your cooling system, like a higher flow water pump/t-stat housing, etc?
Dingo509 said:
Yeah, I have the AC condenser, tranny cooler, etc in front of the rad. Running a fixed belt fan spacer (no clutch) and OEM aux fan. That's why I concluded that a 1 row rad might work better for me. By the time the air gets through all that stuff, it's probably warm in the 2nd and 3rd rows of the radiator which really makes the 3 row like a very skinny tubed 1 row. Also, FYI, the alumrad radiators have carbon-fiber/plastic sides and fill tubes. Still pretty stout and haven't had any problems with them, but I know that some people steer away from the plastic housings on radiators. You should call the guy (Bob McCulloch?, I think) who owns alumrad. He's a really nice guy and will spend time on the phone with you explaining radiators and cooling.
Also did flowkooler waterpump, HD t-stat, et al, but nothing worked for me until I removed the clutch and put in the 1 row alumrad. I've towed my 3800 lb boat now in 96* weather. I think I paid under $200 for the alumrad, but it was a couple of years ago.
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GroversXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Peoples Republik of Kalifornia
Storydude said:
I'd like to know why rather than someone stateing what could be just an opinion. I also have cooling problems and will be looking for another rad but I want to get something that fixes the problem the first time as money is tight.
GroversXJ said:
Rad design is more important than material. I could make you a 4 core rad that would not cool off crap, and I could make you a 2 core that would cool a locomotive...Out of the same materials.
Pressure drop across the core, BTU/Hr of the fins, Flowrates, Water Pressure..........All of these contribute to a good rad.
If you have cooling problems(are you sure you REALLY are?) a new Rad is a stop-gap. Clogged rads, usually mean clogged passages, and bad waterpumps.
http://www.copper.org/applications/automotive/design-innovations.html
Copper Vs Aluminum. Some good reading.
GroversXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Peoples Republik of Kalifornia
I'll agree that rad design is more important than material but part of rad design is choosing the material that will conduct heat best for the specific application.Storydude said:
The overheating of my engine during the 110-120 days here in the desert while I'm wheeling slow says yes I have cooling problems. I am fine driveing down the road when I maintain some speed but I don't know when the rad was replaced last as I've only have the rig for 2 years. So a new rad may solve any cooling problems I have as it may be clogged somewhat.Storydude said:
First the article is written by the copper industry so of course they will be boasting the benefits of copper, but what it all really comes down to is their NEW DESIGN of a copper rad that is brazed and has thinner tubes. An aluminum rad with thinner tubes using the same new design may be even better than their new copper design. They base their comparison on the energy used to make the new copper rad's and the energy recovered by recycling them, and compare those energies to aluminum radiator energy costs to determine part of their benifits. I don't want to destroy the planet or anything but to me in my jeep, if I want something that will cool it down, then I'd be willing to pay the extra costs during the purchase to use the material that takes more energy to produce if it will work better for its purpose (cooling down the rig).Storydude said:
I don't mean to go off on anyone I just like to understand the reason behind the design or claim, thats why I, like many others here like these forums.
Dingo509
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Yakima, WA
Planetcat said:
That would be copper/brass. [/W m-1 K-1]: 400 http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Cu/heat.htmlGroversXJ said:
As opposed to Aluminum.
[/W m-1 K-1]: 235
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Al/heat.html
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/properties/text/definitions/thermal-conductivity.html
If you are cooling while moving, and overheating while going slow, it's an AIRFLOW problem...not a rad problem. check your clutch fan, or wire up the AC fan as an Aux.
Cuprobraze is the process used on almost ALL new rads...It uses a furnace to braze the tubes to the core supports, instead of a Lead dip. Cheaper, easier, and better quality control. Omptkou Brass designed the process 3 years ago, and it's taken right off. FWIW, I worked in a custom Rad shop for 3 years. Assuming the same FPI count, tube size, tank size, flowrates, and core size, a Copper rad will cool better than Aluminum.
If you get more than a 40*F drop across a rad, consider yourself lucky...4o* drop is about all you are going to get.
But like anything in life, people are going to take the word of thier friends, or the man trying to sell them something they do not need.
EDIT: here is a graphic showing heat transfer of ALL the elements...Copper is up near the top.
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/properties/text/image-balls/thermal-conductivity.html
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nosajwp
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Winston-Salem, NC
How many of you think your radiator is all copper? I'd be extremely surprised if it were, considering the high costs of pure copper. More than likely is a bronze or brass alloy, which would have a lower coefficient of heat transfer than pure copper.
The same can be said for Aluminum. Aluminum rads NEED to be an alloy of Al. Pure Al is almost worthless as a construction material. Too soft, and unstable as an element. Make it an alloy, and it's stronger, and more workable.nosajwp said:
The fact remains. ALL large equipment(which has a larger thermal mass to deal with than we would EVER see) uses Copper/brass Rads. Don't you think that Cat would use an aluminum rad if it was stronger, and offered better cooling? For the minimal cost increase on a 1.5 Million dollar machine? Plus, a copper/brass rad can be repaired MUCH easier than an Aluminum.
and FWIW, the Fins usually are about 85% copper, and tubes are brass.
There is a REASON Aluminum rads are larger, and thicker than copper....they need to be.
Unless you are pumping 350 Hp out of the 4.0, a stock Copper brass will work just fine. Want the bling factor, spend the cash on Aluminum.
Or, here's a thought......
Talk to a local Rad shop, and see what they offer.
When building a computer these days, you have a choice of using copper or aluminum for the heatsink. Almost all of the cheap heatsinks that aren't designed to dissipate heat are made of aluminum. Go up the food chain a little bit and you will find copper slugs in an aluminum heatsink. A vast majority of the high end heatsinks are made out of copper with the fins either skived or brazed onto the main part of the heatsink. I am not very sure as to the exact reason for the copper being high end, but if you look at any heatsink reviews, the copper heatsinks come out on top.
If you follow that line of thinking, then car radiators have had the right idea in being copper. Personally I replaced my radiator with an aluminum one and didn't see a difference in temperature either way.
If you follow that line of thinking, then car radiators have had the right idea in being copper. Personally I replaced my radiator with an aluminum one and didn't see a difference in temperature either way.
