Aluminum Radiators

[icanfixall]

So... What is the reason our trucks didn't come from the factory with an aluminum radiator? Is there something about aluminum, type of coolant or what. Also how do you clean out the 2 differant types of aluminum radiators that have been posted here. I live about 6 miles from the shop here in So Ca that makes one of them.

 

[Greenbeast6.9]

Copper is more corrosion resistant i believe.

 

[jimraelee]

I think currently copper is still cheaper than aluminum....

 

[Optikalillushun]

Evan showed me a link to an ebay auction that had a nice alm radiator. i figured it would be about 50 lbs lighter and cooler better. it said it had 40% more fins and stuff.

 

[f350flatbed]

I'm pretty sure copper is a lot more than aluminum. Copper is a much better heat conductor.

Paul B

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Copper is almost three times more per pound than aluminum. It is also a much better heat conductor, albeit it does weigh more. Newer technologies have made it much more possible to get effective cooling using the lighter in weight, easier to manufacture and (perhaps most importantly) less costly aluminum.

 

[RLDSL]

I have no idea why they came with copper and not aluminum, could be that they were still concerned about fleet sales longevity for trucks and the plastic tank aluminum rads used OEM for cars only have about a 10 year life expectancy before the tanks crack, or mabey they were worried about just that, the plastic tanks cracking under heavy frame flex or??
They basically went with the plastic/aluminum on the cars for weight and cheaper production costs. as usual, they went with the absoloute minimum size they could get away with in most cases

I know the custom aluminum rad I got isn't exactly a weight saver. That sucker is heavy, but there's no worries about that thing coming apart, but the design with the larger tubes makes a world of difference in the cooling.

I've got to get mine cleaned out after having to dump sealer in for the bum freeze plug , but it looks like I'll be able to take it to a big rad shop in the city that has a fancy flush setup where they run some cleaner through and backflush the thing . They say they rarely ever need to rod the things out, the flushing clears the tubes . I'm going to call the guy who made ( Jerry at Rodney Red ) it first to make sure

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Actually, Aluminum conducts heat better than Copper.
Copper, being more dense, will hold heat longer.

The more important difference in the radiatiors is the design of the fins

 

[riotwarrior]

Actually, Aluminum conducts heat better than Copper.
Copper, being more dense, will hold heat longer.

The more important difference in the radiatiors is the design of the fins

Well in all actuality, copper being more dense is the better thermal conductor
but releases it poorly
Aluminum transfers heat to the air better because it's less dense and releases that heat quicker but does not conduct it as well as copper

This is why they made Cu/Al heat sinks for high end computers....

The copper core gets the heat away from the cpu and the aluminum being better able to transfer heat to the air surrounds the copper core and the fan blows down on aluminum fins

The ultimate Rad would be copper core tubes, to conduct heat quickly from liquid to the fins of which an aluminum tank and aluminum would be able to get that heat away from the copper quickly because the aluminum doesn't hold heat as well as copper.

look here for some thermal information on different materials http://www.engineersedge.com/properties_of_metals.htm

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Umm, that's what I said, Aluminum "Conducts" Heat better than Copper.

Conduction: the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.

So it "Transfers (conducts)" heat better than copper.

 

[riotwarrior]

Umm, that's what I said, Aluminum "Conducts" Heat better than Copper.

Conduction: the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.

So it "Transfers (conducts)" heat better than copper.

Um check the chart http://www.engineersedge.com/properties_of_metals.htm ....Thermal conductivity, for Copper is far greater than aluminum and the best is silver which we know would be expensive for a Rad

Copper being more dense has a great thermal conduction than aluminum yet at the same time the very property that makes it so good at conduction makes it have less ability to transfer that heat to another medium (Air) it holds the heat in this is why you can buy copper bottom pots....!

Aluminum heats up and cools quicker becuase it has less thermal conduction yet its ability to release the heat is what makes it good for transferring heat from solid to air....

I hope this helps to clarify things somewhat....if needed I can get all the technical data needed to more elaborately explain this.

 

[icanfixall]

Aren't Vettes running aluminum radiators and if so why? Could it be the engineers wanted the heat pulled thru the medium as fast as possible and wouldn't aluminum be just the ticket for that? If so I'm still wondering why we don't run them. I wonder if the psd and the new psd are running aluminum with a plastic tank......

 

[82F100SWB]

The SuperPigs(I used to own one, I can call them that... ) are running just that, aluminum core, plastic tank.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Riot, I'm not trying to start a ****** match. But I think the wording on the site is confusing, maybe misleading.

Copper absorbs (transfers/conducts), and retains heat better than Aluminum. Thus the copper bottom pots. You don't want your food pulling all of the heat out of the hot pot, when you add it to the pot

The reason HiPo radiators are made of Al is because the Al will conduct heat from the coolant, to the air, faster than copper. = improved cooling over copper radiators.

There is a little more to it, also. Al rads are designed a little different than most copper rads. The fins are either, more compact, wider, dimpled, or some combonation of designs. Thus providing improved cooling VS most copper rads.

 

[icanfixall]

I think I'm going to install an aluminum radiator and run some comparrision tests with my custom 5 row that I'm running now.....