I have to disagree with this, Barrie.
Aluminum is cheaper in terms of material cost, but it does not shed the
same heat as a copper/brass core will. If you get better results with the
aluminum radiator, it is because it has a bigger or better designed core, or it
is simply new and had better flow than your old one you tossed out.
I like them for weight considerations in race cars, but in terms of
shedding heat the copper is simply better. The tubes in a copper core are
smaller as the material isn't as stiff and would swell if large tubes were
made,
and so the larger tube alloy rads clog less easily.
The clamped tank alloy rads are garbage and often leak at which point you
throw them away. Always buy bonded core/tanks, whichever way you go.
If you made identical thickness cores with exactly the same size tubes and
fins per inch, the copper core will shed more heat. To get the same cooling
capacity of an aluminum radiator you need a copper radiator with 15%
smaller size - which because it is smaller will also be 7% lighter. What
usually happens is that with the same size radiator, the alloy rad is lighter
but
doesn't cool quite as well, so you opt for a thicker core to make up for
that.
Bill
In a message dated 8/24/2010 3:39:38 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
barrie@look.ca writes:
I have to entirely disagree on this point. I had a custom aluminium
rad made by Howe's Racing and to the exact spec of the brass one I
had. The difference was astounding ! I now have the problem that my
engine runs too cool in 5th going down a highway at constant
120kmh. Also maybe these rice-burner-wannabe-Schumachers know
something as they all seem to have aluminium rads.
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