Blown radiator..

[Oystercopy]

Hey guys... so, I got the Challenger out yesterday, and almost didn't make it home. She started overheating (again) and I finally figured out why. The radiator leaked really badly and water/coolant was spitting out right through the fins.

So... I can order a new one online (didn't find any locally) and was wondering, is there a benefit to going aluminum vs. the standard (copper?) core units? I kind of want to keep the car original looking, so not sure if the aluminum could (or should?) be painted black to match.

And if anyone has the best way to flush the system (including the heater core, if possible), I'd be most happy to hear your advice!

Thanks in advance!

 

[moparlee]

Talk to Cold Case. They are one of the forum's vendor advertisers.

 

[Ccas]

Been there! Not fun. You are going to get a split camp for your answers. Here's my take 'as an aluminum radiator mfg'
1. apples to apples Aluminum cools better.
2. Aluminum is at least as strong as copper/brass contrary to a lot of opinions because aluminum seems lighter.
3. Aluminum is less expensive right now. This was never the case until about 10 years ago.

I don't know about everyone else but the CC radiator has stamped tanks. You can paint them to look very original as long as you are not trying to win at a national concours 'original' class show.

If you are interested in a special Forum member price, shoot me a PM.

 

[DTCMMLF]

My Boss, back in the day, ALWAYS reverse flushed cooling systems. This was in Northern Ohio, so we saw LOTS of cooling issues in cold weather.

 

[70chall440]

No many if any cars made any more with anything other than aluminum radiators. I still have an original recored 26" radiator in my 70 Challenger RT but everything else has (or will have) aluminum.

 

[DrEamer]

I'm getting ready to buy a radiator for my Challenger which has never been running, but I will share my research of what I have found about different brands if it helps. My search has focused on stamped tanked, aluminum units. I want something that look faily original, but does not need to be correct. It needs to cool my 408 which should be just shy of 500 horsepower. The three brands that I have found so far that meet those criteria are, Griffin Exact Fit series, US Radiator Desert Cooler, who also makes OER brand, and Cold Case. All are running two larger rows, verses a three or four smaller rows often found in older units. US Radiator runs 1 inch rows, where Cold Case and Griffin have 1 1/2 inches. US can do a 1 1/2, but at an extra cost. Cost wise, the base US is around $400, the Cold Case at $380, and the Griffin is over $700. Now, if you look at warranties, I can not find anything on US, Griffin is one to two years depending on part number, and Cold Case is lifetime. Does one brand fit better then another, I can't say for sure since there is not much feedback on the US, or Griffin. When I take all these thing into consideration, I personally leaning towards the Cold Case. Their warranty, and price for the product offered strike a nice balance for me. My only regret is that it is that they are not made here in the United States like the other two. That said, they get good reviews for customer service which means something. Also, being site sponsors helps as well.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Down side to Alum is it will not withstand flexing , all new cars have alum rads usually with plastic tanks & All are mounted in Rubber isolators , nothing wrong with Alum but I would never bolt it directly to the rad wall without isolating it .

 

[Oystercopy]

Hey again.. I ended up having the OEM radiator repaired, sealed and pressure tested. And this time around, I didn't put the fan clutch so close to the radiator, which is what did it in. I went back to
a flex fan and moved it further away from the radiator (where it should have been in the first place). No issues so far. Thanks for all the advice!
OC