zookeeper
Founding Member
You are simply repeating something you read, while he actually called the company and spoke to someone. Now be honest, who would you believe?65fastback2+2 said:
RADIATORS... HELP!!
- Thread starter SLEEPERstang21
- Start date
kidtaurus
Founding Member
I just called radiators.com and they too told me that they do not have any aluminum radiators. They said they only have copper radiators for my application (68 w/a 302)
65fastback2+2
New Member
well im calling MCA or radiators.com monday to figure this junk out. I dont see MCA putting fake stuff in their magazines.
Hack
15 Year Member
This is NOT true. Brass does not cool better. Aluminum is entirely superior, and that's why new cars all have aluminum radiators.zookeeper said:
65fastback2+2
New Member
Hack said:
Brass/Copper has better heat transfer but because of its density the transfer is SLOW. Aluminum is less dense than brass/copper, while it doesnt have the same amount of heat transfer it does have quick heat transfer which is what really matters in cars. The quicker you can get the heat into the fins the quicker the air can pass over and remove the heat. So in the car game, quicker heat transfer is better than heat transfer as far as absorption amount.
zookeeper
Founding Member
While 65Fastback2+2 beat me to it (Thank YouHack said:
) He's 100% right. New cars have used them for years for the same reason motocross bikes have used them for years, incredible weight savings. You don't see aluminum radiators in towing vehicles, which stress their cooling systems and need to be kept cool, do you? Want to hear another fact that's going to upset you? If all else is equal, and detonation is not a factor, cast iron heads produce more power on a street motor than aluminum!
HookandLadder
Founding Member
Hack
15 Year Member
I had heard the thing about cast iron's superiority in combustion efficiency to aluminum before, and the reasoning behind it makes sense to me. Where were you when I posted about this and got beat up for it about a week ago?zookeeper said:While 65Fastback2+2 beat me to it (Thank You
I read a tech piece on radiator materials recently (sorry no link, I'm at my parents' house for the holiday). It explained the reason why aluminum is so much better than brass. I hesitate to try to post it, because I'll probably get at least some of it wrong.
The article explained that it has to do with the size of the tubes in the radiator relative to the material thickness required for sufficient strength. Brass cannot support the correct size tube because it isn't strong enough. I generally don't assume that something I've read on the internet is true, but when I see similar stuff several places I can be convinced. Also, theory and logic helps me!
Have a great 4th everyone!
zookeeper
Founding Member
Sorry I couldn't help with the iron-head beef but I've been busy block-sanding. I think I may be changing jobs, I could be a great thief now with no fingerprints left! Anyway, when you think about it, which radiator is best is actually a fairly lame arguement, since pretty much all modern radiators work very well, even the plastic-tank ones on GM vehicles these days work nicely. In fact they work a hell of a lot better than GM's transmissions, my Suburban just grenaded it's second one in about 20,000 miles. F'n chevys... 
I think I may be changing jobs, I could be a great thief now with no fingerprints left! Anyway, when you think about it, which radiator is best is actually a fairly lame arguement, since pretty much all modern radiators work very well, even the plastic-tank ones on GM vehicles these days work nicely. In fact they work a hell of a lot better than GM's transmissions, my Suburban just grenaded it's second one in about 20,000 miles. F'n chevys... Similar threads
