What benefits are offered by aluminum radiators?

[robroy]

Good morning,

Is their light weight the only benefit offered by aluminum radiators? Or are there other benefits I'm not considering?

The papers that came with my engine suggested putting in a four row, aluminum radiator, and I'm curious to understand their reasoning behind that.

Thanks very much!
-Robroy

[68swb]

i think one of the benefits is that aluminum displaces heat faster, so in turn it will cool better... that is what i think, maybe i am wrong... someone else will chime in i bet, that is why this site is great....

[Kurt Combs]

I thought the best conductor of heat was gold.......hum, reminds me of a James Bond movie.

[robroy]

I couldn't find the gold radiator in the NPD catalog. Do you know of a vendor for that? -Robroy

[Hawkrod]

Aluminum radiators are by far the best at conduction transfering and disappating heat for automotive uses. copper would be the best but they do not make radiators out of copper they use brass which, despite having copper in it, is much worse than many other materials. Aluminum wins hands down for weight and heat transfer but brass wins for durability and corrosion resistance. Hawkrod

[Kurt Combs]

I just installed an aluminum radiator in my 72 F250 and here are my thoughts; the original was adequate in cooling capacity for a stock engine and so is the new aluminum replacement. The original looked better, but I am used to the old style radiator. You can get the old style on Ebay for around $180 plus shipping, which is about what the aluminum radiator costed at Napa Parts. My biggist complaint is the aluminum shows through the grille as a silver color, and the original is black which you do not notice. I don't know if I dare paint the new radiator, but I would prefer the painted brass.

[robroy]

Kurt and Hawkrod, thanks for your replies!

Hawkrod, I like the way you've listed the pros and cons of both brass and aluminum radiators, thanks.

Kurt, good point about the silver color showing through the grille. I wouldn't have thought of this! I probably won't mind as much Bumpside is moderately modified already, but it's a good point.

Thanks again!
-Robroy

[Kurt Combs]

Update: My 1972 F250 with a 360 has always run cold when measured on stock Ford gauges. Undernormal driving it never gets over and 1/8 to a 1/4 up from cold. I installed an aluminum radiator and all looked good until yesterday. I was preparing to pull a float in my daughter's high school homecoming parade and I let the truck idle for about 15 minutes. I could have shut if off, but it is embarrassing to start it warm as it cranks for quite a while before it lights off. As I sat there the engine temp rose to almost off the solid white stripe on the gauge, it never did that with the stock radiator. I was afraid it was going to boil over on me right there on main street. Yes, I need to install the shroud (which I hate as it is hard to work on the front of the engine with it on), but it has never done that in 100+ degree heat and it was only 80 yesterday. The shroud has not been on the truck for a couple of years, so that was not the problem. Maybe aluminum is a better conductor of heat, but not the way the Napa Parts radiator is designed. I wish I had bought the radiator on Ebay as it looks to be like the original brass design. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.