3 core brass radiator, good idea?

[bgjohnson]

well I'm on a budget and want a 3 core radiator, the aluminum ones are just to dang expensive($350+) and the 3 core brass ones are about 180. has anyone used them and if so are there any disadvantages or advantages? thanks

chris

 

[Michael Yount]

I use a 3-row, copper core in mine. Fairly standard materials for older radiators are copper core/brass tanks - is that what you meant? Mine works great. However, be sure you do some homework on the fin-tube configuration. What helps tremendously is to get the highest number of fins/inch that you can. Older style radiators typically have 10 or 12 fins/inch. The more contemporary cores can be had with as many as 16-18 fins/inch - and the more fins, the more heat transfer. So find out about that with the copper core you get. To put this in perspective, a 2-row 18 fin/inch core will transfer more heat than a 3-row, 12 fin/inch core. For a similar fin/inch and size core, copper has better heat transfer characteristics than aluminum. Aluminum is used in newer stuff primarily because of cost. Racer-suppliers use it because it's much lighter than the copper cores. The advantages of a standard copper core/brass tank set up are 1) that any radiator shop can easily repair it, 2) slightly better heat transfer than aluminum, 3) and cost is usually less than a comparable aluminum unit. The downside is weight.

 

[bgjohnson]

would a 2 core aluminum or even a 1 core aluminum unit cool me off enough if I were to get electric fan(s) and have underdrive pulleys? also I have no a/c if that makes a difference.

 

[Michael Yount]

Chris - the question's too open-ended for me to do much with. Heat transfer is a function of so many things - height X width of the core, material, fins/inch, how much air is crossing it at what temp, coolant temp, coolant flow rate - it's a fairly complicated calculation. Most newer factory units for V-8 powered cars are 2-row aluminum cores with plastic tanks. If it's sized to fit the stang, with a contemporary core (high number of fins per inch), I'd think a 2-row aluminum would be fine for a mostly stock car. If it's modded, and depending on how you're using the car - the answer could be different. Street cars need a lot of fan especially in the summer. No A/C helps (the air crossing the core is cooler without a/c so you have a bigger temperature drop across the core). For a road racer, the core has to be sized to handle the engine's heat rejection needs when running at max output for long periods - I ran mine for 8 years with no fan at all - only had to get from my pit to the track and back at low speeds - not enough to overheat things) Autocross and drag racers typically need a good fan as they as for max output for short periods (15 sec. to 1.5 minutes usually) and then need to cool the car down. You need to buy from a reputable source that can give you solid answers about the heat transfer capacity of the unit you're considering, and it's ability to handle your car's needs.

 

[cztt]

well I'm on a budget and want a 3 core radiator, the aluminum ones are just to dang expensive($350+) and the 3 core brass ones are about 180. has anyone used them and if so are there any disadvantages or advantages? thanks

chris

My original 2 row was bad. I got a replacement just like it except it was a 3 row. I can put my hand on it after it has been running for an hour and not burn my hand. It does good. Weight might be the only thing I see a problem with it. My a/c is alittle colder because there is not as much heat up there

 

[90mustangGT]

Follow the words of Michale Yount, Grasshopper, you will go far.... now for my story,

Although the aluminum's are really nice, it doesn't mean the copper/brass OEM types can't do the job. I have a GoDan 3 core, it's more than twice the width of the factory unit and really does the job. When I had the stock cooling system with stock fan, stock radiator, underdrives, and A/C it got really hairy when running the A/C in traffic in Georgia, in the summer. the temp got in the N of the Normal in the temp gauge once or twice. I went to PepBoys and got the GoDan for $130 something. Made a world of difference.

I now have for my cooling system:
GoDan 3-row radiator
Black Magic Fan - blows alot of air
180* t-stat
FMS Oil Cooler - made a difference, engine itself stays cool
A/C Delete- frees up air to the radiator
Underdrive Pulies
New Waterpump (sock replacement)
Autometer Temp gauge - which now stays at right below 190* and never moves much after warmup summer, winter, highway, or traffic.

BTW - Do a search on this site, there have been a few threads about aluminums that are only about $200

 

[Michael Yount]

An added note about radiators - a lot of attention is paid to cores that are thicker - i.e. 3-rows instead of 2-rows. Increasing the the thickness of the core doesn't add near as much heat transfer capacity as increasing the number of sq. inches of core that's exposed to the air stream. If you have a 200 sq. in. radiator 2-row, and you increase it to 300 sq. in. 2-row, you increase the heat transfer capacity by a proportional amount to the area increase - 50%. If you take the 200 sq. in radiator and add a third row of fins (2-row to 3-row), you only pick up 15-18% more heat transfer capacity. The reason is that as the air passes over the first two rows of fintubes, it is heated. So by the time it gets to the third row, the difference between the air temp and the fin temp is much less - so less heat can be transferred. If you have a choice, increasing the physical size of the fin tube area is MUCH more effective than adding additional rows.

 

[bgjohnson]

i also will have a highflow edlebrock water pump too