Copper brass radiators.

[64 f100]

Couple comments on the replacement industry gong to crappy plastic and aluminum radiators. Seems you really have to dig to get answer's from parts suppliers anymore on what the radiator is made of. Looks like sometime in the future I will be buying an aluminum one, but it won't be plastic and aluminum, but all aluminum welded. Anyone know of good ones I see some on Evilbay for 200$ or thereabouts. Would prefer American made. Thought I would start here with my information search.

Rich

[ICEMAN6166]

still using my 64 vintage radiator, nice big heavy copper probably would bring me at least half the cost of a new one in the scrapyard.

i have seen a couple of the aluminum welded radiators, chinese of course but they looked ok as far as construction.
going to pay more in a parts store than evilbay, in the $300+ range

[Hunter's 64]

http://www.championradiators.com/ford-f ... -1961-1964

I,ve put champion in two diffrent trucks have had no problems with either , cooled good didn't leak welded inlets and outlets with billet pieces not stamped One of them had a auto tranny , and they put a cooler on the bottom .
http://www.championradiators.com/about


Danny

[Leeroy]

I put a 2 row (1" tube) Aluminium radiator in the mustang 10 months ago, a Chinese eBay purchase as stated above. Quality was good, welds all looked nice. I had plenty of stray current that I couldn't seem to get rid of so run a sacrificial cap to help. The coolant was always a 'rusty' color around all the hose clamps and pipes but the coolant stayed green so it looked like the cap was doing its job.
It cooled much better than what I took out, whilst the temp might climb stuck in traffic, it dissipated pretty quickly.
Surprise surprise 10 months later and it's leaking in not 1 but 2 places up around the edge of the top tank.

I'll be going back to copper this time, lesson learned and $280 lighter

If it were me, I'd stick with the big copper radiator for a slick. If your having overheating trouble with that size radiator something else is wrong.

[ICEMAN6166]

the other day my thermostat stuck closed
steamed out on the side of the road
i was only a few miles from home so i had my wife bring some h2o
big green sticky mess all over the engine compartment
yesterday i took out the t-stat, only 3 years old and even USA made
always used 195*
when i bought that one i bought 2 so i had one for a spare
decided 3 yeas was not long enough life so i decided not to use the other new one, instead opting for an almost new still shiny stant 180 i had
after i put it in seemed like i had a radiator leak
out with that radiator
i swear that thing weighs 50 lbs. empty
cleaned the whole thing off real good set it up in the 90* sunlight and plugged the hose ends and filled it with water
never did leak a drop , and the sun dried it all out so once again i lifeted in the heavy thing
ran the truck for about 40 minutes varying the idle,never topped 180
bought a new cap too
now i can drain out the h2o and refill with the proper coolant

if your temp gauge always runs in the same spot and even on a hot day you notice its 10 degrees warmer on the gauge, investigate
i was pushing pretty hard in some steep hills
stopped about 20 miles before the steamout, was no hissing or steaming there, only the extra 10 on the gauge
but after that i got stuck behind a very large farm tractor taking up the lane and the shoulder going about 20 mph
time i got past him the temp had gone past 220 and speed would not bring it down

i checked out some radiators online like the autosone $129 plastic-aluminum job
rather pay $2-300 to have my old one repaired before i got one of those

[Hunter's 64]

might check with these guys Ritch copper and brass http://www.coolcraft.com/radiators/ford ... 14&year=87


Danny