I have an AU XR8 which has just had the radiator crack for the second time. My Ford dealer told me to put in a aftermarket Copper radiator instead of the Ford Aluminum radiator.
Has anyone else had any hassles with their AU Aluminum radiator?
What do you all think about Copper radiators, are they better than Aluminum radiators?
It depends on what you get. A 3 or 4 core and you'll never have a problem again. People get alluminium because they are lighter? Copper will cool better I reckon..
I recently had to replace my radiator because of an inconsiderate ute owner not covering his load (stuff fell off).
When i got the replacement radiator the guy at the radiator place said that due to a ford F@ck up there has to be some modifications made so the radiator won't split.
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347 238rwkw untuned and with a couple more lil things to change :)
Other car: BA FAIRMONT
Our cars are like Rage VS Silence
TKTDSGM Member
I think ford fixed this by putting a small hole in the thermostat. This allows a bit of warm/hot coolant to circulate when the engine is cool, gradually warming up the radiator. Without it the thermostat would open all of a sudden and the radiator went from cold to hot very quickly causing it to crack.
I think ford fixed this by putting a small hole in the thermostat. This allows a bit of warm/hot coolant to circulate when the engine is cool, gradually warming up the radiator. Without it the thermostat would open all of a sudden and the radiator went from cold to hot very quickly causing it to crack.
that was a factory recall for all series au's i think...302w, has yours had this done?
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It depends on what you get. A 3 or 4 core and you'll never have a problem again. People get alluminium because they are lighter? Copper will cool better I reckon..
not so true alluminium can dispperse heat so much quicker than copper, it's a bonus that they are lighter, and if they didn't why would the v8 supercars run them, the downside to ally rads is that they cost quite a bit more, otherwise i'd love to have one
Most of the time ford radiators crack on the tanks, the factory alloy cores also tend to leak/crack around where the tubes conect to the header plates as they get old and cant be repaired while copper replacement cores can be repaired.
The best replacement copper cores are Denso as the have more fins per inch and slightly wider tubes than the factory alloy core, so offer better cooling, and their tanks are a tad thicker so less likely to crack.
the problem, is between the alloy and plastic at the tanks!
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347 238rwkw untuned and with a couple more lil things to change :)
Other car: BA FAIRMONT
Our cars are like Rage VS Silence
TKTDSGM Member
physics:
Brass/Alloy header plates fail from stress corrosion or electrolysis corrosion, stress corrosion cracks in the o'ring gutter on the header plate is caused by work hardening and dezincification, a chemical attack on the zinc component, if you have a close look at a header plate crack it will be blackish and pitted, causes are low quality coolant, irregular coolant changes and one of the main causes is cleaning under bonnet with ammonia based cleaning chemicals.
Electrolysis corrosion is caused by stray current, badly earthed accessories, 1 out of 3 older vehicles that come into our Radiator shop have stray current, some manufacturers are starting to use dedicated earth return systems which is preventing premature radiator failures, but crash repairers and mechanics seem to leave off earth wires or attach them to dirty/painted surfaces.
A good indication you have stray current is a brownish, soft build up in the hose outlets (alluminium hydroxide), the coolant becomes acidic, can do a PH test on the coolant, should be neutral.
Two tests you can do,
1. with the engine off and all accessories off set probe between coolant and earth with a multi meter, it should be zero.
2. with engine running and all accessories on probe between coolant and earth straps, engine and body.
I have worked with Radiators for 15 years, hope this helps understand them a bit more.
not so true alluminium can dispperse heat so much quicker than copper, it's a bonus that they are lighter, and if they didn't why would the v8 supercars run them, the downside to ally rads is that they cost quite a bit more, otherwise i'd love to have one
Hence the question marks? I don't know much about radiators at all except for the fact that aftermarket shits all over the stock one. Also unless you are using the car for track racing it isn't cost effective to justify getting a alluminium radiator IMO.
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