Aluminum Heater Core

[LTL4life]

Can anyone tell me which of the major vendors carries an aluminum heater core?
Last month i called tom's , lonnie mentioned that they got a shipment of them by accident but they sent them back cause the inlet/outlet tubes were too short. I have an aluminum Radiator and the heater core is seeping fluid. thanks

 

[tobinj]

I hot an aluminum from auto zone, got it in the box but not back in the vehicle yet. Tubes do look shorter than the old one that came out but I don't think it'll be an issue

 

[needabronco]

If you want of it last, get a copper heater core aluminum WILL leak. Stock original copper cores last 30-50 years without leaking .... Bronco heater boxes aren't exactly the easiest to remove.

 

[LTL4life]

If you want of it last, get a copper heater core aluminum WILL leak. Stock original copper cores last 30-50 years without leaking .... Bronco heater boxes aren't exactly the easiest to remove.

Thanks for the heads up. Wild Horses shows one for $34.99. I'm concerned about running aluminum rad. and a copper core together. I may install a water shutoff and use a copper one anyway.

 

[DirtDonk]

You could go either way. I like the idea of similar metals in the same system however. And I've not personally had any issues with the aluminum cores I've had in other vehicles.
Perhaps that's due to them also having aluminum radiators though?

And perhaps the issues others have had with aluminum cores in older rigs that still had brass radiators was the same issue in reverse. That the disimilar metals reacted there, to the detriment of the aluminum heater core.

That's just conjecture though. I can't speak for anyone that's had trouble using an aluminum core. The one I had in an '89 Cadillac finally let go in 2010, so at 21 years, it did pretty well.

Paul