Ron davis rad went bad... so sad

[eds66bronco]

FWIW from a very reliable source:


Benefits of using aluminum radiators.

1.) Wider tubes make more contact with the fins. (Greater tube-to-fin contact = better heat dissipation). For example an aluminum two (2) row 1" wide tube core has only one (1) gap (non-contact area) between the two tubes as compared to a four row brass and copper core has a total of three (3) gaps, one gap between each of the four tubes.

2.) It is true that copper dissipates heat faster than aluminum but copper/brass radiator cores are not 100% copper. The copper fins are joined to the brass tubes with solder, the solder acts as an insulator and slows the dissipation rate.

Heater Transfer Coefficients

Copper = 238
Brass = 72
Solder = 12
238+72+12 = 322 / 3 = 107.3

Aluminum and aluminum braze = 111

any chance you can post up some shots of how you've got yours mounted. i don't want a repeat of what happened last time and if yours are holding up, i'd like to use your mounting method.

again, i still don't see how it is possible for the tubes to have flexed and cracked without the tank/tab area cracking first. someone please explain this to me!!

 

[kb6677]

mounting rad

We "cheated" on my front engine bay. It is 1.5" round tube from the firewall forward. The rad is mounted from the front cross bar by two wide flat brackets lined with thick rubber. The brackets are 2.5" inches wide and go across the top of the rad and then down the engine side about 2". The bottom sits in two I_I I_I mounts also lined with thick rubber. That is why I posted about knowing when I "tweaked mine"- the hit was hard enough to push the grille back into the fender and bow it out. Hitting it that high also tweaked my front cross bar in the engine compartment. I will be happy to send you a pic.-send me your email-not sure how to resize pics on my wife's laptop-my old comp. took a crap. We are in limbo on what to replace it with!!!!
tripleb@bellsouth.net

 

[eds66bronco]

e-mail sent... thanks

 

[Madgyver]

Copper cores can be soldered..

Aluminum cores can only be glued with a special epoxy that costs $50.+ for a 4 ounce tube.. Most repairs takes 2 or more tubes of this special epoxy.

Wanting a 2nd opinion on the repair, I went out to another respectable radiator shop locally but farther away and they told me the same thing..
"Usually leaking aluminum rads that come in will be replaced with new because they cannot warranty the repaired ones.."

 

[Mark]

FWIW from a very reliable source:


Benefits of using aluminum radiators.

1.) Wider tubes make more contact with the fins. (Greater tube-to-fin contact = better heat dissipation). For example an aluminum two (2) row 1" wide tube core has only one (1) gap (non-contact area) between the two tubes as compared to a four row brass and copper core has a total of three (3) gaps, one gap between each of the four tubes.

2.) It is true that copper dissipates heat faster than aluminum but copper/brass radiator cores are not 100% copper. The copper fins are joined to the brass tubes with solder, the solder acts as an insulator and slows the dissipation rate.

Heater Transfer Coefficients

Copper = 238
Brass = 72
Solder = 12
238+72+12 = 322 / 3 = 107.3

Aluminum and aluminum braze = 111

Again, I am no engineer, but are there equal amounts of copper/brass/solder in a radiator? And thus, is the heat transfer coefficient of the entire radiator 107.3 ?
Sorry, Karl, this seems to be fuzzy math
I think solder makes up very little of the weight of the radiator and with a lower ratio of solder in your equation, the heat transfer cofficient shoots way up.

 

[Madgyver]

I agree that once a part is bought, it is yours. but I expected it to last as least as long as a copper core radiator. There was no physical damage to my RD aluminum radiator but yet after about 9 months of it being in my rig it started to leak really bad. And to top it off they couldn't do anything but to offer another one at a discount price and pay shipping which would still be more than a good ole' copper core rad.

Anyone who ask me about these aluminum rads, I will tell them not to buy them because it is not worth it. I work hard for my money and got no sponsorship from anyone. I can't afford to buy a radiator ever year or season of wheeling.
Race teams and Comp teams can use them because they get it free and when it leaks they'll just get a new one, no need to repair....

This just left a bad taste in me for a big company who could do much better in the customer service department..

Maybe they already have their customers but I can at least warn the potential new customers about their rads..