Ron davis rad went bad... so sad

[eds66bronco]

so here's the update. they tried to epoxy it and it didn't hold. so now i'm out the original $400 for the rad, $20 for the poly bushings, and $22 bucks to ship it back to RD. man this sucks. they offered me level 2 dealer cost but after explaining that nowhere in the literature that came with it did it say not to use poly bushings and how my wife is going to shoot me if i spend more money on this thing, they gave me dealer cost at $358. so lets total up this learning experience...%)

$400 RD #1
$ 20 poly mounts
$ 22 return shipping
$358 RD #2
$ 20 Rubber mounts
----------
$820

learning how to smooth it out with the wife... PRICELESS

and i also need to wait 4 weeks to have it built and delivered. there goes wheeling season for me?:?

 

[nvrstuk]

Man, that SUCKS!

So after putting in the rubber mounts after the "fix and epoxy" job it still didn't hold up? That's scary. Maybe I'll bungee cord mine on like the Moss boys do for Baja... :-(

 

[eds66bronco]

Man, that SUCKS!

So after putting in the rubber mounts after the "fix and epoxy" job it still didn't hold up? That's scary. Maybe I'll bungee cord mine on like the Moss boys do for Baja... :-(

i'm thinking rubber mounts in a frame that mounts with more rubber mounts to the core support. yup, sucks to be me

 

[spixican07]

The problem with aluminum in general is that it doesn't have an infinite fatigue service limit like steel or other materials do. For steel you can put some minimum amount of stress and it will never fatigue fail. For aluminum, even the slightest amount of stress will eventually lead to general fatigue failure.

The trick is to get the stress so low that you never run into the fatigue limit (~1 million cycles). Any right angles should be rounded, the bigger the fillet the better.

Guess my point is that no amount of babying an aluminum radiator will prevent it from fatigue cracking at some point. Just extends the life.

 

[Madgyver]

I'll try and get RD rad epoxied at a local rad shop. Great people there and I've always used them for all my builds. For now I got a staggered 4 core replacement to use.

 

[Airborne69]

would the stock style radiator mounts give enough cushion to the radiator or will a custom mount need to be made? I would also like to "do it right" the first time. I guess your mishap can lead to others not having to deal with it. Sorry about your rad. problems.
JJ-

 

[irwin]

I went with the wild horses 4 core staggered two.after researching it seemed that no matter what alum.rad you went with your only going two get a couple years out so the qeustion is your 4x4 so extreme that you need one and if so that is the price to be that extreme

 

[kb6677]

so here's the update. they tried to epoxy it and it didn't hold. so now i'm out the original $400 for the rad, $20 for the poly bushings, and $22 bucks to ship it back to RD. man this sucks. they offered me level 2 dealer cost but after explaining that nowhere in the literature that came with it did it say not to use poly bushings and how my wife is going to shoot me if i spend more money on this thing, they gave me dealer cost at $358. so lets total up this learning experience...%)

$400 RD #1
$ 20 poly mounts
$ 22 return shipping
$358 RD #2
$ 20 Rubber mounts
----------
$820

learning how to smooth it out with the wife... PRICELESS

and i also need to wait 4 weeks to have it built and delivered. there goes wheeling season for me?:?

Don't feel bad, here goes a close running total
Original RD on '02-universal circle track deal-350ish
runs 4 years no issues
in '06 we install a stroker motor and decide to upgrade to el. fans on a tstat. Try to do this in less than a weeks time to make an event-ship the rad to the guy to get the new fans and shroud from NC to CA and back (2day), 110 and 120, Hooptie fan deal and shroud was 360, control was another 89

Had a problem with the stoker crank so did not make the event because we could not install the crank, but the rad and fan set up were ready.
Running total to this summer
350
110
120
360
89
_____
1039

50ish to ship it out to RD a couple weeks ago and I guess 50ish to ship it back. Mine was epoxied last Friday and should be back here tomorrow. Forgot to even ask how much that was-just happy I did not need another rad!!!
On to another line......To the posters who consider the Al. rad a bomb waiting to go off. I still say if mounted properly and not "hit" they will live. Mine lived for 4 years in a rig running 42s, and 40's, trails done-Tellico, Paragon, Moab twice, Outerlimits in Johnson Valley-If I had not headbutted a rock hard enough to break my headlight, bend my grille back into the fender and push the fender out above the pas. side tire, the rad would still be intact.
If they will live in competition rock rigs they will live for us. It is all in the mounting

 

[mountainview68]

I just saw this thread, my Ron Davis went bad after one year and about 400 miles. I had rubber bushings and all the corosion crap they recommended. I was a little pist at the way the wanted to handle the problem, so I bought a direct fit griffin from summit. it cools better than the RD radiator. My RD is sitting in the corner of my shop waiting to go to the scrap yard!!!!!

 

[kb6677]

My RD rad came back to NC friday. I put it back in yesterday morning and went for a drive. Works great and after the first run no leaks. I took the time to put on the street tires and go for about an hour +- ride on the pavement and in traffic part of the time. Cools just like it always did. No problems.

 

[Mark]

eds66bronco, sorry for your expensive lesson. It sucks!!! Now's your chance to correct your radiator decision and get a BC triple pass HD copper core radiator.

I researched radiators aluminum vs copper/brass for 6 months before I decided. I'm not sold on aluminum, it's the flow design that helps them shed heat, not the aluminum itself. It seems people are proud of their "Ron Davis" radiator like my wife is proud of her "Gucci" purse. People with brand loyalty sometimes don't think rationally. Racer's run aluminum because of weight savings - gotta give that reason credibility, someone, please defend aluminum radiators with reason.

This thread has reinforced what I already knew about aluminum radiators.
Oh, and 4-core radiators are not the ticket either - they block air flow.

 

[Madgyver]

Mines came out yesterday.

It leaked where the tubes connect to the tank.

I'll see what it will cost to get it repaired locally, if possible.. %)

 

[eds66bronco]

Mines came out yesterday.

It leaked where the tubes connect to the tank.

I'll see what it will cost to get it repaired locally, if possible.. %)

mad, that looks exactly like mine

i'm thinking manufacturing issue at this point. i just can't see the tubes being flexed at the entry point of the tank given the design of the upper chanel and tab area. that would need to flex and crack before the tube area would be able to start flexing... right?

 

[Madgyver]

mad, that looks exactly like mine

i'm thinking manufacturing issue at this point. i just can't see the tubes being flexed at the entry point of the tank given the design of the upper chanel and tab area. that would need to flex and crack before the tube area would be able to start flexing... right?

Right... I don't so any evidence of it flexing.. The radiator is solid! and my rad mounts had alot of play/cushion......

This got me wondering....

How many of you RD rad owners are having this leaking problem in this same area?

You'd think if this was an ongoing problem it would be resolved by now with a better design or manufacturing process.

 

[kb6677]

eds66bronco, sorry for your expensive lesson. It sucks!!! Now's your chance to correct your radiator decision and get a BC triple pass HD copper core radiator.

I researched radiators aluminum vs copper/brass for 6 months before I decided. I'm not sold on aluminum, it's the flow design that helps them shed heat, not the aluminum itself. It seems people are proud of their "Ron Davis" radiator like my wife is proud of her "Gucci" purse. People with brand loyalty sometimes don't think rationally. Racer's run aluminum because of weight savings - gotta give that reason credibility, someone, please defend aluminum radiators with reason.

This thread has reinforced what I already knew about aluminum radiators.
Oh, and 4-core radiators are not the ticket either - they block air flow.

Interesting Mark,
Just a couple things-I am waiting/looking for some numbers for my "defense" of al. rad.... I would add, to your "...proud of Ron Davis.... like Gucci purse..."comment-cracked me up. Kind of like putting "Coby's arm" in your tag line. Are you proud of your Coby arm? wait, you have the whole bronco that Coby built
Karl

 

[Mark]

Interesting Mark,
Just a couple things-I am waiting/looking for some numbers for my "defense" of al. rad.... I would add, to your "...proud of Ron Davis.... like Gucci purse..."comment-cracked me up. Kind of like putting "Coby's arm" in your tag line. Are you proud of your Coby arm? wait, you have the whole bronco that Coby built
Karl

hehe, I hope everyone gets my sense of humor. ;D Don't think it translates well through the keyboard... I was chuckling as I typed it.

Really though, why is aluminum better? I've seen lots of them on the trail, here, there. I just don't think it is, I'm no engineer, but my mind is open.

 

[kb6677]

I'm with you on the non engineer status I am waiting on some info from someone who is supposed to know. Hope your summer is going well. Fawl Krawl in Harlen, Ky in mid Oct. Standing invitation if you can make it.
Karl

 

[Madgyver]

I just got back from the local rad shop that I normally use......
Shop guy Derrick did a dunk job with my RD rad and guess what?

IT IS SHOT!!!! It is not worth the expensive epoxy to repair..
All four corners had bubbles blowing out..... it's out to the recycler at least i'll get a little back

Maybe it's the way I abuse my rig, maybe it's the mounting, maybe it's electrolisis, whatever the excuse.. aluminum cannot be repaired like a good old fashioned copper core radiator....

I should of kept my tanks from my last copper 4 core.....

Lessons learned.. expensive....

 

[Duke Nukem]

I don't know anything about aluminum radiators or any fancy stuff like that. All I can say is that my BCB HD 3 core radiator keeps my engine running cool and has been very reliable with zero maintenance. That's all I need to know.

 

[kb6677]

Benefits of using an Al. rad.

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