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Best radaitor

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H

Hoghead

Jedi Trainee
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Any radiator cores better than others?

I have read the pros and cons of aluminium VS copper/brass and thinking of copper for the superior heat transfer but now wondering about core design and different brands
Any particular core that is better than others or any preferred core design?

Is the Moss replacement rad really worth 750.00 ?
Buy new or recore my old one?
 
I just had my original recorded with a higher fin count. The shop owner also said the fins had a crimped surface that caused more turbulence in the air flow and that leads to better heat transfer. He's been in the business for 50 yews and sounded like he knew his stuff. I'm still in the restoration process so I've only driven the car a few miles, so I haven't put it to the test. Cost $750 for the rebuilt. Also use a Texas cooler fan.
 
I also had my radiator recored while keeping the original top and bottom tanks. I'm pretty sure they added both tubes and fins, and it made an enormous difference in the car. Total cost was $425.
 
I just had my original recorded with a higher fin count. The shop owner also said the fins had a crimped surface- Serpentine- that caused more turbulence in the air.

Yep Rob, those work very well did mine yeas ago when the cost was not that high.
 
I just a little shocked by the cost of the recore, but the shop that did it is the only old school radiator shop around these parts. The owner told me I could probably sell the brass Coventry name plate off the tank for a few hundred dollars since it was in good shape and they are hard to find now. Of course, I wasn't interested but an interesting comment.
 
I had my original just clean by a very good shop. The owner told me the copper would cool better than aluminum. I drove the car for seven years before I restored it and it usually ran pretty hot an many times would go above 200*. Since the cleaning it has never gone above 190*. I don't like aluminum for a variety of reasons. One is that the metal and chemical interaction between the rad and the coolant is something that should be managed by regular coolant changes. That in itself is an issue, in this day and age what do you do with the old coolant. Yes, you can find someone to recycle it but that's just another chore. Another issue is that I am told that when the alum rad is damaged it is very hard if not impossible to fix it. I just had the original radiator for my C3 Vette recored with a 5 row copper core. I did it because they used my original side tanks and I new it would fit EXACTLY as it did before. The aluminum replacement rad was advertised as an exact match to the Vette's radiator and it was about $500. plus the tax plus shipping. It would have been near $650. till it got to the door step and if I had any issues with it the supplier was a long way aways. The local shop quoted me $760 finished with 5 row copper. For another 100 I figured piece of mind with my tanks, copper and a local guy I could get my hands on. Good Luck.
 
With a V8 swap, I expect to have cooling issues that have to be overcome. But were stock Healeys always this prone to overheating? I was around when they were new and I don't recall my friends having these problems (but I was in New England). Can you imagine the class action lawsuits today if a manufacturer was selling cars that couldn't keep cool in stop and go traffic in warmer climes?
 
But were stock Healeys always this prone to overheating?

YEP Rick:
When operated in the warmer climates here in the USA.

For example:
In the Phoenix AZ area you will see triple digit temps all summer long.
These days we can see 115 Degrees quite frequently Man that is HOT-

OH In Vancouver BC Too :highly_amused:
 
LOL, pretty common to have a bunch of Healeys pull up after a drive and they'd all be puking green coolant as we walked away! Good times! ;)
 
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