Recore or new Alloy Rad?

[Number_6]

I think this may be pretty much a matter of opinion, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject. I've priced an alloy rad(about $450, with an electric fan it's about $620). I'm not sure what recoring costs, I've heard in the area of $200.

I'm having the engine on my TR3A rebuilt. I'm keeping the engine pretty much stock and I don't foresee doing a lot of hard driving like track days and autocrossing. Just Sunday driving, car shows, taking it to work on occasion. Nothing really stressful on the car. So my question is, will the extra expense of an alloy rad. be justified? I'm undecided right now. If I recore my old rad. I'll have the jack hole closed off to get that much more efficiency out of the stock rad.

I'm not sure if with the expense of an alloy rad if it will be that much better than a cleaned & recored original rad. Please, anyone with an opinion let me know what you think.

 

[Brosky]

If you agree to replace all of your hoses and recore the heater core at the same time, the job will be done correctly since the block should be all boiled out and derusted for you.

Then you can use either alloy or recore, but I wouldn't rebuild an engine on a 47 year old car without doing all of that to prevent a catastrophic failure if you overheat your new engine.

 

[RonMacPherson]

the early radiators are made of a material that almost all radiator shops consider to be more valuable as far as strength, and heat transfer than aluminum. If it can be core, I would recommend recoring it.

 

[PeterK]

A replacement 3A heater core costs $500. I think the pipes are a little different on the replacement from Moss. 500 bucks! So I'd leave that part out; you could do a lot more stuff for that $500. You might take it to the radiator shop, be sure to tell them that's it's only rated for 4lbs, and ask if they can clean it out (or not).

But as far as alum or recore, it's a personal preference as either will probably do the same cooling job. We have the original Coventry Radiator tanks with a new recore. The Coventry tag is pretty cool and I'm happy with my choice in the 3A.

As Paul said, since your block is clean, you should be good to go. Removing the hole is a good choice too.

 

[Brosky]

Peter,

Can't a local shop recore these for less? I don't know, just asking.

 

[MGTF1250Dave]

Re: Re-core or new Alloy Rad?

Aloha,

I would recommend you look in to re-coring the radiator. I have have very good experience with that and your guess of the approximate cost matches my experience. The brass radiator tanks top and bottom will last a lifetime, well beyond fifty years.

I had my radiator recored about two or three years ago. As I recall it cost about $175. I also installed an electric fan mounted on the front of the radiator to push air through it. I did not leave a hand crank hole because of the electric fan, and as you noted it reduces about 20% of the effective tubes in the radiator. I drive my car daily to and from work here in Hawaii and have very rarely needed to use the electric fan. The temperature gauge runs about 180 F and I use a 180 F thermostat.

I would guess you can re-core the radiator and get an electric fan for about $300 total.

 

[PeterK]

Re: Re-core or new Alloy Rad?

Yes, a recore is also less $ than an aluminum radiator.

 

[Brosky]

Re: Re-core or new Alloy Rad?

Sorry Peter, I meant the heater core, not the radiator.

 

[TRDejaVu]

Re: Re-core or new Alloy Rad?

I had mine recored at a local rad shop. They said that with the starting handle hole removed the design had more than enough capability for the size of engine. I don't have an electric fan, but it does have a multi-blade plastic one.

They also preferred the heat transfer performance of copper. On the downside copper prices have seriously increased so mine cost $380 with a scrap credit for the old core. That included every joint being taken apart and redone, pressure test to 20+PSI, as well as a repaint.

We had mid-eighties weather the other day and it worked well; we'll see how it does when the summer heat hits.

 

[PeterK]

Re: Re-core or new Alloy Rad?

Heater core cannot be recored at least, as far as I know, no one does it. It is a cylinder about 10 inches in diameter and 10" high. Very "delicate" to even repair leaks. And hard to even find a good one used.

 

[Number_6]

Thanks guys! lots of good info. Sounds like recoreing is a the way to go. I'd like to keep the car fairly close to original but not at the cost of taking chances with problems like overheating. As Paul metioned all of hoses wil be new and the head and block will be totaly derusetd & cleaned out so there should be no problems with coolant circulation when it's done. It sounds like a recored Rad will do a good job keeping it cool and be somewhat less costly than a alloy rad.