new radiator research

Topic: new radiator research (Read 3129 times) previous topic - next topic

new radiator research

Reply #15 – June 19, 2009, 05:12:40 PM

Quote from: irv;278719

if you want the biggest radiator for your car-visteon, who
in the 80's was ford supplier has a 3 row all metal [no
plastic tanks] radiator, part # 138--24x 18 x1-9/16. my
cost on it is 215.00. list is 315.00. this is through my
supplier. i put one in my cougar even thuogh there is
nothing wrong w/the original.looks factory just a little thicker.
--irv:D

Irv, this is the same unit I speak of. It's amazing how much they've gone up in price. I only got mine less than 3 years ago.

new radiator research

Reply #16 – June 19, 2009, 06:21:41 PM

i think i paid less than 150.00 last summer
my jobber is 1800 radiator. if you shop around
you might find it cheaper.--irv

new radiator research

Reply #17 – June 19, 2009, 08:49:51 PM

I'm trying the aluminum 3 core from corral - should be here Monday. Besides more water weight, I'm hoping it will mean the electric fan being on much less. Stock Autozone replacement has worked fine for 3 years now but I still don't trust it.

Pretty much any radiator that fits should work fine on the car. There is little quality control now days so just about anything you can buy for a reasonable price will have a chance of going bad quickly. There's little you can do about this without spending $500+ or reinforcing the radiator yourself.

new radiator research

Reply #18 – June 23, 2009, 09:52:51 AM

they shop near my house can get his hands on spctra part no CU138 but i dont get it on their website they list the 556 as exactly the same specs anyone found a difference?
http://prod.spectra-ssl.com/PROD/apps/eCat/v1.07.01/mainfile.php?vehicle_id=1140208&model=THUNDERBIRD&year=1986&make=FORD&splash=false&action=search_by_vehicle&module=product_catalog&APP_VERS=1.07.01 heres the link also he said it would cost 274$ and its a one row aluminium this seems kinda pricey im starting to consider the other guy with his 2 row brass copper rad for 75$

new radiator research

Reply #19 – June 23, 2009, 11:33:03 AM

apparently i dont really need a 3 row some radiator shop told me as a 2 row would cool the 3.8 sufficiently any opinions?

new radiator research

Reply #20 – June 23, 2009, 11:17:26 PM

My 3 row won't fit with a trimmed Mark VIII fan so I picked up the lifetime warranty aluminum one from NAPA - single core but should work fine and give me plenty of clearance for whatever I want to install in the engine bay. People also seem to have better luck with plastic tanks than 100% aluminum - stress issues from chassis flex.

new radiator research

Reply #21 – June 24, 2009, 03:04:44 AM

I used one for a 93 mustang because they said they don't carry anything for my thunderbird. Its a stock replacement 2 core, and haven't had a problem, minus the leaky heatercore hses.

new radiator research

Reply #22 – June 24, 2009, 07:18:17 AM

Quote

I used one for a 93 mustang because they said they don't carry anything for my thunderbird.

It's amazing how companies don't know how to cross reference part #'s....

new radiator research

Reply #23 – June 28, 2009, 05:05:07 PM

for my v6 cougar i used the brass/copper 3 row.the 3 row work better than the 2 row when i was stock.

new radiator research

Reply #24 – June 28, 2009, 07:02:35 PM

I've got a two-row brass rad in the T-Bird, but it's as thick as a three-row. The tubes are about 50% wider than they were in the original rad, and the fins are denser. I've never had a problem with cooling my 5.0, even towing a 1500 lb trailer in the summer with the A/C on.

As for durability of aluminum rads: When I worked at the Saturn dealership I'd seen radiators that were wrapped around trees and didn't leak. In one case the guy's insurance company wasn't going to pay for a new rad because it didn't leak, but the guy growled enough that they relented. On the other hand, the plastic tanks don't age well. Saturns are known for the plastic tanks cracking with age, and I had to replace the rad in my Maxima because the top tank was cracked. 12 years old and the fins and tubes were perfect, but the plastic tanks were brittle.

On the subject of price: Everything made from copper or brass doubled in price last year when commodity prices were high. The prices have since crashed, but of course the manufacturers did not lower their prices...

new radiator research

Reply #25 – April 18, 2010, 05:00:37 PM

1986 elan
which rad did you end up going with ? im on a search myself for my 3.8 1984 cougar.
just wondering what you ended up with? the one thats in now is starting to leak at the seam around the connection where the hose goes. a ford oem is listed at about $197
i assume that is made by visteon ? i was wondering too about cooling better as the 3.8 kinda has issues over the 5.0 as we know.

new radiator research

Reply #26 – April 18, 2010, 07:39:19 PM

blackcat heres what happened: a local guy on craiglist claimed he owned a garage before and had some leftovers that he was selling for 60$ if my memory is good 75$ max incase im wrong so that was the price its a ordinary brass 2 core radiator its even made it china... anyhow its doing the job doesnt overheat and everyhting is fine

Seb

new radiator research

Reply #27 – April 19, 2010, 09:57:04 PM

i found a visteon brand .... the posts above said that is the OEM brand. i found it on amazon for $136 no tax and free shipping. if visteon makes it for ford then the same one from a online dealer website is $197 then there is tax and shipping.

new radiator research

Reply #28 – April 20, 2010, 11:15:33 AM

When I replaced my engine, I just replaced mine with the 1 core autozone rad with plastic tanks($100, and lif. warr.) and put an electric fan on it, 75% of the time my temp guage reads below C, and I freed up a couple horses. I'm happy.

new radiator research

Reply #29 – April 20, 2010, 05:00:21 PM

If you over heat a aluminum rad. They do have a tendency to expand,and litterly expand enough to close there passages up. I've been seeing more an more. Mostly with gm's, cause that's what I work on. Not sure about others.