hey guys i need a little radiator advice i need to change mine and i tought id go with something thats may cool and dissipate the heat a little better than the copper/brass one now i dont want to pay a 400$ one my budget would be in the 200 ish and all i seem to find is this
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PLI-433556/?image=large
what do you guys think its made from aluminum but only has one row how should it do
all comments and suggestions are welcome!!
also i had tought maybe a mustang rad from latemodelresto could do it
ps i have an 86 3.8 bird
thanx!!
For the price it would probably work. I like how they mention modine style. not a modine just styled like it. If your staying all stock it should be ok.
Brass/Copper is a better conductor for heat than aluminum, however aluminum is lighter.
Most aluminum aftermarket pieces are one row(some are two), but generally have bigger tubes to help them cool better and overcome the inherent differences in cooling ability vs brass/copper.
FWIW -- you can purchase a brass/copper replacement
3-core radiator made by Visteon (the OEM supplier for Fox body radiators) for under $200. I paid $160ish for mine. Works VERY well. I picked mine up from Pep Boys.
I see they have an aluminum one row on there for like $140. I would assume it would do the job on your application, but I personally am not a fan of plastic side tanks....
absolutely right, not many really consider how large the cooling channels are when buying a new radiator. however, ill stick with the brass/copper rads for reliability and durability purposes.
it doesnt take a very large rock to make your new aluminum radiator useless:punchballs:
this is the one that I bought and put in mine.its a little more than you want to spend,but a nice radiator
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-380451/
the v6 and v8 OE part #'s are the same.I originally had the 3.8 but now have a 302.you will have to do very little modification to the rad. hold down brackets but they do work just fine.
you will also need to buy an adapter kit for the trans. cooling lines.they are a diff. size on the new radiator.
Like I said -- mine's brass ;)
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/
specifically
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/product.asp?part=1988+FORD+THUNDERBIRD+SPORT+-+5.0+liter+V8+RADIATOR+All+Aluminum+2-Row+Racing+Replacement&part_id=218031&aaia_id=1140321
theres a guy that claims he had a garage and is having a blowout sale
he has a 2 row copper /brass for 75$ the brand is autokool but i wonder if i should get a 3 row or 2 is enough
btw do you recal whats the part number on yours V8Demon?
I have a Napa/Modine replacement Rad in my car. It's a single core alum with plastic tanks and end tank trans cooler. It was about $130 and has been great with my V8.
I can't remember it,but Rockauto has it listed as part #5563....
Price $287...
I bought a radiator (factory style replacement) a few years ago,and it got a hole in it.I have the lifetime warranty,and they (Aytozone)gave me the same kind as 88Bluebird,aluminum with plastic tanks as a replacement.It's been great,no worries,and the car stays really cool.Even in above 100 degree weather.
I don't trust AutoZone's radiators/heater cores. I spent the time putting in one of their heater cores in my old bird and a week later it exploded...i tore it all apart, got a refund and bought a ford unit and never had another problem....I used to work for them and know what's junk and what is okay...I'm still a little jaded.
i know a lot of parts that are sold at Autozone are made by companies that supply O'Reillys,and others.It still works great in the Sport with zero issues.
I have the stock radiator (yeah the 21 year old one :hick:) with a 180* thermostat and a 5.0 Mustang police interceptor fan clutch. It cools my T-bird fine even in traffic when it's 95* and I have the A/C on. The temp gauge never gets past the half way point.
if you want the biggest radiator for your car-visteon, who
in the 80's was a 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 though 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.
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
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 $500+ or reinforcing the radiator yourself.
they shop near my house can get his hands on spctra part no CU138 but i dont get it on their website they list the 556 as exactly the same specs anyone found a difference?
http://prod.spectra-ssl.com/PROD/apps/eCat/v1.07.01/mainfile.php?vehicle_id=1140208&model=THUNDERBIRD&year=1986&make=FORD&splash=false&action=search_by_vehicle&module=product_catalog&APP_VERS=1.07.01 heres the link also he said it would cost 274$ 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$
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?
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.
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.
It's amazing how companies don't know how to cross reference part #'s....
for my v6 cougar i used the brass/copper 3 row.the 3 row work better than the 2 row when i was stock.
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...
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 $197
i assume that is made by visteon ? i was wondering too about cooling better as the 3.8 kinda has issues over the 5.0 as we know.
blackcat heres what happened: a local guy on craiglist claimed he owned a garage before and had some leftovers that he was selling for 60$ 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
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.
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.
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.
I'm using a stock radiator out of a 87 v-6 cougar. I couldn't see any differences between it and the 2 core mustang one I bought from autozone for $90 two or three years ago.
well i fixed the radiator myself. there was a slight crack at the neck of the top hose connection. soldered it. time will tell if it lasts. the rest of the rad is good. no rotting and the tubes inside are clean so solder it. i think its about 7 years old :)