Copper or aluminium?

[A80Avant]

Which will last longer and what price difference would it be worth?

I have found a local shop that can replicate and make any radiator you ask of them. At this stage I'm only interested in replicated my shortened aux radiator which seems to only last the winter UK salt of about a couple of years. They already told me of course aluminium is more expensive but next week I will go for them to take measurements and have a new one made.

So how much more robust is aluminium in the forces of nature(and man with the grit!) To justify what(?) Price difference?

Does the coolant cause similar corrosion problems to the aluminium as it does to copper?

And just to clarify? Are the cores standard and only the ends made of aluminium? As if that's the case then its not much of an improvement as the cores are those that get rusty and brake.

Your thoughts?

[Error404]

As a material copper costs about 5x more than aluminium so I can't see how it is cheaper - probably as they have a copper core roughly the right size and they can braze it.

I wouldn't go near a copper rad to be honest i.e. Nissens - it cracks and fractures.

TBH as you have found, where it's positioned and with our climate nothing will last long there.
If the extra cooling capacity is required personally I would use the money towards a large cored ally main rad and sack the aux off altogether

[A80Avant]

Yes that is one solution. I'm afraid that the reverse manifold and the whole lot that cover the entrance to the main rad could make a difference in cooling regardless of the use of a larger main rad.

Also as there is still a high chance I will return to Greece at some point the aux rad makes a huge difference in that climate.

Interesting what you say about the copper ones. You must be right and I take it they also include the working hours going into making a one off aluminium rad that could be more expensive.

[DJones]

I personally wouldn't go to the expense of the Ali one, not that I use mine in the salt etc but I periodically spray my rads with WD40. I do this on all my cars and never had one rot out.

[A80Avant]

That's a good tip. How often would this need to be done?

[DJones]

As often as you like or at least twice a year, make sure they are clean of road muck with something like TFR and a hose pipe, leave to dry or run up to temp and spray liberally....

[driftin jo]

Copper has a much better thermal transfer rate than aluminium. It won't last as long but you get better cooling.

[driftin jo]

Top tip about the WD40

[A80Avant]

Many thanks. Will do that. Unfortunately as there is no other means of transportation I seem to have to do this fairly frequently.

Thanks for the suggestions chaps

[chezz]

Brass is surely superior to copper or aluminium.

[A80Avant]

Ill ask but from a quick conversation I think they only do those 2 materials

[90quattrocoupe]

Brass is used for the end tanks on copper radiators. The fins and tube are copper. Copper definitely has a higher thermal capacity than Aluminum. Copper is also more resistant to salt than Alu.

I had a problem with my car wanting to overheat, when I put a V8 in it. With the motor so close to the back of the radiator, air going through the radiator, would get back up because of the motor. I had a supposedly custom aluminum radiator made for the car. It was a triple core, but the end tanks were huge. The problem with custom aluminum radiators, is no one makes the cores to size. There various sizes of premade aluminum cores, they use one of those, and make end tanks to work. The radiator started to leak in less than a year, and it didn't even cool the motor well.

So I had a tank made from copper with brass end tanks. Since, copper tanks can be made to any size you want, I had my tank made to the size of a B4 radiator. A little thicker, but the same height and width. I even had the company use the top and bottom of an original B4 radiator. This way it would bolt to my Coupe's B4 hood, radiator supports, B4 lock carriers, and B4 cross member conversion. I have had no problem with overheating since. This includes Southern California high temp days, and bumper to bumper traffic. 5 track days with the Audi Club, no problem.

The nice thing about copper core radiators, is they can be rebuilt if they leak. Auminum core radiators, being premade cores, cannot. Mine works for me.

The interesting thing about this radiator shop, is the guys grandfather had a radiator shop in Liverpool, before he came to the states in 1921.

Greg W.

[Error404]

Top tip about the WD40

I will do this from now on

[Dobby84]

Anyone suggest a good place to buy a decent rad from? For some reason I'm not getting very far on the Internet and don't want a cheaply cheap one.
Have made note of the wd40 trick for the future.

[martinws]

even a totally knackered copper rad seemed to cool my ABY no problem. An interesting tip about WD40. Iv found that it can make certain rust spots worse as it displaces water and then dries out and it gets worse. Might give it a shot if it does the job.