Radiators. OEM used or Aftermarket new?

[Ondonti]

Always been getting OEM radiators. Seem to have a thicker core. Problem is they like to leak.
The aftermarket aluminum cores seem tiny...

Not sure what to get.
Murray - Radiator
Part Number: 431300
104+ tax, limited lifetime warranty @ orielly's

Or a Spectra from Rock Auto for 75 plus whatever else. Not sure I want to pay to ship back a radiator if it leaks.

Or junkyard, 36 dollars plus 10 dollars core (or bring the leaker). I would attempt to get an OEM but might get stuck buying an aftermarket (probably one of the above models).

[MC#4]

Hmm I like to buy oem when I can but local NAPA has em for $109. I've never had a problem with thier rad's. What's the going rate for OEM? My original 94 rad just sprung a leak today at the drags. Right on the edge of the the pass. side end tank.

[black86glhs]

What about going to a radiator shop and having an old one recored? They can even make them thicker if you want.

[contraption22]

I have aftermarket SPI radiators in both my Horizon and my former Acclaim. They both cool better than OEM and have had no issue with leaks. Plus they seem to be significantly lighter.

[Ondonti]

Hmm I like to buy oem when I can but local NAPA has em for $109. I've never had a problem with thier rad's. What's the going rate for OEM? My original 94 rad just sprung a leak today at the drags. Right on the edge of the the pass. side end tank.

Holset is leaking on the Driver side. Another reason to not go racing

What about going to a radiator shop and having an old one recored? They can even make them thicker if you want.

I would not mind this but I don't know much about the process or potential costs. Or if my side tanks are any good. Leaking at the joint.

[Sundance 6g72]

will the after market ones keep a 500hp motor cool?



like after marker pistons, they are meant for 141crank hp..

[MC#4]

will the after market ones keep a 500hp motor cool?



like after marker pistons, they are meant for 141crank hp..

Same could be said for OEM.

[Ondonti]

I never had a cooling problem, just a leaking problem on the Duster. That was basically always due to either a puncture or one of the radiators I bought was....sealed by the previous owner and that temp fixed failed.

The aluminum radiators sorta worry me about cooling when I am towing. I did get warm in town towing. By warm I mean halfway on the OEM gauge, something that never happens when things are happy. By aluminum, I mean the aluminum core replacements of course.

Recore looks crazy expensive and it seems to be on metal tanks for old cars. When I say expensive, I mean the least I saw was 300 dollars, but most were above 500.



Err, didn't see Mike's post. My leak appears really bad now. Maybe go buy the 104 dollar radiator at the location that has one on hand. Most EEK cars that I saw seem to have aftermarket radiators so it might be that our OEM ain't so great.

[Sundance 6g72]

my current one is leak free (might be clogged, stil have to check)

my only worry is trying to run an autozone replacement on a built motor. Not sure how much power you plan to put on the duster in the future (or even the spirit) but just be carefull

you dont need to be the test dumby for everything

[135sohc]

I never had a cooling problem, just a leaking problem on the Duster. That was basically always due to either a puncture or one of the radiators I bought was....sealed by the previous owner and that temp fixed failed.

The aluminum radiators sorta worry me about cooling when I am towing. I did get warm in town towing. By warm I mean halfway on the OEM gauge, something that never happens when things are happy. By aluminum, I mean the aluminum core replacements of course.

Recore looks crazy expensive and it seems to be on metal tanks for old cars. When I say expensive, I mean the least I saw was 300 dollars, but most were above 500.



Err, didn't see Mike's post. My leak appears really bad now. Maybe go buy the 104 dollar radiator at the location that has one on hand. Most EEK cars that I saw seem to have aftermarket radiators so it might be that our OEM ain't so great.

I think your seeing replacement radiators in these cars simply from age as the aluminum fins start to rot and they get clogged from mileage. Mine was still good and functional when I replaced it. Some of the fins were falling off the bottom rows and the entire thing was a bit clogged I think from just normal usage on an iron block motor that had 225,000+ miles on it. It was running a touch hotter than I cared for so it got replaced.

[Ondonti]

Not really worried about temps on the Duster. Spirit is the car I am worried about as far as reliability goes. Radiators I have seen are never that bad looking. They tend to fail around the tanks unless they get damaged

[turbovanman²]

Nothing wrong with Spectra Premium, probably one of the better aftermarket units. OEM new are ungodly priced.

As for repairing/recoring, usually they are not done as the tanks get brittle and a new core will be more expensive than the Spectra.

Pretty well all cars and trucks in the last 20 years are aluminum.

[contraption22]

Agreed. Both my SPI radiators actually overcool on the highway. In the winter, I had to block off a good portion of the radiator on my Acclaim to get the temp up over 180 degrees.

If you are worrked about cooling capacity, I would look into aftermarket custom radiators, or adding an external oil cooler.

Recoring is for guys that need to have an OEM look radiator.

[Ondonti]

Vista Pro but the box says Murray.

Core actually seems to be thicker then stock. Doesn't have the nice trim piece on top but none of the aftermarkets do.

[Ondonti]

OEM core, 11/16" thick 0.6875"
Vista Pro, 1 1/4" thick 1.25"

Seams are busted and split on one side of my OEM and the other side looks like it was bulging but no cracks yet.

What exactly are the OEMs made out of of?

[turbovanman²]

Ironically, just put a SPi rad in a Honda, very nice quality.

OE rads are the same as most aftermarket, aluminum core and plastic end tanks. Sometimes you get a good aftermarket rad, IE it flows and cools more or some cheaper one's are the reverse.

[Juggy]

I thought they were made of copper

edit:
heres a link about diff between copper and aluminum


i swear the 3.0 rad was copper. the weight of the radiator is retarded LOL

i replaced my original rad frmo my car with a aluminum one. cooling was much better with the aftermarket.

http://www.caparadiator.com/aluminumvscopper.html

[turbovanman²]

I thought they were made of copper

Not for years, some replacements can be but for the most part, alu and plastic.

[BlueShadow]

IIRC The T2 rads had metal end tanks and are recore-able. We did one for my brothers car at considerable cost. The tbi/t1 later cars were all plastic. I talked to a rad shop about recoring a plastic end tank unit, and as Simon said, they suggested plastic may be too brittle. They also expressed concern regarding reuse of the clamps that hold the core to the end tanks as they will not hold tightly enough and replacements are apparently not easily had. I personally grabbed a used stocker to replace my leaking one, but have had no problem with Spectra rads, both selling them and having in one of our vehicles.

[turbovanman²]

VNT and TIII rads had plastic end tanks, I have a VNT rad and they can't redo it, the plastic tanks are too brittle,

T2's should be brass, I have had a few recored locally.