Aluminum Radiators

jeepinmatt

jeepinmatt

Not a very good
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Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Stanley, NC
Anybody running one, and if so, what brand and are you happy with it? Im particularly interested in TJ's with em. That really is the only solution for my hotness problems. Heres what Ive found so far:

Novak V8 conversion: $420+ship, supposedly won't work with I6 (2 1" cores)
Novak I6 replacement: $570+ship, I think Novak is looking for $$ (2 1" cores)
Be Cool Replacement: $510 shipped, (2 1" cores)
Quadratec (no brand): $180+ship, awful cheap, (2 aluminum cores)
4WD Hardware: $500+ship, (2 1" cores)

Any comments thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks.
 
i bet that the quatratec is epoxied together, which would cause it to be so much cheaper... you may want to check on the others as well, just to make sure that they are welded, not epoxied
 
I got an AFCO radiator. Haven't ran it yet, but its made for the Ford V8. Came in custom width and high, fully welded for like $150 shipped. found it on eBay. There are other sellers out there, but the one off eBay was about $10 cheaper than other retail web sites. Looks nice, but yet to try it out.

Might work well for you if you know what size you need.
Rob
 
Check the Summit house brand, they are made by Northern. I ran one in my buggy and was very pleased with it.
 
StudNuts said:
Check the Summit house brand, they are made by Northern. I ran one in my buggy and was very pleased with it.
Click to expand...

x2 on the summit brand, I have one in my ragtop since the factroy replacements were about twice the price of this "performance" part.

EDIT: one that fits in the hole but requires you to make some simple brackets and maybe use a different hose is worth the several hundred dollar savings to me.
 
They don't make a direct bolt in. Ill see if they have one that is close in dimensions.
 
link?
 
We used to have a BeCool in the CJ until the mech. fan decided to meet it one day... :mad: Now we have a Griffin from Summit. Both work equally well!
 
What size did you use and how did you mount it up?
 
Ron Davis Radiators, best I've ever seen. Have one on the way hard to cool Early Bronco for years. No epoxy all tig welded. Talk to Doug Schultz, he's a bronco guy.

http://www.rondavisradiators.com/Welcome.htm

They can also do custom shrouds and elec fan set ups through the fan guy. Very nice.

Plus, Joe Gibbs racing, Jess James, and Robby Gordon can't be wrong, right? <g>
 
x2 on Griffin.
Plus there factory (or at least 1 of them) is down around Powdersville/Easley SC. They have a factory "blem" sale up front. A few years back I got a V8 conv. radiator for a 1st gen mustang for $50. I had time and wasited until they got something in the right dimensons and "adjusted" the mounting points.

The horrible defect that lead to the price cut?

The end of the top outlet was crunched, so badly that I had to cut ~.5" off and it was good as new.... Some have bubble gum seems and some maybe just off diminsion on the outlet...

That was a few years ago, not sure what kind of supply they keep now, but may be worth the drive..
 
Appreciate it guys. I ended up going with the Novak for V8 conversions. Spent a few hours today making everything work. I only had 6-3/4" from the AC condenser to the water pump. I somehow managed to fit a radiator that is three inches from the mount to the back where the fan mounts, and a Taurus fan, which is right at 4-1/2" in that space. I will try to get some form of a writeup done here soon. Radiator would have bolted right up were it not for the space constraints. Ended up doing a little re-engineering on there mounts.
 
Just keep in mind that an aluminum radiator will not shed constant amounts of heat any faster than a copper/brass one.. But the alum. ones typically have other features that could be incorporated into a normal copper/brass rad, but aren't.
 
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