Re: Plastic Radiator??

From: Rader (rlr@bbt.com)
Date: Wed Apr 02 1997 - 08:52:50 EST


> I assume by cast iron you mean an "old fashioned, long lasting" brass
> radiator.

  Not too long ago I went on a radiator shopping frenzy when the one
on my old S-10 shit the bed (thanks to the previous owner's lack of
preventive maintenance).

  I must have talked to at least 30 parts houses, and found no more
than two non-GM aftermarket replacements: a 2-row core Modine,
and a 3-row core generic. Lo and behold, both were aluminum. I
wanted brass (heavier but repairable and more durable), but none were
available. I went with the generic, not only because it was cheaper,
but because I wasn't falling for Modine's ad hype about how their
nifty fin design worked better than extra rows.

  The moral of this story is that if you can find a brass replacement,
hang on to it. And remember to change your antifreeze every couple of
years if you end up with an aluminum radiator.

  We shall see what transpires with the plastic-tanked H/D radiator
in my '95 Dakota. On one hand, no corrosion. On the other hand, who
knows how it will deal with temperature extremes.

  Ron

 



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