I replaced my Radiator when I rebuilt my Engine 3 years ago with a brass one and it has started leaking. I was wondering what you guys think of going with a Aluminum Radiator 1985 6.9 Thanks in advance for any input Mudguts.

 

I'd get a brass radiator repaired if possible. Depends. Where is it leaking?

 

It looks as though it is leaking around the top It is not much but a leak is a leak

 

The top of what? The neck, or? I'm not the guy to ask, but a typical repair job and pressure test should be quite a bit cheaper than even an aluminum replacement. Depends on your location though I suppose. But probably well under $100? Could drain the coolant into a clean container and reinstall, too.

Aluminum radiator requires a complete flush and replacement w/distilled H2O and coolant.

 

I can't tell for sure where it is leaking I pop the hood and can see coolant all over the top but can't see a leak while it is hot and running. I'm about 100 miles from the nearest radiator shop

 

You must be 100 miles from everything else too though? Just trying to make sure you're making informed decision. Brass radiators are repairable. Aluminum, not so much.

 

I have a new brass one on the way Thank You everyone.

 

I got an aluminum radiator for my 6.9... will find out how it is after I get the new engine swapped in...I have had more problems with brass than with the aluminum/aluminum plastic radiators..where i live in Arizona a good radiator is important.. I have had brass units repaired and they failed a year or so later..aluminum radiators are cheap enough to just throw away and replace of they fail, and they cool just as good, if not better than brass..

 

I bought two Champion Aluminum radiators for my two trucks and they both leaked within a year, and their lifetime warranty was, "Pay the shipping and we will send you another one" Sorry but at a 100% fail rate, this was not an option for me. Sounds like throwing good money after bad. Their customer service was woeful as well. Buyer beware. Let us know of your experience with both radiators as all of us are looking for a suitable replacement.

 

Through an extremely unlikely series of events I ordered a Champion replacement radiator for the 64 F100 but haven't installed it. 1/2 to 1/3 the approx. cost of a good ole U.S.A. Made brass. Hm.

Brass radiators actually cool at twice the efficiency of Aluminium. Better internal design though means modern radiators can be smaller. Supposedly they can have problems with corrosion or, and some people claim things like stray voltage can cause pinholes. Maybe.

Champion says right on the box, warning to use distilled water with the coolant mix, not "hard" tap water. Iron and brass aren't particularly reactive together but iron and aluminium apparently must be?

I always figured the corrosion inhibitors in the green antifreeze was enough to neutralize any of that stuff. Maybe not. Makes me wonder if an aluminium radiator would benefit by using the modern Dexcool or Ford Gold coolant? Champion said it's not necessary?

One thing that was brought up here too, many of the replacement radiator caps are junk and do not hold their rated pressure. On the other hand it's unwise to i stall a 17 pound cap on these older trucks. A new radiator might handle it but I wonder about head gaskets? A lot of these came with 7lb caps from the factory. .02

 

Even with a brass radiator you still want to use distilled water.

Head gasket wise... I dont think it'll be a problem. If it's handling 40+ PSI on the oil galleries, it should be able to handle the low water pressure.

The only thing I'd worry about is the oil cooler... if you have had it rebuilt recently, I wouldn't worry at all, but those O-rings are probably 25 years old by now.

 

Yes I did the oil cooler when I did the Engine. Itis up and running now Thanks

 

I had my radiator rodded out, and resoldered for around $130. I did a lot of reading on the subject, and from what I read, you need the higher pressure caps, the 17, or is it 19psi for the necessary pressure against the cylinder walls to limit cavitation; the only time you don't need that psi rating on a cap is to go with I think it's called 'evan's coolant'... The none waterbase coolant that runs at zero pressure.

To switch over to that though, you've got to dry out your block entirely; plus it's some spendy stuff.

I've a little unsure on the aluminum jobs myself, and just prefer the brass. Aside from that, when I refilled the radiator, I used distilled water; talked with the closest diesel shop, and they were pretty firm that the distilled water is a lot easier on the overall system.

I'm running fleetguard in it now.

Just found that article I was looking for. States you need 13psi for the coolant system to work properly.............not linking because I don't quite know what the rules are for other 'sites'. Just google search 7.3 idi cavitation.

 

Asmuch as I hate to buy water, I have been getting the premixed coolant at work. eliminates the monkeys from using the well water. And with extended life diesel coolant its cheap insurance in the long run.
I recommend fleet charge or zerex GO5

 

Distilled water is $1.00/gal at any grocery store...
So I always went with the pure coolant by the gallon, then get the distilled at the store and keep a bunch in the garage.
Part of that was also that then I could control the mix, being in Western WA we only see freezing temps for a few weeks a year.
Now that I'm running Fleet Charge I haven't done the 100% vs 50/50 mix (if they carry it?), so I can't comment on that. But I love knowing I have my SCAs good to go with HD coolant!

But as for the OP question, within the last few months my brass radiator finally died on me and I did a full flush and put in the NAPA aluminum rad. It used to be a full-aluminum job made by someone more respectable, but now its a Spectre with plastic ends.
It had a slow leak out of the box which got better, but never quit. So I'll have to get it on warranty (lifetime), before the summer is over.
It's got 3 LONG cores, and cools as well as the brass ever did, though I can't speak for a super clean brass one, as I got it used with the pickup.

I've read that the brass replacements are more expensive but have about the same rep as the aluminum ones, not great. They just don't make them like they used to!!
And the one that pooped out on my pickup was a brass replacement, so it'd already lost the stocker.

-Joshua