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1980 F350 DRW, 400, C6. General use, no big trailer that I am towing or anything like that.
Engine is out for rebuild so I decided to drop radiator and heater core off for flushing/pressure check. They say I need to replace both units. He quoted $656 for copper/brass rad and $31 for aluminum heater core (says he cannot get copper/brass unit).
What are the recommendations for this? Summit copper/brass ok or should I go aluminum? Do I have to get radiator w/ cooler for trans? I do have a separate trans cooler on truck.
Thanks for any input.
$31 seems pretty reasonable for a replacement aluminium heater core. The $656 quote is too high unless you're doing a concours restoration on your truck. You can get an aluminum radiator cheaper from Summit or Jegs.
BTW, I wouldn't delete the OE style transmission cooler in the radiator.
I dont think there will be a copper heater core out there new for these trucks unless you find a NOS unit.
On the radiator thats a fair price, copper radiators are through the roof price wise, they are usually in the $700+ price range depending on size and core number. Its why I decided to go with Cold Case for my truck its under $600 and it will cool better than any copper radiator out there and its all tig welded aluminum not that cheap part store economy radiators that has the crimped on plastic tanks.
Picked up my old rad & heater core and asked about aluminum radiators. He said system was not designed for alum rad, that I would need to add a bunch of grounds because free voltage would kill the alum rad. Sounds fishy to me. Any truth to this?
Picked up my old rad & heater core and asked about aluminum radiators. He said system was not designed for alum rad, that I would need to add a bunch of grounds because free voltage would kill the alum rad. Sounds fishy to me. Any truth to this?
Not really. Square body GM trucks had bad electrolysis and it would eat up copper radiators, it has nothing to do with being designed for aluminum radiator or not it has everything to do with the design of the system introducing electrical current into the coolant. If you have it bad you would know as it would be eating the copper radiator you have up. Aluminum will be ate up quicker how ever, if you are concerned about it take a volt meter place one end in the coolant in the radiator and touch the other end to the negative battery cable you should be at 0 volts, depending on the source you use for reference the limit I have seen ranges but most common is 0.3V or less.
If you did have a over voltage problem one fix would be to afix a ground strap from the aluminum radiator to chassis ground. I dont believe you will have this problem and the radiator shop is just painting all as having the same problem which all vehicles will not have the same problem.
My father put the upgraded radiator express set up into his 7.3 a few years back. Really nice looking piece of hardware, would definitely buy from them.
FWIW, I just ordered one from an on-line site back in June 2019, that one has been fine for me. I think it was like $60. Sorry, I've looked through my records, I didn't keep the receipt for it. Which is odd for me…
Radiator Express warranties each for 12 months. Cold-Case warranty is lifetime.
$180 price difference. I don't think I will be doing any big towing. Our weather here in Western Washington is not extremely hot. Truck does not have A/C. I don't know when I will have the truck running so the 12 month warranty may be only 3-6 month actual use warranty. As usual I am overthinking things and am torn between the two. It would be an easier decision if one was in stock a couple miles down the road and I could go to pick it up. Hmmmmm.....
Which is fine by me as Champion shows as lifetime warranty. Without asking Radiator Express, I am assuming it is a polished Champion. Now maybe someday I will get back to work on this rig.
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