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I have the $136 aluminum one with plastic tanks on my 77 and I haven't had any problems at all with it. And if I ever do I'll take it back because it has a lifetime warranty.
The radiator on my daily driver, a 99 Isuzu Rodeo is aluminum with plastic tanks and it hasn't given me any problems at all in the 110,000 miles and 9 years I've owned it.
99+ Ford Superdutys are Aluminum with plastic tanks. But then again that is factory stuff which I assume would be higher quality than the supposed Chinese made ones.
Nice to know the options out there. $140 for an aluminum radiator that cools halfway decent is a great deal.
Ive grown up in a radiator shop and my two cents say go copper. It costs a little more but its higher quality. The core is more durable and the radiator is easier to repair in the event of a leak. Proliance is a trustworthy source. We sell them out of our shop. Something else: Say you are working the truck really hard, say towing a trailer uphill on a hot day. A plastic tank could burst unless the cap bleeds off and then you ooze coolant everywhere.
AutoZone has the Aluminum with plastic tanks one for like $120 check Them out. I bought the one off EBay (didn't know about AutoZone) for the Diesel worked great last summer.
If I had cooling problems with a high performance engine or a diesel, I would buy a full aluminum radiator for the better cooling. I have had mixed (bad) luck with the aluminum core/plastic tank units leaking at the seams. When I catch it leaking, I grab a set of channel locks, and re-crimp the crimp.