My Chinese Radiator Story
07-09-17, 04:43 AM
#1
My Chinese Radiator Story
The prep for my big SA Transfer to AZ got off to a bumpy start when I decided to go thru cooling system. After all "summer" in Alaska ain't summer in Arizona!
First thing to go was my loyal-but-original radiator. I dropped the dime for a nice looking 3-core chinese rad off ebay. (seller: Performancecool) You have all seen these. Most seem to be sourced thru one address in California, even tho the sellers have different names. But they are cheap and in my case (Alaska) the free shipping was too much to resist. $130 to my door.
And it IS a thing of beauty, clean and seemed to be well put together (now I am getting cryptic...). As you see in the photo when I first got it, they match up nicely with the stock rad. I detailed it out (I wanted it OE black) and went to install.
Hmmm. OK. the holes that mount it to the rad frame "almost" match up. So multiple passes in and out to ream out the holes. Ah, the coolant sender hole is a bit large-ish. The sender threads in but I can tell its going to be too loose to seal correctly. Need to build up something to make the thread hole tighter. Er, and the oil cooler mounts are a bit higher on one side - happily the mounts are rubber so I can sort of fudge that and stretch them to fit. But at what cost to long-term use of the mounts? But, wow - she's a beauty once installed! OK - so coolant...
1 gallon of Evans - check.
2nd gallon....er, waa? a gurgle? a PUDDLE! *sigh* yep. I am watching $45 worth of coolant trickle down the face of the rad to protect my driveway from overheating. The culprit? looks like the seam between the top tank and the cooling coil body's failed.
!@#$%!
Out comes the rad. BOTH rads go to my local rad shop. They "say" they can repair aluminum rads, so I guess I will pay my $52 and find out. But I am twice-shy: the old tank - old faithful! - gets a cleaning and pressure check and a fresh coat of paint and goes back in.
The lessons for me on these?
-Out of the box, Take it STRAIGHT to the rad shop for a pressure test, confirming they can actually fix it if it does leak.
-if you plan to paint it, TRIAL FIT first so you can do whatever mods before spending hours prepping, masking, painting, then chopping away at your handiwork.
Was this one's failure an exception? I don't know. I bought it over a year ago, before this install, so whatever the warranty might have been, I was not in a position to claim it. I DID contact the seller thru my ebay invoice (shock! they are in China!). No reply. I am not holding my breath.
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
First thing to go was my loyal-but-original radiator. I dropped the dime for a nice looking 3-core chinese rad off ebay. (seller: Performancecool) You have all seen these. Most seem to be sourced thru one address in California, even tho the sellers have different names. But they are cheap and in my case (Alaska) the free shipping was too much to resist. $130 to my door.
And it IS a thing of beauty, clean and seemed to be well put together (now I am getting cryptic...). As you see in the photo when I first got it, they match up nicely with the stock rad. I detailed it out (I wanted it OE black) and went to install.
Hmmm. OK. the holes that mount it to the rad frame "almost" match up. So multiple passes in and out to ream out the holes. Ah, the coolant sender hole is a bit large-ish. The sender threads in but I can tell its going to be too loose to seal correctly. Need to build up something to make the thread hole tighter. Er, and the oil cooler mounts are a bit higher on one side - happily the mounts are rubber so I can sort of fudge that and stretch them to fit. But at what cost to long-term use of the mounts? But, wow - she's a beauty once installed! OK - so coolant...
1 gallon of Evans - check.
2nd gallon....er, waa? a gurgle? a PUDDLE! *sigh* yep. I am watching $45 worth of coolant trickle down the face of the rad to protect my driveway from overheating. The culprit? looks like the seam between the top tank and the cooling coil body's failed.
!@#$%!
Out comes the rad. BOTH rads go to my local rad shop. They "say" they can repair aluminum rads, so I guess I will pay my $52 and find out. But I am twice-shy: the old tank - old faithful! - gets a cleaning and pressure check and a fresh coat of paint and goes back in.
The lessons for me on these?
-Out of the box, Take it STRAIGHT to the rad shop for a pressure test, confirming they can actually fix it if it does leak.
-if you plan to paint it, TRIAL FIT first so you can do whatever mods before spending hours prepping, masking, painting, then chopping away at your handiwork.
Was this one's failure an exception? I don't know. I bought it over a year ago, before this install, so whatever the warranty might have been, I was not in a position to claim it. I DID contact the seller thru my ebay invoice (shock! they are in China!). No reply. I am not holding my breath.
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
The following 3 users liked this post by 7aull:
07-09-17, 07:09 AM
#2
Interesting story and experience Stu, thanks for sharing. That radiator is a thing of beauty. It's unfortunate that you got a faulty one, but this happens.
The last FB radiator I bought a couple years ago was a US built copper/brass unit and it did the same thing, leaked near the top on installation. I discovered this early and returned it for a good unit.
Most ebay dealers will also back their products, so maybe even at this late date they'll help you out.
A friend of mine bought the same radiator as yours last year for his 84 FB. He ran into some minor mounting issues similar to what you describe but not too bad and in the end it works and looks great.
Chinese goods can be a very good deal if you take some precautions. After all, most of what we buy here in the US is made in China, it's just a question of how much the US retailers jack up the price (usually 100% or more).
For example, you can get the 3M 20mm double sided sticky tape for mounting your black rubber molding pieces from Walmart for about $8.00 for a 3 meter (15') roll:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-1Roll-...Lips/260654467
Or you can get the same roll straight from China for less than $3.00 per roll:
3M Strong Permanent Double Sided Super Self Adhesive Sticky Tape Roll Adhesive | eBay
I recently bought 4 15' rolls for $10.68, delivered in about 2 weeks. Exactly the same tape I paid $16/roll for at Autozone last year.
Another example, I recently bought my wife a Jeep handbag she really wanted, from a US vendor for about $45 after tax and shipping:
https://www.the1990sstore.com/produc...ther-jeep-bags
When it arrived 2 weeks later I was surprised to see it was shipped straight from China. So I got suspicious and looked on ebay, sure enough you can get the same bag delivered straight from China for $14:
Men's Retro Jeep Faux Leather Messenger Bags Satchel Shoulder Crossbody Handbag | eBay
Which is pretty much what the US dealers are doing with your aluminum radiator Stu. The ebay ads for your radiator (there are lots of them) indicate US sellers based in California.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Cores-RX7-...3D191855645721
But I'll bet they order it straight from China shipped to your door for $60 or less and then collect $130 from you, the US customer. Then sit back and wait for the next order.
Is this how to Make America Great Again?
And here's the most telling part, Chinese build quality is often much better than "Made in the USA".
A few months ago I was in the market for a 1500 lb utility trailer for my wife's Jeep. I was considering one of those ubiquitous 5 x 8' units from Home Depot or Lowes proudly "made in the USA". But then I found this Chinese made Detail K2 unit with a much smarter design and features for about the same price as the US units:
Detail K2 1,500 lb. Payload Capacity 4.5 ft. x 7.5 ft. Utility Trailer with Bed Tilt and Collapsing Ends to Extend Bed to 12 ft.-MMT5X7 - The Home Depot
Like the US units the K2 unit needed to be assembled so I got an up close and personal look at the material and build quality and it was excellent. Heavy duty, precision drilled, easy to assemble, yielding a very well built and dare I say pretty trailer.
I use it for my 48" zero turn mower, trips to the lumber yard and feed store or hauling hay, gravel or sand. That fold down 12' bed is amazing, why can't the US products do this?
So yeah, you can get junk from China just like from anywhere else, buyer beware.
But as much as Donald Trump would like to cut the US off from the rest of the world so he can have his own little self-serving economy, we now have a global market place.
It's called competition.
And if the Chinese can make it better for less money, I'll buy it.
Until the Donald starts imposing the Tariffs.
The last FB radiator I bought a couple years ago was a US built copper/brass unit and it did the same thing, leaked near the top on installation. I discovered this early and returned it for a good unit.
Most ebay dealers will also back their products, so maybe even at this late date they'll help you out.
A friend of mine bought the same radiator as yours last year for his 84 FB. He ran into some minor mounting issues similar to what you describe but not too bad and in the end it works and looks great.
Chinese goods can be a very good deal if you take some precautions. After all, most of what we buy here in the US is made in China, it's just a question of how much the US retailers jack up the price (usually 100% or more).
For example, you can get the 3M 20mm double sided sticky tape for mounting your black rubber molding pieces from Walmart for about $8.00 for a 3 meter (15') roll:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-1Roll-...Lips/260654467
Or you can get the same roll straight from China for less than $3.00 per roll:
3M Strong Permanent Double Sided Super Self Adhesive Sticky Tape Roll Adhesive | eBay
I recently bought 4 15' rolls for $10.68, delivered in about 2 weeks. Exactly the same tape I paid $16/roll for at Autozone last year.
Another example, I recently bought my wife a Jeep handbag she really wanted, from a US vendor for about $45 after tax and shipping:
https://www.the1990sstore.com/produc...ther-jeep-bags
When it arrived 2 weeks later I was surprised to see it was shipped straight from China. So I got suspicious and looked on ebay, sure enough you can get the same bag delivered straight from China for $14:
Men's Retro Jeep Faux Leather Messenger Bags Satchel Shoulder Crossbody Handbag | eBay
Which is pretty much what the US dealers are doing with your aluminum radiator Stu. The ebay ads for your radiator (there are lots of them) indicate US sellers based in California.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Cores-RX7-...3D191855645721
But I'll bet they order it straight from China shipped to your door for $60 or less and then collect $130 from you, the US customer. Then sit back and wait for the next order.
Is this how to Make America Great Again?
And here's the most telling part, Chinese build quality is often much better than "Made in the USA".
A few months ago I was in the market for a 1500 lb utility trailer for my wife's Jeep. I was considering one of those ubiquitous 5 x 8' units from Home Depot or Lowes proudly "made in the USA". But then I found this Chinese made Detail K2 unit with a much smarter design and features for about the same price as the US units:
Detail K2 1,500 lb. Payload Capacity 4.5 ft. x 7.5 ft. Utility Trailer with Bed Tilt and Collapsing Ends to Extend Bed to 12 ft.-MMT5X7 - The Home Depot
Like the US units the K2 unit needed to be assembled so I got an up close and personal look at the material and build quality and it was excellent. Heavy duty, precision drilled, easy to assemble, yielding a very well built and dare I say pretty trailer.
I use it for my 48" zero turn mower, trips to the lumber yard and feed store or hauling hay, gravel or sand. That fold down 12' bed is amazing, why can't the US products do this?
So yeah, you can get junk from China just like from anywhere else, buyer beware.
But as much as Donald Trump would like to cut the US off from the rest of the world so he can have his own little self-serving economy, we now have a global market place.
It's called competition.
And if the Chinese can make it better for less money, I'll buy it.
Until the Donald starts imposing the Tariffs.
Last edited by ray green; 07-09-17 at 07:34 AM.
07-09-17, 07:36 AM
#3
acdelco d1906 Nkg 49034
I hope you kept the old radiator. If you did, go to a radiator shop for a rod out, and your old radiator will be good as new.
No matter what, your a/c will not be able to keep up with the arizona sun.
Bought a hydraulic jack, made in china, where else? How can you mess up a hydraulic jack? 1/4th inch gaps between the metal, with a big old weld half *** in the gaps. I worked in a shipyard during the summer college breaks, and use to always get dogged for my welding. I was a fitter's helper/tacker. Gawd, even I could make better welds than what was supposed to hold this hydraulic jack together. I don't trust it, and I should of inspected the hydraulic jack when I opened the box.
No matter what, your a/c will not be able to keep up with the arizona sun.
Bought a hydraulic jack, made in china, where else? How can you mess up a hydraulic jack? 1/4th inch gaps between the metal, with a big old weld half *** in the gaps. I worked in a shipyard during the summer college breaks, and use to always get dogged for my welding. I was a fitter's helper/tacker. Gawd, even I could make better welds than what was supposed to hold this hydraulic jack together. I don't trust it, and I should of inspected the hydraulic jack when I opened the box.
07-09-17, 07:55 AM
#4
Stu, what's this transfer you speak of? Are you moving to AZ or just going to visit? Glad you got the original back in. I've never had an original Mazda radiator leak on me. I've had them missing fins and clogged to all heck and back but I've never really had one fail. They're excellent units for daily driving.
Also wanted to tell you, I have a customer's 33k mile 85 GS here for service and I just replaced the original tires with tires that the customer provided. Bridgestone RD207's!! I have three original tires in my possession currently! They rode awful after sitting for years but oh nostalgia!! I thought of you right away. Stu would appreciate something like these old original flat spotted and cracked tires!
Also wanted to tell you, I have a customer's 33k mile 85 GS here for service and I just replaced the original tires with tires that the customer provided. Bridgestone RD207's!! I have three original tires in my possession currently! They rode awful after sitting for years but oh nostalgia!! I thought of you right away. Stu would appreciate something like these old original flat spotted and cracked tires!
07-09-17, 08:53 AM
#5
buying an el cheapo radiator is a "hit and miss." some said they had a good experience but im the opposite. Spend a little bit more on a good quality radiator like AFCO along with a nissan quest or taurus dual speed fan, volvo dual speed fan relay, summit racing fan switch for low speed and toggle switch for high. my rx-3 never seen 200 even on a 100 degree stop and go LA traffic.
07-09-17, 12:01 PM
#6
I had a similar experience with fitment on the Champion aluminum rad. The mounts lined up, but the rad was a little wide and hit the battery tray.
I boxed it back up and it is sitting on the shelf for a future project. I bought a Spectra Premium CU97 and it fit perfectly.
I boxed it back up and it is sitting on the shelf for a future project. I bought a Spectra Premium CU97 and it fit perfectly.
07-09-17, 01:27 PM
#7
That CU97 is a dead ringer for the aftermarket unit I bought a couple years ago KC, solid copper and brass and yes an exact fit, no messing around, just hang it and bolt it. Very good quality too.
Another consideration might be aluminum vs copper/brass in terms of cooling capacity.
I don't know but it seems to me that the copper/brass construction would be a better heat conductor than aluminum, given equal surface areas and air flow.
Still that aluminum unit does look pretty cool once you manage to get it mounted.
Another consideration might be aluminum vs copper/brass in terms of cooling capacity.
I don't know but it seems to me that the copper/brass construction would be a better heat conductor than aluminum, given equal surface areas and air flow.
Still that aluminum unit does look pretty cool once you manage to get it mounted.
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07-09-17, 03:47 PM
#8
The prep for my big SA Transfer to AZ got off to a bumpy start when I decided to go thru cooling system. After all "summer" in Alaska ain't summer in Arizona!
First thing to go was my loyal-but-original radiator. I dropped the dime for a nice looking 3-core chinese rad off ebay. (seller: Performancecool) You have all seen these. Most seem to be sourced thru one address in California, even tho the sellers have different names. But they are cheap and in my case (Alaska) the free shipping was too much to resist. $130 to my door.
And it IS a thing of beauty, clean and seemed to be well put together (now I am getting cryptic...). As you see in the photo when I first got it, they match up nicely with the stock rad. I detailed it out (I wanted it OE black) and went to install.
Hmmm. OK. the holes that mount it to the rad frame "almost" match up. So multiple passes in and out to ream out the holes. Ah, the coolant sender hole is a bit large-ish. The sender threads in but I can tell its going to be too loose to seal correctly. Need to build up something to make the thread hole tighter. Er, and the oil cooler mounts are a bit higher on one side - happily the mounts are rubber so I can sort of fudge that and stretch them to fit. But at what cost to long-term use of the mounts? But, wow - she's a beauty once installed! OK - so coolant...
1 gallon of Evans - check.
2nd gallon....er, waa? a gurgle? a PUDDLE! *sigh* yep. I am watching $45 worth of coolant trickle down the face of the rad to protect my driveway from overheating. The culprit? looks like the seam between the top tank and the cooling coil body's failed.
!@#$%!
Out comes the rad. BOTH rads go to my local rad shop. They "say" they can repair aluminum rads, so I guess I will pay my $52 and find out. But I am twice-shy: the old tank - old faithful! - gets a cleaning and pressure check and a fresh coat of paint and goes back in.
The lessons for me on these?
-Out of the box, Take it STRAIGHT to the rad shop for a pressure test, confirming they can actually fix it if it does leak.
-if you plan to paint it, TRIAL FIT first so you can do whatever mods before spending hours prepping, masking, painting, then chopping away at your handiwork.
Was this one's failure an exception? I don't know. I bought it over a year ago, before this install, so whatever the warranty might have been, I was not in a position to claim it. I DID contact the seller thru my ebay invoice (shock! they are in China!). No reply. I am not holding my breath.
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
First thing to go was my loyal-but-original radiator. I dropped the dime for a nice looking 3-core chinese rad off ebay. (seller: Performancecool) You have all seen these. Most seem to be sourced thru one address in California, even tho the sellers have different names. But they are cheap and in my case (Alaska) the free shipping was too much to resist. $130 to my door.
And it IS a thing of beauty, clean and seemed to be well put together (now I am getting cryptic...). As you see in the photo when I first got it, they match up nicely with the stock rad. I detailed it out (I wanted it OE black) and went to install.
Hmmm. OK. the holes that mount it to the rad frame "almost" match up. So multiple passes in and out to ream out the holes. Ah, the coolant sender hole is a bit large-ish. The sender threads in but I can tell its going to be too loose to seal correctly. Need to build up something to make the thread hole tighter. Er, and the oil cooler mounts are a bit higher on one side - happily the mounts are rubber so I can sort of fudge that and stretch them to fit. But at what cost to long-term use of the mounts? But, wow - she's a beauty once installed! OK - so coolant...
1 gallon of Evans - check.
2nd gallon....er, waa? a gurgle? a PUDDLE! *sigh* yep. I am watching $45 worth of coolant trickle down the face of the rad to protect my driveway from overheating. The culprit? looks like the seam between the top tank and the cooling coil body's failed.
!@#$%!
Out comes the rad. BOTH rads go to my local rad shop. They "say" they can repair aluminum rads, so I guess I will pay my $52 and find out. But I am twice-shy: the old tank - old faithful! - gets a cleaning and pressure check and a fresh coat of paint and goes back in.
The lessons for me on these?
-Out of the box, Take it STRAIGHT to the rad shop for a pressure test, confirming they can actually fix it if it does leak.
-if you plan to paint it, TRIAL FIT first so you can do whatever mods before spending hours prepping, masking, painting, then chopping away at your handiwork.
Was this one's failure an exception? I don't know. I bought it over a year ago, before this install, so whatever the warranty might have been, I was not in a position to claim it. I DID contact the seller thru my ebay invoice (shock! they are in China!). No reply. I am not holding my breath.
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
Mine required wings to fit in my Aus spec s3 as i wanted to mount it lower since i have a front mounted oil cooler. Its actually a good rad, worked well. That particular design is everywhere on Aus ebay too under numerous sellers, i guess it is luck of the draw.
Good advice to check for leakage and fitment before getting too excited. Luckily i checked mine for fitment first and was pretty easy to make fit and it didnt leak.
07-10-17, 09:18 AM
#9
07-11-17, 04:18 AM
#10
Thanks for the perspective Fellas.
I did have a pressure test & cleaning followed by a repaint and reinstall of the original (100k-ish mi!) rad on Sunday (pic). I haven't gotten the Word back on the fate of the Chinese rad, but if they can fix it I will consider a re-fit further down the road if conditions warrant. By "conditions" I mean: Arizona. We are moving there this fall, and I am staging my SA out of Calgary for the summer, so all this comes (of COURSE!) as I scramble to prep her for the 2000mi jaunt down the Alcan. I was hoping the upgrade to 3-core and aluminum would give my little rotor-motor some defense against the Desert. (But really, with no AC, I won't be driving it in the summer there anyway!)
The Chinese rad IS gorgeous and feels like its put together well, so as some say, maybe I got a lemon.
I am certainly NOT saying either all Chinese rads OR Chinese anything is bad, or even poor quality. But I thought the experience was important to relate to the Community.
Stu Aull
80GS Alaska (Arizona...)
I did have a pressure test & cleaning followed by a repaint and reinstall of the original (100k-ish mi!) rad on Sunday (pic). I haven't gotten the Word back on the fate of the Chinese rad, but if they can fix it I will consider a re-fit further down the road if conditions warrant. By "conditions" I mean: Arizona. We are moving there this fall, and I am staging my SA out of Calgary for the summer, so all this comes (of COURSE!) as I scramble to prep her for the 2000mi jaunt down the Alcan. I was hoping the upgrade to 3-core and aluminum would give my little rotor-motor some defense against the Desert. (But really, with no AC, I won't be driving it in the summer there anyway!)
The Chinese rad IS gorgeous and feels like its put together well, so as some say, maybe I got a lemon.
I am certainly NOT saying either all Chinese rads OR Chinese anything is bad, or even poor quality. But I thought the experience was important to relate to the Community.
Stu Aull
80GS Alaska (Arizona...)
Last edited by 7aull; 07-11-17 at 04:22 AM. Reason: spelling
07-11-17, 08:01 AM
#11
The Chinese aluminum radiator is pretty Stu but I'd say your original "old tank" is prettier!
Keeping it original:
I wouldn't worry too much about that Arizona heat, if your cooling system is well maintained it should handle even the hot days without any trouble.
I used to live in Tuscon, I don't recall ever having any overheating issues with my car.
And without AC, you are more likely to overheat than your 12A.
Keeping it original:
I wouldn't worry too much about that Arizona heat, if your cooling system is well maintained it should handle even the hot days without any trouble.
I used to live in Tuscon, I don't recall ever having any overheating issues with my car.
And without AC, you are more likely to overheat than your 12A.
07-11-17, 09:39 AM
#12
ancient wizard...
Immaculate!! Except for battery,plug wires,clutch slave cyl. hose & worm clamp on coolant recovery bottle that car looks exactly like underhood of the car when i used to PDI them when new.
Kudos to you for preserving that specimen,need some pics of rest of car!
Kudos to you for preserving that specimen,need some pics of rest of car!
07-12-17, 05:01 AM
#13
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaskizona
07-12-17, 05:03 AM
#14
The Chinese aluminum radiator is pretty Stu but I'd say your original "old tank" is prettier!
Keeping it original:
I wouldn't worry too much about that Arizona heat, if your cooling system is well maintained it should handle even the hot days without any trouble.
I used to live in Tuscon, I don't recall ever having any overheating issues with my car.
And without AC, you are more likely to overheat than your 12A.
Keeping it original:
I wouldn't worry too much about that Arizona heat, if your cooling system is well maintained it should handle even the hot days without any trouble.
I used to live in Tuscon, I don't recall ever having any overheating issues with my car.
And without AC, you are more likely to overheat than your 12A.
Stu
07-12-17, 03:54 PM
#16
ancient wizard...
07-12-17, 08:37 PM
#17
You mean Stu doesn't have a belly pan?
I can't believe it. He's such a purist.
Stu, email me, if the belly pans for the SAs are the same as the FBs I might be able to help you out.
You gonna need that belly pan to suck air up there in Sedona, you gotta keep that 12A cool.
I can't believe it. He's such a purist.
Stu, email me, if the belly pans for the SAs are the same as the FBs I might be able to help you out.
You gonna need that belly pan to suck air up there in Sedona, you gotta keep that 12A cool.
07-13-17, 08:58 AM
#19
Rotary Enthusiast
<sarcasm mode on>
Can you get an aluminum belly pan from Ebay? You might have to redrill a couple of holes, paint it yourself, and it might not work once installed but ...
<sarcasm mode off>
I am really enjoying this thread. Great car!
Can you get an aluminum belly pan from Ebay? You might have to redrill a couple of holes, paint it yourself, and it might not work once installed but ...
<sarcasm mode off>
I am really enjoying this thread. Great car!
07-13-17, 07:08 PM
#20
www.AusRotary.com
In an older convention radiator, the fins are copper, with superior thermal conductivity to brass and aluminium and virtually every other metals. So from the point where heat passes from the radiator to the air, the copper/brass radiator is superior.
However, the tubes and tanks are brass, which only has 31% of the conductivity of copper. Then, the various components are joined together with solder. The solder has 60% lead / 40% tin composition, which have thermal conductivity 9% and 17% of copper respectively. Heat transfer from the coolant to the air will only be as efficient as the weakest point in the chain, being the solder. As a result, heat transfer from the coolant to the tubes to the fins is actually quite inefficient.
Aluminium has 51% of the thermal conductivity of copper. However, the entire construction is aluminium without the solder weak point, so heat transfer as a whole is more efficient.
Plus aluminium is lighter, cheaper (these days), etc so you can see why it is now favoured.
There's a good (albeit old) detailed discussion on the pros and cons here: AusRotary.com ? View topic - Alloy vs Copper Radiators
Last edited by KYPREO; 07-13-17 at 07:17 PM. Reason: wrong conductivity percentages
07-16-17, 04:58 AM
#21
OFF on the Alcan!
To all your collective reliefs - IT'S BACK IN! I had pulled for the rad swap to make lower hose in/out easier, plus I needed it clear to drain the tank.
Powdercoated,waxed and mounted. You guys don't miss a thing!
Fingers crossed, the "new" rad is tight and running great (tho a bit warmer on the Dial with the Evans, which I was told is typical).
Got new wheels, tires and my spare FB LSD in with ALL new rear disc bits and I am off Monday for the 2000 mi trip down the Alcan to Calgary!
Will be great if you all will be my Wing Man (Men?) on the road down...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska -> Arizona
07-17-17, 08:44 PM
#22
"Powdercoated,waxed and mounted."
Now that's the Stu we know and love. I didn't think that missing belly pan made sense.
Hey Stu, back to your pictures, where did you get those new looking OEM double wire radiator and heater hose clamps? They look brand new!, nice shiny cadmium coating and everything. Are they original or did you find a source for new OEM? I need some!
And Kypreo, thanks for the tutorial on aluminum vs copper/brass, makes sense.
Now that's the Stu we know and love. I didn't think that missing belly pan made sense.
Hey Stu, back to your pictures, where did you get those new looking OEM double wire radiator and heater hose clamps? They look brand new!, nice shiny cadmium coating and everything. Are they original or did you find a source for new OEM? I need some!
And Kypreo, thanks for the tutorial on aluminum vs copper/brass, makes sense.
07-17-17, 09:01 PM
#23
www.AusRotary.com
Likewise. I understood these were NLA from Mazda. You can buy bulk packs of aftermarket versions from Hong Kong and China via eBay, but the screw is usually slightly different.
07-17-17, 10:26 PM
#24
Yeah I saw the ones from Hong Kong, I've got some on order:
10x Double Wire Hose Clamp Pipe Clip Screw Bolt Tight Fitting Classic Type Zinc | eBay
Other than the screw being standard instead of phillips they look very similar to my original OEM clamps.
But I'm worried about quality, at $7.25 total for 20 clamps (10x 52-57mm @ $4.27; 10x 25-29mm @ $3.18) I'll be very pleased if they're as well made as the originals.
In the mean time I'm holding onto my originals, cleaned up on the wire wheel and sprayed with clear coat they look pretty good, although the cadmium/zinc whatever that yellow coating is takes a beating. There's a photo of the cleaned up and clear coated heater hose clamps attached below.
Those ones on Stu's car look really good, like new. If they're really 38 year old originals I can only imagine what the rest of his car looks like. If he got them aftermarket we need to know where he got them.
10x Double Wire Hose Clamp Pipe Clip Screw Bolt Tight Fitting Classic Type Zinc | eBay
Other than the screw being standard instead of phillips they look very similar to my original OEM clamps.
But I'm worried about quality, at $7.25 total for 20 clamps (10x 52-57mm @ $4.27; 10x 25-29mm @ $3.18) I'll be very pleased if they're as well made as the originals.
In the mean time I'm holding onto my originals, cleaned up on the wire wheel and sprayed with clear coat they look pretty good, although the cadmium/zinc whatever that yellow coating is takes a beating. There's a photo of the cleaned up and clear coated heater hose clamps attached below.
Those ones on Stu's car look really good, like new. If they're really 38 year old originals I can only imagine what the rest of his car looks like. If he got them aftermarket we need to know where he got them.
Last edited by ray green; 07-17-17 at 10:40 PM.
07-17-17, 11:11 PM
#25
www.AusRotary.com
Pretty easy and cheap to get the OEM stuff re-plated particularly if you do it in a large batch with everything else you need plated. I believe that the yellow/gold tint they use for zinc plating these days is slightly different to the OEM stuff (due to being less poisonous!) but it usually comes out looking amazing.