RADIATORS
1. What are the pros and cons of copper/brass radiator construction?
Be Cool
Pros: Cost, and they can be recorded if necessary.
CONS: Heavy, less effective heat dissipation, lead retains heat.
Flex-a-lite
Pros: At one time, materials to build this style of radiator were more economical and construction required less labor, as automation could be used to produce and assemble radiators.
CONS: The use of zinc and tin in the solder can create a point of failure once antifreeze-coolant additive packages fail. Without installation of a zinc anode or additional additives to the coolant, the solder, which holds the radiator together, would degenerate, causing the radiator to leak or just come apart. To limit the amount of solder in the assemble process, some radiators are put together under pressure, pinched, or "glued." These methods have not always held up in the long term.
Griffin
Pros: Easy to repair using a solder.
CONS: Heavy, tube construction inhibits maximum heat transfer.
Mattson's
Pros: They are rebuildable, and you can recore them. You can keep it looking original.
CONS: It's hard to stay competitive because the cost has gone up dramatically. The cooling technology in aluminum cores is much more efficient than the copper/brass.
U.S. Radiator
The thermal conductivity or heat transfer rate of copper is 92 percent versus aluminum at 49 percent. However, the copper fin is bonded to the tubes or water passages using lead solder, which is very inefficient and slows the heat-transfer rate to just slightly better than that of aluminum. This can be a disadvantage if the bonding process does not allow the copper fin to touch the brass tube and why not all copper/brass cores of similar design but different manufactures transfer heat equally. Our tests revealed an almost exact temperature drop, aluminum versus copper/brass, at all operating ranges where the core design was the same, with a slight advantage going to the copper/brass unit (even against our own aluminum units).
Walker
All pros. Copper transfers heat better, has twice the tensile strength as aluminum, and resists corrosion.
2. What are the pros and cons of aluminum radiator construction?
Be Cool
Pros: Better heat dissipation, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, repairable.
CONS: Raw material cost, does not resemble an OE radiator.
Flex-a-lite
Pros: Aluminum radiators dissipate heat more readily than other materials. In the case of the Flex-a-fit radiators, the tanks with the "T" bar mounting and internal fins have shown an increase in heat dissipation by 230 percent. Aluminum radiators can be assembled with welds for strength, and the tanks can be produced with an alloy for additional strength.
CONS: Aluminum radiators are more susceptible to internal damage from electrolysis if coolant additives deteriorate or a scavenger material like zinc is not introduced into the cooling system. Aluminum radiator construction is more prone to fatigue cracking over time than the softer copper or brass material.
Griffin
Pros: Large tube construction allows maximum heat transfer, lightweight.
CONS: Not as easy to repair, must be welded.
Mattson's
Aluminum cost is becoming more competitive compared to copper/brass. Aluminum radiators are much more efficient than copper/brass radiators. We can make a custom aluminum radiator sometimes faster than we can order a brass core, receive it, and put it together. We can also polish or powdercoat an aluminum radiator to make it blend in or stand out.
U.S. Radiator
Because of their weight and durability, copper/brass radiators have been around a long time and are easily disassembled and reassembled for cleaning purposes. Not the case with aluminum unless speaking of the OE version that comes with crimp-mounted plastic tanks.
Walker
All cons. Aluminum cannot handle vibrations as well as copper; it does not transfer heat as well as copper or resist corrosion.