Radiator issue

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matthon

matthon

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I have an original radiator from a 69, and I can run my finger down the cooling fins, (the thin metal folded down the radiator in between the coolant lines) without damaging them. I would even have to use some force to get them to bend over - not that I want to.
I also have a radiator for a 67 that has been rebuilt, and on this one if I even touch the cooling fins they will collapse. The metal is thin.

The 67 radiator is the correct date coded radiator for my car.

What's going on here? Is it just that the originals used a thicker metal and folded it closer together? Is the rebuilt one a cheap job, or that is how they do it now?

I don't want to sell the 69 rad and keep the correct one if I am going to have cooling issues in the future with it, and if it is a better rad, but I would like to put the correct one back in.
 
Many times the aluminum will become brittle if the radiator has been overheated a few times in the past. Look for some white chalking around the tank pinch seams and where the fins are soldered to the upper and lower support, a sure sign that it has been overheated in the past. Or it could be just a bargain basement recore that used thinner fins. Either way, I would use the best of the 2 for now and rebuild the correct one for later. Good luck with your project, Geof
 
Judging by thay, it appears to be a bargain basement recore, and doing it again isn't an option right now.
Do good recore jobs turn out like factory new?
If I switch them, will the cooling suffer?
Is switching the upper tanks an option?
 
you could switch the upper tanks, just soldered on, might take a few tries to get it sealed.
 
X2 with 3404speed, the tanks are easily changed, but you may want to take it to a radiator shop for the job. Any good radiator shop can do it, and it should be about $20.00 for the job. Not a bad idea to get what you're looking for. Good luck with your project, Geof
 
The thinner metal will dissipate heat faster than the thicker piece so there may be some useful function to having a thinner cooling fin and not just a way to make something cheaper.
 
I checked a few radiator today, and none of them, even the aluminum finned ones, were as fragile as this thing. I'll keep both and worry about it later, much later.
 
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