Hawk

I am confused as to why everyone says aluminum radiators are better than copper radiators in terms of cooling. I am a mustang enthusiast by heart, but a network administrator by trade. In the computer world, you pay extra for copper heatsinks to connect to your processors. Another way of saying it is, aluminum is your entry level, copper is the upgrade.

In terms of radiators though, I have been hearing the opposite. I am just wondering if someone could clarify why this is. I could understand the argument for a aluminum radiators weighing less than there copper counterparts, but not for cooling.

ahittz24

You dont have a copper radiator, you have a copper/brass radiator that does retain heat. Alum radiators are light, disipate heat quicker and last longer. Also it depends on the Alum material that is used as to how fast it disipates the heat, but all in all they are better. Just like Alum heads cool better than cast iron.

FivePointOhh

there is no such thing as an all copper rad that why it is not btter. copper finsmelts when you heat it so in order to braize the copper onto the rad they have to use a third material which would be brass and a few other metals combind which can be braized. thus a transition from copper to other metal to copper. you loose alot of coppers ability to dispate heat. aluminum will always be better than copper brass for that reason unless they invent a way for copper fins to be braized on. also copper brass rots so thats another quality aluminum has over copper brass

Hawk

Thanks for the replies. Makes sense.

gspfunk

Brass will also corrode...

dillon1340

aluminum heads don't cool better. the aluminum cannot hold the heat as well as the cast iron heads so it is dissipated to the engine coolant. engines with aluminum heads will run hotter than engines with iron heads.

the reason an aluminum radiator will cool better is because the lighter weight aluminum can be designed with a heavier wall thickness without any effect on weight. designing a brass/copper radiator with wide tubes would not be practical because the radiator could weigh as much as sixty pounds.

F250sd

Copper is also a better conductor than aluminum, so given that the rads are the same size, the copper will dissapate heat faster. But the big advantage is exactly what was stated above, you can get a bigger aluminum radiator which would be much lighter than its copper sounterpart, not to mention, the Copper is much more $$$ than aluminum.

TTGreenSN95

aluminum heads don't cool better. the aluminum cannot hold the heat as well as the cast iron heads so it is dissipated to the engine coolant. engines with aluminum heads will run hotter than engines with iron heads.

I thought this was just the opposite???now I am confused Iwas told you could run more timing and more boost with an alum. head it has better cooling in the chamber????

dillon1340

you can run more boost on an aluminum head if it was an equal bolt on (the aluminum head you put on doesnt have a smaller combution chamber). the rapid heat loss from the heat dissipation on an aluminum head reduces combustion chamber pressures (heat equals pressure).

ahittz24

Well thats bad info ifI have ever heard it....

Lets think about this, whether its iron or alum, the heat is transfered from the head and block to the coolant and circulated through the cooling system and heat is exchanged in the air at the radiator. Take a torch and heat an alum head and a cast head (Both Dry) for equal amounts of time, with an infared thermometer, watch to see which cools quicker. Alum is less dense than iron and therefore cools much quicker.

Ask anyone on here who has a high performance motor ie 331, 347, 351, 408 etc. They will tell you that with the stock rad they were seeing temps on the area of 210-230 degrees when the swapped to a alum radiator, the temps went down to 180-205 degrees. Why is that, could it be that alum radiators cool better and disipate heat quicker.

Dont give out info if you dont know what you are talking about.