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Radiator material; Brass and copper vs. plastic and aluminum
Topic Started: Jun 30 2017, 10:14 PM (344 Views)
suzukitom
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Tom

Would like some opinions on whether a Metro would benefit from upgrading to a brass and copper radiator instead of a stock plastic and aluminum radiator.

I'm a bit worried about the possibility of electrolysis / corrosion with the aluminum engine if I use the brass and copper rad.

Does anyone have experience with this swap?
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JellyBeanDriver


Copper/brass is all I can get for my 92'. No issues with corrosion with proper antifreeze concentration. My problem is driving on the coast, the copper fins corrode to nothing every 1.5-2 years. Rots from the outside in. I wished I could find an OEM plastic/aluminum radiator.
Edited by JellyBeanDriver, Jun 30 2017, 10:50 PM.
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t3ragtop
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker

i switched over to the fabricated aluminum radiators (aluminum core with fabricated aluminum tanks) 5 or 6 years ago because the oem radiators had such abhorrent fin rot. although i'm not anywhere near a salt water coast, it's acidic bug guts that does them in where i live.

there's less chance of damage due to electrolysis with the aluminum radiators but that doesn't mean that soured coolant won't kill them.

the radiators i buy are more friendly to direct mount pancake type fans that move more air than the oem fan and shroud and with a 12" 1600 cfm fan and the 2" core, they perform better than the stock set up.

while i was planning the highly modified turbo3 build i crunched all the thermal dynamics numbers and the fabricated aluminum radiator was a major requirement to deal with shedding heat from the blue monster. it works just as well with my twincam powered red vert along with a spal pid type fan speed controller.

i drive the red twincam vert daily during the season and in ohio we get 90 degree temps with high humidity. engine temp is never an issue with the aluminum radiator set up i run.

they were built to fit the 89 thru 94 swift gt cars but they work as well with the g10 engine and i have even seen guys fit them to the 87 and 88 turbo3 cars as well as the 95 and up cars. ;)
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sphenicie


JellyBeanDriver
Jun 30 2017, 10:49 PM
Copper/brass is all I can get for my 92'. No issues with corrosion with proper antifreeze concentration. My problem is driving on the coast, the copper fins corrode to nothing every 1.5-2 years. Rots from the outside in. I wished I could find an OEM plastic/aluminum radiator.

Where are you getting Brass? I have not seen one since the late 90's.
In fact, several suppliers do not even offer a NON A/T style. They just tell you to skip using the A/T nipples for a manual.

I have a couple sets of plastic tanks, you can have a set, if you want to have them recored.
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sphenicie


suzukitom
Jun 30 2017, 10:14 PM
Would like some opinions on whether a Metro would benefit from upgrading to a brass and copper radiator instead of a stock plastic and aluminum radiator.

I'm a bit worried about the possibility of electrolysis / corrosion with the aluminum engine if I use the brass and copper rad.

Does anyone have experience with this swap?
I am not sure, but I do believe that brass tanks were OE. So, I would guess, there should not be any issues.

I have a couple brass tanked radiators, that I saved. I pulled them back in the late 90's so I could recore and polish.

I don't there would be a significant amount of additional cooling from brass tanks, some, but it would be a lot less than you get from a better/bigger core, upgraded fan, or aux cooling.
Of the 2 I had with brass tanks, there never was any issue.
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Mrbreeze


I have the 93 on a 2 core copper/brass, it's a Spectra radiator from Auto Zone, comes with a lifetime warranty..
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suzukitom
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Tom

I'll have to look again at my 2000 metro radiator closely. The stock tanks sure looks like they are made of black plastic.

The brass and copper radiator I have is after market and is a lot heavier.
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JellyBeanDriver


Mrbreeze
Jul 1 2017, 09:35 AM
I have the 93 on a 2 core copper/brass, it's a Spectra radiator from Auto Zone, comes with a lifetime warranty..
Same here. Bought from Radiator Barn, then some other online place, then Rockauto, finally Autozone and already had it warrantied once.
They were all brass tanks, copper cores. CSF, Spectra Premium, even a major name brand (whoever Modine became) and they all just rebox someone elses.
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john.
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I have the copper rads and only get 3 years out of them.
the fins turn green and start falling out.
I would run the aluminum rad if possible
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sphenicie


suzukitom
Jul 1 2017, 03:57 PM
I'll have to look again at my 2000 metro radiator closely. The stock tanks sure looks like they are made of black plastic.

The brass and copper radiator I have is after market and is a lot heavier.
You are right on base. I have 2 brass tanked metro radiators, all the rest I have purchased have been plastic, with either alum or copper fins.
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