TIPS FOR CHOOSING A PERFORMANCE RADIATOR
                     TIPS FOR CHOOSING A PERFORMANCE RADIATOR
Paul Norman Jasper
Writer  whose topics include, 
replacement auto parts reviews at autopartsu.com 
and 
replacement car parts reviews at autopartsu.com.
Allowing an engine to get too hot is one of the fastest ways to be on your way 
to a rebuild. Upgrading the radiator to a performance radiator might help 
with cooling system issues, but only if everything else is in good condition. If 
you install a better radiator without repairing the problem that is causing 
your vehicle to get hot, the engine may run a little cooler, but it won’t be in 
the temperature range that it needs to be in.
The Cooling System
Be sure the hoses, water pump, thermostat, fan and the cooling passages in 
the heads and block are all working properly or are clear of debris. If you 
have an older engine, it’s possible that someone used straight water in the 
system, which leads to rust inside the cooling passages. If you owned the 
engine from the start and know you used antifreeze, then you will be able to 
rule out the cooling passages as part of the problem.
Choosing the Best Replacement Radiators
When choosing the best replacement radiators, bigger isn’t always better 
anymore. Radiators come in two styles: Crossflow and downflow. Crossflow 
radiators are more effective because the water goes through them slower 
than in a downflow radiator, which has gravity to help move the water 
through the system. Just as bigger is not always better, faster is not always 
better in this case. The slower the coolant moves through the radiator, the 
more chance it has to cool—as long as it’s not moving through the system 
too slowly.
Copper-Brass or Aluminum?
It was more common to see copper-brass radiators on older vehicles—and 
that is a material that also conducts heat quite well. However, there’s been a 
major switch to using aluminum in radiators. Aluminum is stronger than 
copper-brass. Additionally, the diameter of the tubes in a copper-brass 
radiator had to be kept small to avoid bursting under the high pressure of the 
cooling system.
The stronger aluminum material allows for larger tubes, which means that 
more coolant flows through the system. The larger tubes expose more 
coolant at one time to the heat exchange process, which means that the 
radiator cools more efficiently. Also, aluminum is lighter than copper-brass, 
which is important if you are racing. Saving weight on a street vehicle also 
saves on gas mileage. A little weight here and there adds up to quite a bit of 
gas savings.
Finally, because the aluminum radiator is more efficient than the copper-
brass radiator, it requires fewer rows to cool the water at the same rate as 
more rows in a copper-brass radiator. This also makes the radiator lighter, and 
a smaller radiator fits in a smaller space.
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