Chinese radiators

[Tulilanka]

Hello all!

Do you guys have any experience of chinese aluminium radiators sold on eBay? Is it just cheap crap that does not fit or...? Same radiator, same manufacturer, dozen different brands

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=gp ... 4&_sacat=0

[David Langhorne]

I was wondering the same thing but ended up having mine recored here in UK by a local company who have done good work for me in the past and rebuilt my heater box a few years back.
With freight and import duties would have cost me more to import one, even a cheap one from China

[paulr]

Theorizing:
There are dozens of home and automotive related class-action suits based on failure of Chinese steel in my country. Quality is not a word association. As for Chinese aluminum, who knows. Look at the marketing: cheap, one part/one manufacturer/multiple product names...it's a very squirrely type of marketing. This is my 2 cents.

I've spent a summer in Finland...c'mon, it's about as hot as San Francisco! :)

Paul

[Tulilanka]

Well that's what I also THINK about chinese "quality". Just the price that's very tempting. I asked the price for recoring my current leaking radiator and fell on my knees. 520 Euros, almost 660USD!!!!!!!

Original style NEW radiator from Bird Nest 399USD + shipping. Not so expensive anymore.

[paulr]

Original style NEW radiator from Bird Nest 399USD + shipping. Not so expensive anymore.

Interesting.
Considering my vague statement about Chinese aluminum, I bought this Bird Nest Rad. My relationship being what it is with them, and I can easily drive there in 3 hours, I had an agreement with them to return if I hated it. Though I can't tell specifically what, the part certainly contains elements sourced in Taiwan, but it was manufactured in Mexico. It was as identical as I could imagine, and weighed exactly the same. I kept it. It now has about 900 miles on it and performs efficiently. For what it's worth I have a 7-blade fan and clutch, and do not use a coolant recapture as some in California do.

Living here, I like this radiator. Seattle is warmer than Finland in summer IIRC, but we also have a driveable winter; I don't know how Tbirds do in cold. Best,

Paul

[Tulilanka]

Birds like cold!

[sleeper bird]

I did notice that they had no provisions for the lower fan shroud clips for a 66.I do know on my supercoupe i changed over to alum from a stock brass unit and the aluminum performs much better at keeping things cool.I looked at the same radiators you are looking at as well for my 66 and the fan shroud was the only thing that i saw that was different.where the clips hold it on the bottom.I would be curious if it would work ok though with a little modification.

[Alan H. Tast]

Downside to aluminum - electrolysis and deterioration due to dielectric action. If you're mixing cast iron, steel and aluminum you need a sacrificial zinc anode suspended in the cooling system so that your aluminum doesn't get eaten up - you can get a radiator cap with one that's attached and will sit in the surge tank. And you'll need to maintain a regular schedule of changing out coolant.

[Rosie65]

I drove my 65 for years in the winters of Montana. I can tell you that they work just fine in the cold.
Interestingly, in drive 2, you start in second, which keeps you from spinning out as bad on snow and ice when starting.
That's a feature you don't even have now in most cars for winter driving! PS: It was a Montana Bird, bought there in 1967. My family owned it for 48 Years now.

[RedBird64]

Has anybody gone to a repair shop to ask how much a re-core would be? Might be a better deal even if the price was the same.
The last time I had it done to my T-bird was about 25 years ago and it was about $200. I suppose it's gone up a little since then

Scott

[Alan H. Tast]

Has anybody gone to a repair shop to ask how much a re-core would be? Might be a better deal even if the price was the same.
The last time I had it done to my T-bird was about 25 years ago and it was about $200. I suppose it's gone up a little since then

Scott

$450 for me to have one recored 2 years ago. I had it previously recored in 1983 for $250.

[RedBird64]

Has anybody gone to a repair shop to ask how much a re-core would be? Might be a better deal even if the price was the same.
The last time I had it done to my T-bird was about 25 years ago and it was about $200. I suppose it's gone up a little since then

Scott

$450 for me to have one recored 2 years ago. I had it previously recored in 1983 for $250.

That's the way I'd go. New cores are often heavier than whole new rads.

[Tulilanka]

Returning to this... I got my chinese GPI Racing aluminium radiator about a month ago. Installed it last weekend.

Fits like a glove! Just dropped it in and every hole and fittings are in the correct place. Original bolts fit the threads. Original fan shroud and radiator support fit perfectly. Trans cooler lines fit also perfect. Poured the coolants in, started the car and let it idle for a 15 minutes. Everything OK so far. No leaks and temperature is normal.

I don't have any miles on it but hopefully it works on the road also.

[Tbird100636]

Just to throw more fuel into the flame, bought a replacement radiator from Bird nest 2 years ago, original style copper core, made in China, but have not had any problems with it after installing. 390 runs cool, never gets over 1/2 way on temp gauge. There was a mounting issue with the top cover bolt holes not being drilled in the right place, but everything else was right.

Before I pulled the trigger on the new one, I priced out re-coring the original. We had it done back in 1997 at a local radiator and A/C shop, cost $125. Price to re-core now, $385-$600 depending on size. One guy I talked to said it was a dying trade, only 2 manufacturers were left that made core material, so the price for a new one made the most sense.