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Radiators

5K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Fred Kiehl 
#1 ·
Whats up everybody!! I hope im putting this in the right place.. My name is Mario from Hayward NorCal Bay Area and proud owner of a 1996 Impala SS and 1964 Impala.. When it comes to radiators stock or high performance engines, especially high performance engines.. If you have an aluminum radiator or high flow radiator 1,2,3,4 row tubes whatever and you're wondering why your engine is still overheating.. Its cuz all that i mentioned is making it worse and overheating your engine even more.. Now aluminum radiators are grounded cuz they're mounted to the radiator support and that creates electrolysis that clogs it all up.. High flow radiators do just that, they flow coolant thru the radiators core/tubes too fast and going back in the engine just as hot as it was coming out meaning not staying in the the radiator long enough to cool down.. The only way and only type of radiator that will cool any engine down is the same exact radiator the car came with from the factory.. Just a LOW FLOW DIMPLED TUBE radiator core.. That will slowly flow coolant thru radiator giving coolant plenty of time to cool down and never overheat.. Plus drilling a hole in your thermostat straight across from that thing that moves around about the same size and never have to bleed your cooling system again
 
#2 ·
Now aluminum radiators are grounded cuz they're mounted to the radiator support and that creates electrolysis that clogs it all up..

Not sure I agree with much you stated here but will let others respond on what really is the cause of our crud build up and high flow vs time to cool the fluid. A lot of the crud is from the iron block/rust. But in particular, I don't agree with the above part of your quote.

While it is true the rad is installed in the rad support, absolutely NO part of it whether it be a stock rad or All Aluminum touches any metal of the rad support. So there could be no Electrolysis as you described since the radiator is ISOLATED from touching any metal by the upper and lower rubber cushions on each corner. At least that's my thought on how I'm reading that statement.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Not sure I agree with much you stated here but will let others respond on what really is the cause of our crud build up and high flow vs time to cool the fluid. A lot of the crud is from the iron block/rust. But in particular, I don't agree with the above part of your quote.

While it is true the rad is installed in the rad support, absolutely NO part of it whether it be a stock rad or All Aluminum touches any metal of the rad support. So there could be no Electrolysis as you described since the radiator is ISOLATED from touching any metal by the upper and lower rubber cushions on each corner. At least that's my thought on how I'm reading that statement.
As long as there is dissimilar materials in a cooling system you WILL get electrolysis IF the proper amount of antifreeze is not added. Water transfers electricity and then add the dissimilar metals and electrolysis happens if not maintaining the proper mixture of coolant to water. http://freeasestudyguides.com/electrolysis.html
 
#3 ·
Also incorrect regarding "drilled" thermostats eliminating the need to bleed the system. Nothing could be further from the truth regarding the LT1. The increased cooling offered by aftermarket radiators such as BeCool is also due to their increased coolant capacity. The result is the ability to cool more volume in the same amount of time.
 
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#6 ·
I did some research on electrolysis in the cooling system, and there is a product called Hyperkuhl (no-rosion.com) that will stop all electrolysis except for a little for solder (all aluminum/steel/iron/brass systems have little, or no solder). It takes 2 pints to treat the system at $13 per pint plus shipping, and it also makes the water wetter for better conductivity. The company suggests using antifreeze with either distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water for the best results. If you are in a non freezing area, you can use just reverse osmosis filtered water, and no antifreeze (mid Florida where I live). They do not recommend straight distilled water, because it is too aggressive.


A larger capacity radiator, if designed correctly, will always cool better than a smaller one. The higher flow rate through it will only make the water temp more even in the system. A similar construction radiator of "more" cores (2 vs. 4) will always cool better. The air going through it will have more surface area to pick up heat, and the water will have more surface area to dissipate heat. If the air flow rate is the same, the "more cores" radiator will pass more heat from the water to the air in a given period of time at the same air flow rate. It will not be twice as much, but it will be substantially more. If your engine is overheating, and you have all good components, your radiator is not sufficient for the heat output of the engine. If the radiator is sufficient for the amount of heat produced by the engine, it is more likely that a hose is collapsed, the fan is not turning at the proper speed, or the pump impeller blades are eroded.
 
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