Re: Re[2]: Radiator, Etc.

[steveb@newkla.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

Tom Higgins said:
>      John said:
>      
>      > Not so, unless you want to stick with the plastic/aluminum radiator. 
>      > After market radiators, made completely of copper (what a concept!), 
>      > are now available.  I had one installed in my 84 5KST and it works
>      > just great.  The most amazing thing is, the engine runs about 20% 
>      > cooler.  The cost is about 250 and it looks just like the orginal.
>      
>      How has your mileage been since you installed it? Running 20% cooler 
>      is only better if it was running 20% too hot originally (IMHO). 
>      Doesn't the theory go that the car will run a rich mixture in an 
>      attempt to get up to operating temp - as in a start up condition? 
>      Hence the problem with a stuck-open thermostat. Running *too* cool all 
>      the time can doink your MPG (allegedly).
>      
Perhaps he meant 20 degrees?  I too have replaced the plastic tanked radiators
on two of my cars with brass tanked replacements.  I did not notice that much
of a running temperature decrease, but I did notice on the '78 Fox that the
metal tanks coupled heat to the fan switch more effectively, causing the fan 
to come on at a lower water temperature (as measured by the temp gauge).  I
was planning to rig a manual fan switch so that I could keep the temp from 
teetering on the red line while driving in rush-hour traffic on a hot day,
but the new radiator resolved the problem.  

I prefer the metal tanked radiators because they will tend to fail more 
gracefully.  I have had plastic cooling system parts come apart when they 
failed, rendering the car unusable, whereas the metal tanks tend to start 
with small leaks that can be dealt with while leaving the car useable.  

Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com