Re: Radiators

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alex@matrix.com.pl>]

At 16:21 18.06.98 EDT, MSV96@aol.com wrote:

>Both of these car's so called "unreliable" plastic/alluminum radiators
>outlived the all metal one in my 4kq. So aside from potentialy better cooling
>from that third row, I am not at all convinced that all metal radiators
>present a better value. The only benefit I can see is that they are not prone
>to sudden catastrophic failure that the plastic tanks can sometimes
exhibit. I
>realize I am going against the grain of some folks who's opinions I greatly
>respect here...this is just my own experiences on this and I HTH someone.

Keep in mind that the all-metal replacements are aftermarket parts and
therefore vary in build quality depending on manufacturer. My all-metal
radiator made by Danish company Nissens was leaking since new and still
seeps a little even though I had it repaired by the radiator shop. It
doesn't mean that all metal radiators are bad, though. My mother's '81
Nissan Bluebird has still it's original metal radiator when we sold it year
ago. There's also a price aspect, too. How much is the OE Audi
plastic-aluminium radiator from the dealer? I was afraid to even ask. The
aftermarket all-metal units can be usually had at below $200. Just my $0.02

Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
mailto:alex@matrix.com.pl
87 Audi 5000CS turbo (mine)
88 Renault Medallion wagon (mom's)
91 mountain bike (just in case both cars broke at the same time :-)