Let's talk radiators...

Bus'n it · 09-04-2021, 01:29 PM

So my plastic tanked radiator blew its side yesterday while going to the tire shop for new shoes and soles. Would you think it would be best to have a radiator shop make me a copper tanked unit instead of replacing mine with a like style aluminum core/plastic tank unit? Thoughts? Forget the cost just the practicality of strength and longevity is what I am after.

Jolly Roger bus 223 · 09-04-2021, 02:45 PM

i think it would be worth the expense to have a solid copper radiator.
my 77 truck has one and i have brazed the seams on it in various places a few times and my 86 bus has one and the seam of the outlet started leaking and i had no problems with fixing it either

Danjo · 09-04-2021, 03:23 PM

I think a brass and copper radiator is superior to any plastic-tanked one. They can be repaired over and over again. I also think that unless the cost of the all-metal one is close to the plastic one, I’d just get the plastic one. The only time I wouldn’t agree with this is if it’s going in a classic car rebuild

BarnYardCamp · 09-04-2021, 08:46 PM

the factory plastic tanked radiator lasted 18 +/- years....will your bus still be on the road 18 yrs from now?

s2mikon · 09-04-2021, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarnYardCamp

the factory plastic tanked radiator lasted 18 +/- years....will your bus still be on the road 18 yrs from now?

You bring up a good point. Unless the replacement is not built as well.

Bus'n it · 09-04-2021, 09:03 PM

Well, thats just it. Not sure about the replacement. At this point none of them are OEM but chinese aftermarket parts. It is a pain in the balls to remove this radiator and I certainly do not want to do it on the side of the road. Sad thing is I had almost everything out when I replaced all hoses and thought to myself that I should have just replaced the rad for good measure. Oh well.

s2mikon · 09-04-2021, 09:14 PM

I don't want to offend anyone here, but my experience with Chinese made replacement parts has NOT been good. That engine is pretty damn expensive to repair if your "new radiator" craps out on you. Mine is copper and that was one of the first things I did. Had it cleaned and tested. Our 2002 Jeep liberty toad went 180K on the original radiator and has averaged about 15K per Chinese replacement radiator. I'm sure it is due any day now. Use your best judgement here.

Danjo · 09-04-2021, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarnYardCamp

the factory plastic tanked radiator lasted 18 +/- years....will your bus still be on the road 18 yrs from now?

This was my thinking as well.

TJones · 09-05-2021, 09:20 AM

I would look at it as an opportunity to upgrade the radiator. With RE busses being known to have more cooling issues than FE I would go with the biggest radiator that will fit with construction that will provide the best heat transfer and longevity. I would suggest going to a radiator specific shop. They can usually either order / build whatever you need.

Ted

cadillackid · 09-05-2021, 11:34 AM

are aluminum readiators a thing in the bus world? in all my hotrod builds I almost always swapped the stock rad for a nice aluminum upgraded one.. it wasnt the cheapest thing to do but I put some of those cars through Hell and the one thing in common was they never overheated.. I know there are still copper / brass radiators made for bluebird RE busses.. but they could be chinese crap too for all i know..

Bus'n it · 09-05-2021, 01:15 PM

So I had a custom made all welded aluminum radiator in my TR6 that sprung a leak at a corner weld. Shop could not fix it and company that made it would not warranty it. I lost faith in aluminum years ago. Needless to say, I ended up buying another custom aluminum radiator for the car since everything around it was sized to fit. Sold the car a year later to fund a 1500 sq ft addition to the house. I believe the new owner in GA has had no issues since. Maybe a fluke. Call me old school or maybe dumb but I still like copper so long as it is made in the good 'ole US of A. That said a valid point was brought up. If the original lasted 18 years why bother reinventing the wheel. Maybe I will just find a replacement stocker and put that back in.

Bus'n it · 09-08-2021, 05:49 PM

The shop where the bus is at will not do any mechanical repairs. I need to get this thing home to swap out the radiator. I found one on Ebay but it does not show if there is a bung for the 1/4" upper elbow air purge. No response from seller. Listing says it will fit BlueBird bus rear engine from 1996-2005. Do these things come with a pretapped hole? Anyone put in a replacement radiator?

o1marc · 09-08-2021, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

The shop where the bus is at will not do any mechanical repairs. I need to get this thing home to swap out the radiator. I found one on Ebay but it does not show if there is a bung for the 1/4" upper elbow air purge. No response from seller. Listing says it will fit BlueBird bus rear engine from 1996-2005. Do these things come with a pretapped hole? Anyone put in a replacement radiator?

All I can say is have help, they are heavy and cumbersome, at least FE one was. An hour of removing everything off the front to access one bolt on the compressor that could not be reached any other way.

Bus'n it · 09-08-2021, 06:42 PM

Marc, what sucks is that I had all this $hit apart last year and didn't think to replace the radiator for good measure. I was alot stronger then too! local bus parts place wants $3200 for one. I would think you can get one custom made for far less. All this prettiness and I gotta take half of it apart

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