Stock Brass Radiator Failing - Al upgrade time?

Well, the NOS copper/brass unit which has been cooling my 67 for the past 20+ years is leaking again, this time from the driver's side tank. Been over 10 years since last I had it rebuilt, so I think this may be time to upgrade to the new Aluminum technology everybody's raving about.

I've seen postings for the cold case units here:

https://www.coldcaseradiators.com/product/68-77-gm-body-auto-aluminum-performance-radiator

...but I've had good luck with Summit Racing and they have some Al units here as well:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-384002

Anybody have any experience with either item?

Cheers.

 

FYI
I also have a 67.
A couple of days ago I emailed Cold Case looking for recommendations.
Reply was - we don’t have a specific rad for your app. Check out our universal units.

Very unhelpful.

There has been lots of discussion lately here on the site about aluminum radiators. Check out the comments and recommendations.

 

Get the Harrison one fixed.

 

Don't get the Cold Case Radiator it will not fit due to width in our radiator support!

I learned the hard way thank god I am around the corner from them!

I did get a correct radiator for my 71 GS but it was there proto type.

Here are the photos of the Cold Case that did not fit against the 71 GS radiator.

I would recommend Cold Case Radiator IF they would fit our Buicks.

As you see the original radiator in the rear, the middle one is the Cold Case radiator which did not fit (this is the one they sell for our cars), and the first one is the proto type Cold Case radiator.

 

The width of the cold case radiator did not fit within the width of the radiator because it did not align with the lower and upper radiator mounting bushing. As you can see in the photo above, the radiator mounting points is wider the the other two radiators. Cold Case does make a truck c10 radiator that matches the size of our Buick but the lower radiator hose opening is 1,75" instead of 1.5". The prototype radiator i got fit and worked perfectly.

 

just picked up a 3 core stock radiator for my sons car 76 regal radiator was completely gone through,was 375.00 he says they cool just as good as aluminum.thats just his 2 cents.

 

I just received my Cold Case radiator today part number GMA42-A listed for 1968-1972 GM A Body cars. It looks like the one in 71GS3504Sp's photo that he calls a prototype. I measured my radiator top support and it is about 28.5 center to center and 29 inches from outside edge to outside edge. The Cold Case unit is almost exactly the same measurement. I didn't look at the bottom support but believe it's the same as the top. The unit looks well made and I'll paint the tanks and install it next week. I'll report back on how it cools.

 

Thanks for the info, everybody. I've ordered the Summit Racing model, hopefully it'll get here over the weekend & I can drop it in.

 

I hope it fits your car properly. Are you aware that the part number you posted the pic of is shorter and narrower than the stock 68-72 radiator by about 2"in each direction? My factory radiator (AC car) is 28" wide x 18 " tall. The Summit unit in your pic is 26 x 16.

 

I actually ordered a different model from Summit Racing: the 384000 model rather than the 002. It was on my doorstep when I got home from work yesterday. Man, that was fast. Ordered it Thursday morning, shows up afternoon next day with free shipping.

I'll post pics of it soon: preliminary measurements are it's a direct drop-in replacement for the 3-row leaky Modine I have installed now. Gonna flush the system, change the thermo & hoses, then drop it in.

 

Are the OEM ones Modine or Harrisons? Are they marked?

 

Well, I'm sure the original one was likely a Harrison, but that one got junked along with the blown head gasket shortly after I purchased the vehicle. The Modine in my vehicle now is a unit which I bought in San Carlos CA when they actually had a radiator shop back in the mid 90s, I used to live right in the same neighborhood. I could have brought it home on a skateboard.

I've just flushed out the system with the garden hose (of which I have no garden to water, need to get a new hose, too) and everything is flowing clear. Gonna let the engine & catch pan full of murky water cool off, then start installing the new parts.

Here's some shots of the new unit attached.

 

1. Are the hose sizes correct?
2. Does your engine have block drain plugs, so you can get the flush-water out of the block? If not...add extra anti-freeze to compensate for the plain water trapped in the block.

 

The hose fittings match up, and I plan to give the full charge of undiluted antifreeze before topping off to the proper 70/30 mix.

 

If the difference between overheating and not overheating is 70% antifreeze vs. 50% antifreeze...


...you have cooling system problems.

My concern is that you might not get 70% antifreeze into the engine without draining the block. I'd expect a Buick big-block to have drain plugs; but I know that at least some Buick small-blocks don't.

 

Yeah Larry in that instance I do the same thing.