14 replies to this topic

[happydude2012]

Just a question -

 

I currently have a pretty standard (But old and broken) radiator - i think its a minispares 4 core?

 

whats the difference between alloy 2 core (think fletcher) and the standard?

 

also fan wise, ive noticed these metal 6 blade and 4 blade fans, whats the difference from a standard 13 fin plastic one?

 

thanks

[DeadSquare]

Alloy radiators do not cool as efficiently as copper ones.

 

Plastic fans probably do less damage to feeler gauges.

[happydude2012]

ha good point 

[ukcooper]

metal 6 blade = Nosie 

[Bat]

Alloy radiators do not cool as efficiently as copper ones.

 

I'm not altogether sure about this statement as just about every other car has an alloy rad on it when its manufactured.

Copper seems to be a thing of the past..

Cheers 

[Dusky]

Alloy radiators do not cool as efficiently as copper ones.

I'm not altogether sure about this statement as just about every other car has an alloy rad on it when its manufactured.
Copper seems to be a thing of the past..
Cheers

Its a popular one. Copper conducts heat better. But alloy is cheaper and radiates heat better.

[DeadSquare]

Not only does copper conduct heat better  (aluminium has about 60% of the conductivity of copper ), but dark object radiate heat better than shiny ones and copper naturally oxidises to a dark brown ( and eventually black ), where as the thin surface oxide on aluminium helps it retain its shine for far longer.

[Minigman]

You can’t go too far wrong with the MS 2 core performance rads. I’ve used them on many minis of various levels of tune and never had an issue with them. The original rad would be a 3 core but the cores were quite small. The 2 core has fatter cores hence better cooling and the 4 core has 4 smaller cores so more cooling potential but the overall width of the rad is fatter than a standard one. Hope that makes sense?

Edited by Minigman, 26 August 2018 - 04:53 PM.

[happydude2012]

i liked the look of the fletcher one - a chap i know has one and he loves it -

[timmy850]

Not only does copper conduct heat better  (aluminium has about 60% of the conductivity of copper ), but dark object radiate heat better than shiny ones and copper naturally oxidises to a dark brown ( and eventually black ), where as the thin surface oxide on aluminium helps it retain its shine for far longer.

Black objects may emit more heat at rest, but this isn't the type of cooling that happens in a car radiator. There's a video here that explains it better than I can

[DeadSquare]

Lovely video, but he talks about an inter-cooler, which is not quite the same thing as a water filled radiator.

 

On a different point, this is another example of how stupid, so-say intelligent people can be.  Only a fool would paint a radiator.  Cupric Oxide is naturally black.    Therefore in his case there would be no insulating layer and no reduction in air flow

 

Water holds much more heat than air, and although an inter-cooler and a radiator employ the same principal, the conductivity between the water inside the rad, (rather than air passing through an inter-cooler) and the material from which the rad is made, is far higher than for air, so the material from which the rad is made, has abundently more heat available on its outside surface, which it does radiate into the passing air as well as conduct to the passing air that touches the surface as it passes.

 

Manufacturing has improved in 75 years, but Rolls Royce tried aluminium radiators after the war, but went back to copper.

[Spider]

http://www.theminifo...radiator-fluid/

[vyruskiller]

Personally I have just fitted a MS 2 core alloy rad to my 1275Gt that kept going very close to over heating and since I've fitted it my temp gauge never goes over half way. I'm a novice so I can't comment on the ins and outs of what's better but that sure did the trick!

[Inno]

..so If I didn't read something wrong alloy 2 core radiator have some immediate cooling benefits over MS ARA4442 copper 2 core radiator, but on a long run due to the alloy accumulation in the block, alloy radiator with classic Mini engines may have disadvantages during time?!?

 

In addition It looks like most of heating problems are in the traffic at low rpm - can it be connected with something else and not only radiator capacity or conductivity? - like using (race) dizzy without vacuum in a traffic causing incorrect advance at idle and higher temperature as a result...or something else

[imack]

I think most of the cooling issues in traffic when the cooling system is in good condition is mainly down to lack of air flow from the mechanical fan with the engine at idle. This is where an additional electric fan is a bonus.