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What radiators are good these days?

If it fits, I'd do it...I don't know if that one was available. It is a couple inches smaller, but I think it would more than do the job. It's also a claimed fit for your truck...The three row isn't, so you'd probably have to do some fabbing. All I can say is that you won't be disappointed in the quality of the product. I know, it seems odd putting something so clearly not domestic in your domestic truck, but trust me, it's a quality piece. With that one, it's not too much of a price difference, I think it's worth it for the lifetime warranty....
 
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anwat said:
If it fits, I'd do it...I don't know if that one was available. It is a couple inches smaller, but I think it would more than do the job. It's also a claimed fit for your truck...The three row isn't, so you'd probably have to do some fabbing. All I can say is that you won't be disappointed in the quality of the product. I know, it seems odd putting something so clearly not domestic in your domestic truck, but trust me, it's a quality piece. With that one, it's not too much of a price difference, I think it's worth it for the lifetime warranty....
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When it comes to the non domestic part on a domestic truck...most stuff we pit on our trucks are not domestic anymore. As long as the quality is there i really dont care. Maybe ill call mishimoto myself and see what they think...

have you hd experience with these guys first hand?
 
yes...like I said the big sell for me was their customer service. I had some issues with the shroud for my radiator. turns out I was the first one to ever buy one, and it didn't fit right. So, I spent a fair amount of time working out the issues with them, and like I said, the guy I was working with in Ohio was a car guy, and kept using his mustang as an example since he had put a bunch of their parts on his ride. He knew his business, which is rare these days. Eventually, we worked out a deal and I kept the shroud and modified it to meet my needs, and they ended up changing the design for future orders. I got a free trans cooler and one of my two 14" fans for free. Everyone left the table happy. They just had trouble believing me that the shroud didn't fit. Once the photos came, they saw the problem, and did a good job of making it right by me.
This was back about 5 years ago, so I'm sure they've worked it out by now with the shroud, but I'd suggest keeping your engine driven fan unless you have a reason to go electric. Just works better. When I first tried to order, I called Mishimoto to order the radiator, and they actually referred me to Summit, so I know the two of them have some kind of deal. I think it was like $10 cheaper from summit that them...I highly encourage you to call them and talk to them, it was refreshing to have someone who could actually understand my problem and help me fix it on the other end of the phone for once. And it's not going to cost you anything to call, right?
 
Mishimoto does have a good reputation. When you first hear the name you wonder who they are, but talking and reading about anyone who has had their product, I doubt you'd go wrong with it.

Edit: by the way. I think it important to make something clear. Probably no mass produced vehicle made in the last 20+ years has come factory with anything but a plastic/AL radiator. My buddies 1995 Chev truck had the OEM radiator (yes, plastic/AL) in it for 20 years before it started to have problems. My 2004 car had the OEM radiator in it for 11 years and 140k miles, and was still going when I sold it. ( I never changed the antifreeze either!!)

Made properly there is no reason these can't last. But having compared the 1995 OEM GM radiator my buddy pulled, to a parts store cheapy from 2018, it is VERY clear the aftermarket is using much thinner plastic, that is less reinforced than what GM used. The OEM radiator didn't swell under pressure, and the tanks are so hard you cannot distort them with finger pressure. The aftermarket plastic tanks visibly swell under pressure (and likely why they fail at the deal to the core) and are easily distorted with finger pressure. I wish I would have sectioned the GM one.
 
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Thomas Fournier said:
Hello all,

Im looking to replace my old 4 core copper/brass large radiator. After repairing it with solder and or just crimping it multiple times in the past..its time for a new one (it just sprung a new leak on the top). Im game to spend some extra money on a radiator that will last as long as this one (about 20 years). What brands are any good anymore?

i was looking at this one since I've heard good things/good reviews on mishimoto radiators...

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mio-mmrad-cam70x

Or just the summit brand??? Or maybe the lmc truck brand??? No one really sells the copper type anymore.

think its worth getting the huge one with three rows? Or just a "regular" size one with 2 rows?

I know this is really a three part question so bare with me lol

mind you im running a 77 chevy with a small block, th400 4wd 4.56 gears and 37's. Just want something reliable.

Thanks for the help,
Daniel
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A couple years ago the radiator in my '79 began leaking pretty bad and was having to refill every time I drove it. I looked into buy the new alum type or the composite vs repairing the OEM brass. My personal preference was to repair the brass radiator, but looked at all the options.

IIRC...finding a direct fit replacement was difficult. The aluminum replacements were smaller (more efficient?) and the hole pattern was different. I found a small shop near I-25/Broadway in Denver, that charged ~ $100 to rod/core, fix the leaks and braze the caps back on. That's the route I went with. Glad I did, the more reviews I read, the more people were not satisfied with the alum. replacements regardless of mfg/model of the vehicle they put them in.

I would suggest trying to find a radiator repair shop close to you, ping them for a price.
 
Lost my original in my 68 K10. Needed it for firewood duty. Bought an aluminum one from Amazon. Fit was poor, but cools really well with a swap meet ford focus electric fan. Had a couple fixed lately for friends at an old school shop in Denver near Federal and 36. He also did some gas tank relining. Wasn't cheap, but has held up incredibly.
 
Around here its hard to find anyone to repair the copper. My dad tried a few years back and they tried to give him a different one. Ive heard horror stories about getting old radiators rebuilt.

Im gonna put in a newer style a/c system from vintage air in the near future. so i assume they will probably have a newer style aluminum heater core. I was thinking electrolysis might be an issue with that....what you guys think?

my dad was thinking the same as you @ramack @Weird Beard
 
With the newer coolant, I think your good as long as you service it ever 4 or 5 years.
 
2Dogs said:
I used Spectra (CU774) on my last project. Good enough and you get what you paid for from my view.

However - packaging was complete shit and I had filler neck damage on 2 shipments. On the second I just had the neck replaced on my own dime. The repair shop said Spectra uses minimal solder on the builds and the aluminum/plastic models were better but when I asked him to get one he could not locate one within reasonable time or price....

Order from a parts store (might cost more) so they can deal with the damage and return if it happens.
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That is totally my same story with my CU774 when I did the 8.1 swap in my Polar Bear Suburban back in 2015. It took 3 radiators to get one that was not damaged due to their piss poor packing. Luckily, I was at a work industry show and ran right smack dab into our Spectra Premium rep and told him my situation. He grabbed his cell and called someone in Canada and had a new one double boxed and sent to me a N/C without needing to send back the latest damaged one. It worked out well as the most recent damaged one got repaired and landed in Rob’s K5 years later. Crazy to hear they are still shipping them in the same piss poor box. All that frustration aside, Spectra Premium is still the best you can buy in my opinion. Certainly better than any of those fancy go-fast looking Chinesium aluminum turds
 
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Larry said:
Certainly better than any of those fancy go-fast looking Chinesium aluminum turds
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Seeing that spectra is coming out of china now too, not sure where that places them on the map for quality. My first failure was Spectra.
 
dyeager535 said:
Seeing that spectra is coming out of china now too, not sure where that places them on the map for quality. My first failure was Spectra.
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Ya, they do make some stuff in China like everyone else. I know some of their ignition and fuel supply parts are made in China and some in Canada. The distributor I put in a 454 a while back was from China, but so is every damn thing that comes out of a GM or AC Delco box. I do believe the Spectra metal radiators are coming from Canada where the aluminum/plastic are Chinesium
 
Larry said:
Ya, they do make some stuff in China like everyone else. I know some of their ignition and fuel supply parts are made in China and some in Canada. The distributor I put in a 454 a while back was from China, but so is every damn thing that comes out of a GM or AC Delco box. I do believe the Spectra metal radiators are coming from Canada where the aluminum/plastic are Chinesium
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The cu774 and the (only plastic/AL construction) 1985 gas K5 radiators appear to be a Canada only item ("All products with a maple leaf
feuille_erable_48x48.png
identify parts exclusive to the Canadian market" ), Summit shows CU774 out of stock so I suspect that may further indicate most/all Spectra copper/brass is not available to us anymore.

I got some ebay hits that I didn't investigate, if I'm right, and folks want copper/brass, it may be time to buy spares...

I paid $50 on ebay for what used to be a parts store cheapy copper/brass heater core, because apparently no one makes non-ac heater cores for these trucks in anything but AL now. And satisfaction seems to be quite low. Both bad fitment, and quality.
 
I've tried a couple USA made aluminum radiators with poor results as well.
 
From what everyone is saying it seems like a crapshoot no matter which way i go :haha::1zhelp:

on monday im going to call summit, mishimoto and maybe spectra and see what they all say. Since im working nightshift graves i havnt had a chance to contct anyone :poop: Ill keep you guys posted on what they say

Wish we had some more American pride in the stuff we make. Or maybe make some parts here in the USA:usaflag:
 
I was looking at the price for copper due to this thread, and that alone is probably why we aren't seeing copper/brass, even from china. The prices now for copper (couldn't find non-scrap brass price) are about what they were in 2005. But even in 2005 the cost of copper was exponentially more than it was 10-20 years before, back when even the aftermarket parts store stuff was still copper/brass.

I don't think mishimoto is a crap shoot. I think pretty much everything else is, from bottom of the barrel to premium, like griffin. The only advantage I see with the bottom of the barrel stuff (parts store) is that the acquisition cost is very low, and replacement due to failure is quick and for the most part painless. But conversely, how often do you want to deal with the radiator (and fluid that is now at least $6/gallon at best) and are you driving places where a radiator failure would be dangerous?

From my experience the cheapy just leaked when it failed, slow enough I'm sure I could have run with the cap loose and topped it off every 30 minutes or so with water just to make it somewhere. But I can and do appreciate wanting to do the best you can to avoid that headache.
 
I have to ask what the other companies are offering for a warranty...If they aren't standing by their product, it sounds like they are engineering to be as cheap as possible to make, not engineering it to last. There is one company I came across when I was researching for mine, Champion Cooling out of Lake Elsinore, who claims to manufacture everything here and they also offer a lifetime warranty, almost as good as Mishimoto's. Price is comparable to Mishimoto. Personally, If I was buying, I'd buy one with the warranty...kind of takes the crapshoot element out of the whole thing if you get your money back, now doesn't it?
 
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