“…….210-215 is normal for a sbc in traffic. 200 down the highway is perfect with todays fuel ……”

I agree with shine that the temperature is not out of line. I would add that if you haven’t already, the first step it to verify the temperature gauge is reading accurately. The easiest way is to use a temperature gun and compare the readings. There not really all that expensive and are a good investment anyway. I normally like to measure the temperature as it comes thru the thermostat housing.

As you and Mike both mentioned I have the same understanding that brass/copper does transfer heat more efficiently than aluminum. The aluminum however allows for a more efficient tube design than brass. When you compare the tube size in a brass radiator to an aluminum one you will find that the aluminum tubes are usually a good deal wider than the brass tubes. The reason for this is that after a certain size the brass tubes are more likely to crack over time due to expansion and contraction. As the aluminum tubes can be made wider they expose more surface area to the air and the radiator itself is more efficient than a brass one.

That being said there are a few things to look for when choosing an aluminum radiator. The main thing is tube size and tube count. On brass radiators then you wanted a more efficient radiator you would look for one with more rows of tubes (i.e. going to a 3 or 4 row radiator). Now normally the tubes were smaller in a 4 row than a 3 row but the total amount of surface area was increased so the radiator was more efficient.

On an aluminum radiator look for one that will give you the largest amount of tube surface area, not the highest tube count. I normally go for a radiator with either 2 rows of 1” inch tubes or three rows of ¾” tubes.

A lot of times if you buying on-line, the cheaper radiators will list the row count but not give you tube size. I usually avoid these because when you get the radiator you will often find that you get a 2 row with ¾” tubes or a 3 row with ½” tubes.

After one experience with 4 row aluminum radiators, I avoid them like the plague. Back when I was in my El Camino phase I had ordered a 4 row with ½” tubes to the El Camino I built for my wife. When the car was done I drove it to Tucson AZ (about 75 miles away) on a 100+ degree day. On the interstate it was running about 220 degrees…..a little warmer than I like. I had new radiator I had picked up for another El Camino I was building that was a 2 row with1” tubes so I changes the radiators out. Technically I had the same amount of tube surface area on the 2 radiators, but the 2 row ran 10 degrees cooler when I duplicated the trip a few days later. I read a few different theories over the years why the 4 row radiators are less efficient, but who knows.


Basically for me I have found that a well designed aluminum radiator works better than a brass copper one. If I have any complaints, it’s that on some cars, to my eye, a shiny aluminum radiator can look out of place (lately I’ve tended to go for a nostalgia look). Although it’s generally not recommended, I’ve never had a problem using a light coat of black paint on an aluminum radiator to make it blend in a little better.


Anyway that’s my 2 cents.



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