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all-metal radiator?

Old Jul 10, 2009 | 01:25 AM
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Default all-metal radiator?

My 94 with the 5.9 and auto trans has a leaking radiator.

I want an all metal one, with more cooling surface area than that stock metal/plastic/BS one.

I don't care if its aluminum or brass/copper, but price matters to me, up to a point.

I'm new to Dodges, and don't even know if 4-core radiators exist, but that's what I'd like...

Basically the biggest radiator I can fit in this truck would be good. As long as its all metal.

Anyone got any leads on such a thing?
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 05:50 AM
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 07:19 AM
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Price matters up to a point? What is that point? Off the top of my head, and all aluminum radiator will start at $500. I have my built for the race cars, local guy done busines with him for years. My Cost on them is $750. Sounds like someone is looking for champagne, but only got Mad Dog 20/20 money in his pocket.

(Thanks Laramie, that smiley made me chuckle, and very appropriate)
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 10:11 AM
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I think it would be money better spent to stick with the inexpensive stock radiator and spend money on an electric fan if you are concerned about cooling.
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 10:20 AM
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What about the stock radiator that came in the cummins? I believe it's plastic/metal but I believe it's thicker as well. Should bolt right in though.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 10:35 AM
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Some info about radiators:
http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/14_...utomobiles.htm
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 11:20 AM
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If he needs more cooling, he probably has bigger mechanical problems that he is ignoring. With the stock radiators, you should not have an overheating issue. On a side note, for anyone else interested in this, I believe the V10 comes with a really large radiator. I saw a picture Miami Son posted of his engine bay and his radiator looks like double what the 318/360 use. I don't know if the dimensions and mounts are the same, but that would be a good cheap alternative for anyone looking for more cooling.


BTW, don't you just love it when new people log in and the very first post they make isn't an intro post, or a helpful post, but instead it's a HELP ME post?
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 11:24 AM
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Yeah, "google it nooB" real helpful.

Like I'd waste the damn time asking a bunch of guys I don't know, and don't know if their advice is opinion (and we all know about what opinions are like) or fact.

I hate forums for just this reason. FYI, and I hate having to explain myself like this: I searched on this wonderful forum, and on google, and came up with squat. I found a couple links to websites I'd never heard of before, or ebay, but before I go pizzing my money away on some company I've never heard of or done business with, or some chinese knockoff on ebay I thought I'd ask some people who had these trucks and might have firsthand experiance. So, um, thanks. No no, really, thanks.

I readily admit I suck at google... and frequently don't find what others can easily, but still. First response to a guy is that? I guess we've got a new (albeit toned down) Pirate here. On a site that can't even return a metal radiator in a search... lol.

--- stepping off my soapbox----

As for the price thing, I was thinking in the 200-400 range, unless there was nothing there, or there was a really compelling reason to go higher. I don't need aluminum, I'd be perfectly happy with a copper/brass, but I wasn't able to find any except a tenuous allusion to CSF (a company I've used before).

I come from Jeeps, which share a lot of manufacturing and design theories and parts with these Rams... when we are talking TJs to Rams of similar years... and the plastic/metal radiators in Jeeps always leak before their full metal counterpart. In the XJ there are rubber mounts, but that doesn't matter, and I've seen em in TJs too, which are just bolted right to the grill. They always leak at the tank to core junction. Now the Ram has better mounts than either of those Jeeps, what with the bigger rubber bushings, but still experiance has taught me to not only stay away from the plastic/metal rads, but to get the biggest/most efficient one I can for my price range.

I had run across the diesel suggestion in my searching yesterday, but again, plastic/metal, I'm going to stay away if I at all can.

@sawtooth, great info in there. A lot I already knew... but never saw put in words before... and a few things in words that I'd have never even thought about. Thanks. Unfortunately, when I go to the "catalog" I get a page load error... ah well.
 

Last edited by over2land; Jul 10, 2009 at 11:26 AM.
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Ram15002ndGen
If he needs more cooling, he probably has bigger mechanical problems that he is ignoring. With the stock radiators, you should not have an overheating issue. On a side note, for anyone else interested in this, I believe the V10 comes with a really large radiator. I saw a picture Miami Son posted of his engine bay and his radiator looks like double what the 318/360 use. I don't know if the dimensions and mounts are the same, but that would be a good cheap alternative for anyone looking for more cooling.


BTW, don't you just love it when new people log in and the very first post they make isn't an intro post, or a helpful post, but instead it's a HELP ME post?
What I have, so far as mechanical problems, is a leaking radiator, thanks. That's pretty cut and dry. I need a new one. Hm, that was rough diagnosis. Again, thanks for the under-the-breath slam. I know what I'm doing mechanically. I'm new to this platform.

BTW, don't you love it when a ton of guys who so far have provided minimal evidence of mechanical knowledge smash a new guy? Yeah, its a help me post. Cause I thought maybe guys who have had these trucks a while might have encountered this issue... silly me.

Thanks for the V-10 hint. Do you know what year they put the V-10 in this body? You know the parts monkeys needs year/make/model/etc etc to get anything out of their computers.
 
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Old Jul 10, 2009 | 01:02 PM
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over2land,

If you're looking to increase cooling capacity, the Ram V-10 radiator core is larger than the V-8's and the mounting points should be exactly the same. I believe you would need to run a different fan shroud setup if you're running the clutch fan.

The Cummins have a 4 core radiator, IDK if the mounts are the same.

I've never seen a solid metal radiator for our engine, but if you can find one for a late year LA motor setup, call and ask the seller for compatibility. It may be the same.

As far as the leaks go, I totally understand. I lost a radiator just about 2 months ago to a leak on the driver's side where the plastic and aluminum meet. I just bought a $200 replacement from a parts store and was done with it. Rads should go further than 8 years IMO, but I think the pressure on manufacturers to save weight to increase mileage and cut costs has slowly led to inferior parts making their way mainstream.
 
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