I have 2000 RAM Van 5.2 liter, 4 speed. i need to replace radiator due to leak in transmisson reservoir of radiator. I also run a secondary external trans cooler also. I am finding two different radiators STD ans Max cooling. Whats the difference?

 

The thickness of the radiator core. The thicker it is, the more heat it can get rid of (dissipate).

 

FWIW I have one of those Auto Zone plastic & aluminum radiators (made in Mexico, I think) and the performance is outstanding. It is the standard model, not max cooling. Aluminum is much more efficient than the copper factory radiator it replaces.

Unless you are towing, carring very heavy loads or live a mile up or higher the standard radiator should do just fine.

 

thanks alloro. thanks Rusty, you answered my autozone question that i had for myself

 

The aluminum very well might be more efficient despite the fact that copper brass can dissipate heat better than aluminum.

Copper brass tubes are smaller than what can be made from aluminum, so the contact area between the aluminum tube and fins is greater than that of the copper/ brass.

Also on copper brass radiators, the copper fins are soldered to the brass tubes with lead, which is not a great conductor of heat.

The copper brass radiator makers developed a process called cuprobrazing that eliminated the lead solder and increased the heat transfer, but caused the price to raise too much.

I bought a Chinese Silla all aluminum radiator for 172$. The aluminum tanks are welded to the core . It was advertised as a 3 row radiator with a core thickness of 1.87 inches thick. It arrived as a one row radiator that is 1 1/4 inches thick. The tubes are 1 1/4 thick, and it really seems to hold a lot of coolant.


It's only a few months old, and I do not have A/C anymore, but it does not overheat or leak, yet.

 

check out my thread ...

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-r...pump-dies.html

I'm not at all impresses with copper RADs. I've had more failures with copper RADs than I want to remember or keep count.

Also, in that thread, the OEM original was made by Valeo in Mexico. It weighed a great deal even with 40% of the air-center fins dissolved to nothing. It was very difficult to lift up and out. As for the aluminum, it is sturdy, light weight, and a good two pass with thicker tubes for better heat transfer. The heat transfer is based on face surface area and thickness of the core along with the air-center fin density.

When going with any new RAD, copper or aluminum try to use the regular green coolant and NOT the long life types. The long life coolants have less corrosion inhibitor protection and in air is trapped in the cooling loop anywhere, it reacts to the metal. DexCool is nasty stuff.

In my previous career life, I was a 15 year OEM Powertrain Cooling engineer.