Thread: 4 core radiators.. Anyone got one?

Originally Posted by Sitec

Hi all.. Ok, I dropped my radiator into the local mob yesterday to price up having a 4 core center put in it, and the outlets changed for larger ones... Nearly fell off my chair when he came back an hour ago with a quote for the job.... Anyone had one made, know for one, or know what it should cost to get one done, or know where I'd get an alli 4 core rad made for sensible penny's..... Cheers in advance!

Have a look at Speedway Motors web site. Street Rod section. Radiators to cool 700 hp big blocks.

What sort of dollars were they looking for if you don't mind me asking?

Funny you should mention a 4 core radiator. My IIA 6 cyl 109" has a 4 core radiator that leaks and is too far gone to repair. I was quoted around $700 from two places here in Adelaide to have it recored. Still trying to decide what to do about that, I love the old bus but it's a 186 and I paid less than $700 for the whole car!
Cheers
Paul

$987 to remove the three core center and fit a new 4 core unit, remove the top inlet and breather pipe from the left and fit a larger inlet on the right, remove the lower outlet and fit a larger outlet... ... Having had a chat with AJ, I'm now thinkin I might just get the outlets changed to suit the Cummins, and see how it goes. He was saying that the cooling effect of a 4 core is not a great deal more than a 3 core, because when all 4 cores are in line, by the time the air gets to the 4th core its hot so does little cooling anyway... He also brought up the fact that with a hot intercooler in front of the rad, its going to have its work cut out as well..... Hmmmm.. Had ten min pondering what to do and thinking.. Crap crap crap.. Then thought.. Well hang on.. The radiator in my old 101 coped fine with a 5.7 Nissan 6, so a 5.9 6 pot with a HUGE fan should have a chance.... If the Intercooler is too much, I'll remove it! Time to suck it and see I guess!

If it makes you feel any better, I just had to get one of my big work gensets a recore on the main radiator - it has 2 - came in at over $20,000 for the recore alone on the one rad - plus labour...

Glad it wasn't my money... But yes, paying nearly $1000 for that little thing is ridiculous. Yeah, just suck it and see to start with, see how it goes and work on a solution if needed.

Hell!!! What donk has that got?? Huge Cat or Troit? My 600mm square rad pails into insignificance with that sort of dosh!!

You know what CAT stands for don't you? Cummins After This!!!

Our big 1250's and 1400KVA's all run Cummins KTA50's. 50 litre, V16's. They are my babies - I lavish much love and attention on them.. Although I manage the technical side of over 400 odd gensets - from 11 to 1400KVA, the big buggers are where my hearts at.

I always love the look on a customers face when they ask what the fuel consumption will be at full load - 263 litres per hour... That always brings a to their face.

Don't know about the 101s but the UK spec for Series Landies is 3 core while the vehicles sold in Australia had the diesel spec 4 core radiators from new.

It does make a significant difference and something people should be aware of when considering getting a radiator ex-UK. My ex-SADF SIIB was re-cored in Melbourne with a 3 core and it was ping-ing from over heat any time I went over 70KPH. It now has a 4core rad which cost about $700.

Aluminium cores are cheaper, apparently more efficient but don't last as long as the copper cores.